With offers from all around the country, 2022 Greer (SC) 4-star TE Jaleel Skinner has been a high-priority target for many of college football’s top programs. Included in that group are the Miami Hurricanes, who recently came through with an offer for the star tight end last month.
“I’ve really been talking a lot to the Miami coaches,” Skinner said. “They finally pulled the trigger and offered me about a month ago, it was just a great feeling. My dad and I were real excited because he’s been teaching me about the history of Miami since I was a little kid and how things go down down there.”
While he’s heard a lot about UM from his father, Skinner wants to gain some first-hand knowledge of the Miami program by taking a visit to Coral Gables in the coming months.
“Miami’s one of the top schools I want to get out and visit,” Skinner said. “I’m trying to learn more about the program right now, but from what my dad has told, me that used to be the place back in the day. And they’re getting back to how they used to be, the top dog, that top team. They’ll be back eventually.”
The 6-5 210 pound prospect has mainly communicated with Canes’ TE coach Stephen Field, and it is no surprise that Field has been pitching Skinner on the tight end tradition that comes with playing at Miami.
“Coach Field calls it ‘Tight End U’ down there,” Skinner said. “He was telling me they need guys like me down there to bring the culture back to Miami. He said all it takes it one guy to bring a whole crew with him. So me being 2022 and them recruiting me so early, if I commit to Miami, they expect me to help and reach out and get more guys of the same caliber to help bring the culture back to Miami, the ‘Top Dog’ status.”
As for other schools involved, Skinner’s talent on the field has helped him garner offers from schools like Michigan, LSU, Georgia, Florida, and Oregon among others, but he is sticking to an even-keeled approach to the process in the early-going.
“I’m trying to keep my head down and keep pushing throughout this recruiting process,” Skinner said. “I’m really loving every moment of it - I’m loving the coaches reaching out to me, I’m loving talking to the coaches, I’m loving getting to build bonds with them.
“Right now, all schools are reaching out pretty hard, I don’t really have any frontrunners. I’m just really enjoying the process. Me and parents have been talking and I’ll probably have a top list somewhere towards the end of December or in January. I was planning on making a decision before the beginning of my senior season.”
Before coronavirus concerns shut down campuses across the country, Skinner had a bunch of spring visits planned, but ended up only being able to see Florida and South Carolina. As for the in-state Gamecocks, Skinner has liked what he’s seen so far.
“It’s great down there,” Skinner said of South Carolina. “I love the atmosphere and how everything runs down there. Hopefully this year, they’ll start getting things turned back to the South Carolina way. The main guy I talk to is (TE coach) Bobby Bentley, he's that guy.”
Although some see the local Gamecocks as having an early edge for Skinner because of their proximity to his home, the Greer star says he’s more focused on finding the best fit for him personally.
“I’m not really focused on staying in-state. My parents gave me the green light, they told me wherever feels the most comfortable to me, that’s where I can go,” Skinner said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s on the west coast or ten minutes down the street, whatever feels best to me, that’s where I should go.”
If staying close to home is not a factor for Skinner, what will he be looking for in a program when it comes time to make his decision?
“One thing I’m looking for in a school is a coaching staff that’s going to get me where I need to go, that’s going to develop me into the player I can be one day and the man I can be one day,” Skinner said. “I’m looking for a college that can help me get on that path academically and also physically in the football program. Another big factor in what I’m looking for in schools is how they use their tight ends.”
According to MaxPreps, Skinner finished his sophomore season at Greer in 2019 with 16 receptions, 254 yards, and 2 TD’s on offense, to go along with 11 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 sack as a DB on defense in 9 total games.
“I would say my mindset on the field is just to go and dominate whoever lines up in front of me. My dad always told me when I was a young kid to always go out there and just kill on the field, do what I do best.”
“I’ve really been talking a lot to the Miami coaches,” Skinner said. “They finally pulled the trigger and offered me about a month ago, it was just a great feeling. My dad and I were real excited because he’s been teaching me about the history of Miami since I was a little kid and how things go down down there.”
While he’s heard a lot about UM from his father, Skinner wants to gain some first-hand knowledge of the Miami program by taking a visit to Coral Gables in the coming months.
“Miami’s one of the top schools I want to get out and visit,” Skinner said. “I’m trying to learn more about the program right now, but from what my dad has told, me that used to be the place back in the day. And they’re getting back to how they used to be, the top dog, that top team. They’ll be back eventually.”
The 6-5 210 pound prospect has mainly communicated with Canes’ TE coach Stephen Field, and it is no surprise that Field has been pitching Skinner on the tight end tradition that comes with playing at Miami.
“Coach Field calls it ‘Tight End U’ down there,” Skinner said. “He was telling me they need guys like me down there to bring the culture back to Miami. He said all it takes it one guy to bring a whole crew with him. So me being 2022 and them recruiting me so early, if I commit to Miami, they expect me to help and reach out and get more guys of the same caliber to help bring the culture back to Miami, the ‘Top Dog’ status.”
As for other schools involved, Skinner’s talent on the field has helped him garner offers from schools like Michigan, LSU, Georgia, Florida, and Oregon among others, but he is sticking to an even-keeled approach to the process in the early-going.
“I’m trying to keep my head down and keep pushing throughout this recruiting process,” Skinner said. “I’m really loving every moment of it - I’m loving the coaches reaching out to me, I’m loving talking to the coaches, I’m loving getting to build bonds with them.
“Right now, all schools are reaching out pretty hard, I don’t really have any frontrunners. I’m just really enjoying the process. Me and parents have been talking and I’ll probably have a top list somewhere towards the end of December or in January. I was planning on making a decision before the beginning of my senior season.”
Before coronavirus concerns shut down campuses across the country, Skinner had a bunch of spring visits planned, but ended up only being able to see Florida and South Carolina. As for the in-state Gamecocks, Skinner has liked what he’s seen so far.
“It’s great down there,” Skinner said of South Carolina. “I love the atmosphere and how everything runs down there. Hopefully this year, they’ll start getting things turned back to the South Carolina way. The main guy I talk to is (TE coach) Bobby Bentley, he's that guy.”
Although some see the local Gamecocks as having an early edge for Skinner because of their proximity to his home, the Greer star says he’s more focused on finding the best fit for him personally.
“I’m not really focused on staying in-state. My parents gave me the green light, they told me wherever feels the most comfortable to me, that’s where I can go,” Skinner said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s on the west coast or ten minutes down the street, whatever feels best to me, that’s where I should go.”
If staying close to home is not a factor for Skinner, what will he be looking for in a program when it comes time to make his decision?
“One thing I’m looking for in a school is a coaching staff that’s going to get me where I need to go, that’s going to develop me into the player I can be one day and the man I can be one day,” Skinner said. “I’m looking for a college that can help me get on that path academically and also physically in the football program. Another big factor in what I’m looking for in schools is how they use their tight ends.”
According to MaxPreps, Skinner finished his sophomore season at Greer in 2019 with 16 receptions, 254 yards, and 2 TD’s on offense, to go along with 11 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 sack as a DB on defense in 9 total games.
“I would say my mindset on the field is just to go and dominate whoever lines up in front of me. My dad always told me when I was a young kid to always go out there and just kill on the field, do what I do best.”
