One sneaky hotbed of 2028 talent appears to be the northeast with New Jersey in particular having multiple elite-level prospects. The headliner of such talent, Jackson Vaughn, made his way down to Coral Gables for Miami’s “Spring Splash” recruiting weekend. A 6-foot-4 edge rusher ranked as the top player in the state, Vaughn displayed serious interest in the Canes with a possible jump to the 2027 class seemingly in the cards. Here’s everything the Bergen Catholic product had to say following his unofficial visit:
On his overall visit:
“Today I got to learn some new things — especially from a scheme perspective. I’ve already seen the school, I really love it down here.”
“I’m taking it all in. I’m trying to see where I fit scheme-wise and culture-wise, where I can see myself for the next three to four years. I’m just taking it as it comes, staying where my feet are, and going through the process.”
On Miami as a potential landing spot:
“I love them. I feel like they fit the way I play. I like to play fast, and they like to play fast and get vertical. I feel like I fit into their scheme pretty well."
On the top schools in his recruitment process:
“I’d say Miami, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Texas. Those are some of the prominent schools.”
“All the schools I mentioned, I’ve been able to visit either this spring or winter. They’re schools I can see myself at, I like the way they play, and a lot of them have players I watch or look up to.”
“From a campus perspective, they’re all strong academically and offer more than just football — they help set you up for life after football.”
On Miami’s track record with defensive linemen and coach Taylor:
“It definitely boosts them a lot. Being able to learn from one of the greats and be at practice with him every day, taking notes from someone like that, can help you a lot.”
On his recruitment timeline:
“Honestly, I’m just staying where my feet are. When the time feels right, I’ll make my decision. I’m not in a rush to commit.”
On his overall visit:
“Today I got to learn some new things — especially from a scheme perspective. I’ve already seen the school, I really love it down here.”
“I’m taking it all in. I’m trying to see where I fit scheme-wise and culture-wise, where I can see myself for the next three to four years. I’m just taking it as it comes, staying where my feet are, and going through the process.”
On Miami as a potential landing spot:
“I love them. I feel like they fit the way I play. I like to play fast, and they like to play fast and get vertical. I feel like I fit into their scheme pretty well."
On the top schools in his recruitment process:
“I’d say Miami, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Texas. Those are some of the prominent schools.”
“All the schools I mentioned, I’ve been able to visit either this spring or winter. They’re schools I can see myself at, I like the way they play, and a lot of them have players I watch or look up to.”
“From a campus perspective, they’re all strong academically and offer more than just football — they help set you up for life after football.”
On Miami’s track record with defensive linemen and coach Taylor:
“It definitely boosts them a lot. Being able to learn from one of the greats and be at practice with him every day, taking notes from someone like that, can help you a lot.”
On his recruitment timeline:
“Honestly, I’m just staying where my feet are. When the time feels right, I’ll make my decision. I’m not in a rush to commit.”
