After losing a lot from last season’s team on the D-Line, the Canes are in the market for a few impact players at defensive end. While the staff already boasts a commitment from Chaminade-Madonna 3-star Cameron Williams in the 2019 class, UM is hoping to add at least two more ends to that haul. Someone that has risen on the Canes board lately at the position has been 3-star DE Jahfari Harvey from Vero Beach HS, and Harvey reports that he’s been feeling like more of a priority to the coaches.
“Yes sir, I feel like I’m a priority,” Harvey said. “Coaches Mark Richt, Manny Diaz, and Jess Simpson take the time to hit me up to see how I’m doing and how everything is going. I wouldn’t say I talk to them every day, but pretty often.”
As his possible future position coach, new D-Line coach Jess Simpson has put in the effort to get to know Harvey better. Harvey feels like their relationship has grown from when Simpson was first hired and can only get better from here.
“I would say it is pretty good and only getting better,” Harvey said of his relationship with Simpson. “I am looking forward to talking with him more when I go down.”
The Canes will be bringing Harvey in for a summer visit on June 16th weekend. The talented pass-rusher last visited UM for Junior Day back in March, but says this trip will be different since he will be bringing family members along.
“My family is coming down with me this time, so I’m looking forward to talking to coaches and touring the facilities with them,” Harvey said.
Since that Junior Day visit to Miami 2 months back, Harvey’s recruitment has gone national. Top programs around the country, schools like Oregon, Michigan, Georgia, Louisville, NC State, and Nebraska, have all extended scholarships to the 6’3” 220 pounder within the past month. Harvey says he’s now trying to recalibrate his board and see which of the new offers might fit him best.
“I just thank God and am glad that the hard work I put in is paying off,” Harvey said about the uptick in his recruiting process. “I’m interested in a couple of the new schools, every school has something to offer. I’m trying to see what’s best for me.”
While the Vero Beach star isn’t ready to name favorites, Harvey does mention a few schools that he feels contact him the most.
“Other than Miami, I would say Oregon, Michigan, and Georgia Tech,” said Harvey.
There’s a long way to go for Harvey at this stage to land on a final decision and he plans on taking his time with the process. However, the one program that wins him over will present a good fit for him schematically on the stop-unit, as well as a comfortable environment and a solid education.
“There’s no set time that I want to commit, but what I’m looking for in a school is being comfortable in the scheme they run defensively, relationship with the coaches, and academics.”
