Class Impact: Brian Balom to Miami

Stefan Adams
5 min read
2020 Miramar (FL) safety Brian Balom committed to the Hurricanes on Wednesday morning.



The 6-0, 180-pounder is currently a consensus 3-star in the national rankings. According to the 247Composite, Balom is the #1,032 player nationally, the #66 S in the country, and the #135 player in the state of Florida. His commitment keeps Miami’s 2020 class ranking to #13 on 247Sports and #9 on Rivals.


The Player

Growing up a UM fan, Balom fulfilled a childhood dream when he announced his commitment to the Canes. Balom told the UM coaches his intentions on Monday, and then went public with his commitment on Wednesday. Balom earned his UM offer after impressing the coaching staff in-person at Paradise Camp in June, and, from that point forward, it seemed the Canes led over schools like West Virginia, Louisville, and Utah. Balom took an official visit to Louisville a few weeks back, but has apparently seen all he's needed to see, telling CIS that he's shutting his recruitment down and won't be taking visits to other schools. He is UM’s first recruit from Miramar since Jermaine Grace in the 2013 class.

On film, Balom shows he is a sound tackler and someone that an offense must account for patrolling the middle of the field. Acts as a reliable last line of defense on the backend and cleans up a lot of mistakes for Miramar. A physical presence that isn’t afraid to hit and mix it up with the ballcarrier. Seems to be much more adept at run support at this point in his career, but has decent ball skills.

I liked Balom much more in-person at Paradise Camp in June, where he shined against high-level competition. Balom looked quicker than he does on tape, and was all over the field, showing great range and recovery speed. Seeing him up close, it was impressive just watching him being able to get to so many passes and tip away close calls. Receivers found it very difficult to separate from him and it seems Balom’s only improving every time I see him, as he played well at the Manny Diaz Camps earlier in the summer as well. Although not a burner, he shows great acceleration to close out crossing routes over the middle and disrupt passing lanes. I don’t see a player with an overly high ceiling here, but he is certainly someone that can outperform his recruiting ranking and become an All-ACC type of talent if he proves to be a hard worker in college. He's a solid sleeper to get at this point in the cycle after UM missed on some of their top targets, someone that Miami can develop into a productive player in their defense down the line.

So far this season, Balom has 20 tackles and 2 interceptions for the 2-3 Miramar Patriots. At the Opening Miami Regional in February, Balom recorded a 4.63 40-yard dash, a 4.34 shuttle, and a 32.50 vertical leap.


The Class

The Miramar star is the 24th commitment in the 2020 class and the 4th take at safety for the Canes. Along with South Dade (FL) teammates Jaiden Francois and Keshawn Washington, Amite (LA) 3-star Daran Branch is also a part of Category20, although guys like Washington and Branch could end up at other positions down the line.

Assuming everyone sticks, the Canes are probably done offering other safeties this class, although they’d certainly make a spot for Deland (FL) 4-star Avantae Williams if he decided he wanted in. The former Miami commit has been UM’s top target at the position throughout the cycle, but is currently an Oregon commit. Williams has flirted with rejoining Miami’s class for months now, visiting multiple times in the spring and summer. Despite the effort, UM hasn’t seen much movement here and the intel continues to suggest it is UGA that is in the best position for a possible flip. Miami is still slated to receive an official from Williams this fall, and that will essentially be their last chance to sell Williams on the program. If the Canes are unable to make a significant move on that visit, this recruitment is likely over.


The Team

By the time Balom hits campus in 2020, Miami will have four returning safeties on campus in seniors Amari Carter, juniors Gurvan Hall and Bubba Bolden, and sophomore Keontra Smith. While that seems like a solid group talent-wise, we have yet to see any of them consistently play at a high-level at Miami. Therefore, in theory, there is plenty of playing time available for a freshman if he impresses the staff right out of the gate. More likely than not, though, Balom will take an apprentice role as a freshman at UM, and could see the field at nickel in certain situations. After Carter leaves, there will be that much more playing time available in the safety rotation in the 2021 season. With his ability, there’s no reason Balom shouldn’t be contributing by then, and potentially pushing for a starting role in the defensive backfield by the time he’s an upperclassman.

 

Comments (148)

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Does this commitment mean another safety will decommit?
 
I'd say that evaluation is about right. He's not a ball hawk right now, and he's not a violent hitter... but he seems to have pretty good instincts and could develop into something not terribly far off from a Jaquan type.

Good tackler and a good hitter , but his coverage skills are really good. Kid is very complete, he also has great fundamentals. Good testing numbers to go with everything else.
 
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You can’t take every exception to the rule. How many Plan B kids sucked compared to the few that played well . ALOT

You think your going to hit on every kid we recruit?
Serious question
 
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glad to know your expectations are bottoming out...

These aren’t expectations just reality. We suck we suck at recruiting and we suck at developing players.

We are in the middle of the absolute most talent on the planet and we get an elite recruit here and there but settle for scraps on a normal basis.
 
These aren’t expectations just reality. We suck we suck at recruiting and we suck at developing players.

We are in the middle of the absolute most talent on the planet and we get an elite recruit here and there but settle for scraps on a normal basis.

But you yourself are saying it's the most talent...So the backup plans are pretty **** good.
 
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But you yourself are saying it's the most talent...So the backup plans are pretty **** good.

Yea let’s settle for that. That’s whats wrong with this fcking program and fan base.
 
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Yea let’s settle for that. That’s whats wrong with this fcking program and fan base.

Lol...so we are in the middle of all the talent...BUT it's only the elite talent. Are you an idiot?

Also, this elite talent you speak of...Should we start kidnapping 'em? I mean you're talking "settle" like fans and Manny Diaz don't want TJ Bell and Issaiah Walker and Tyrique Stevenson, etc, etc...Even if we do make some headway or the kid develops a connection...How UM gonna compete with the bags?

I wanna hear your genius ideas...Other than *****ing and whining when we do evaluate and take kids from this awesomely talented area that you speak of to fill our 85.
 
Lol...so we are in the middle of all the talent...BUT it's only the elite talent. Are you an idiot?

Also, this elite talent you speak of...Should we start kidnapping 'em? I mean you're talking "settle" like fans and Manny Diaz don't want TJ Bell and Issaiah Walker and Tyrique Stevenson, etc, etc...Even if we do make some headway or the kid develops a connection...How UM gonna compete with the bags?

I wanna hear your genius ideas...Other than *****ing and whining when we do evaluate and take kids from this awesomely talented area that you speak of to fill our 85.

Dude we are offering guys who have offers from Buffalo and Indiana. We aren’t even offering second or third tier kids. Are you fcking blind or just dumb as fck.
 
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Dude we are offering guys who have offers from Buffalo and Indiana. We aren’t even offering second or third tier kids. Are you fcking blind or just dumb as fck.

LOL...We have offered plenty of "2nd tier guys". And staff's definition of 2nd tier may not be the same as every other school in America

We have offered somewhere around 25 kids in Sofla this year, give or take.

You are a stone f**king idiot.
 
LOL...We have offered plenty of "2nd tier guys". And staff's definition of 2nd tier may not be the same as every other school in America

We have offered somewhere around 25 kids in Sofla this year, give or take.

You are a stone f**king idiot.

Yep our second tier is everyone’s 5th tier. That’s why we fcking suck.

Do you think we are good? Or have been good in the last 15 years? Just want to confirm the blind or dumb *** fck remark.

Maybe both.
 
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LOL...We have offered plenty of "2nd tier guys". And staff's definition of 2nd tier may not be the same as every other school in America

We have offered somewhere around 25 kids in Sofla this year, give or take.

You are a stone f**king idiot.

Like Parrish?
 
Yep our second tier is everyone’s 5th tier. That’s why we fcking suck.

Do you think we are good? Or have been good in the last 15 years? Just want to confirm the blind or dumb *** fck remark.

Maybe both.

Lol, yup everyone's 5th tier...Exaggerate much idiot? So what are you doing complaining about the past or are you playing talent evaluator with your little 247 rankings and crying about the future. Again short of dropping bags, and kidnapping kids to make them stay, what route would you take?
 
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