Spoke to sources this afternoon following the Jatori Williams decommitment. Here is the latest:
- Jatori's decommitment took us by surprise. Miami loves the person and the player. Any suggestion that this was a drop couldn't be further from the truth. This is a Deep South recruiting battle with distance working against us. I expect Miami to keep pushing for Williams full-throttle like they always do with priority recruits.
- When I talk to Miami, the overall sense is excitement and ambition. They are still focused on Plan A+ and not any Plan Bs or Cs. We've been pushing for OT MarkMatthews through his commitment to Texas A&M and haven't slowed down. The Aggies' struggles certainly help. This will be a back-and-forth battle but Miami is playing to win. Money was never the issue.
- EDGE DJ Jacobs remains the biggest focus on defense. Jaiden Bryant, Miami's five-star EDGE commit, is having a dominant senior season. The goal is to pair Bryant and Jacobs as instant-impact pass rushers to replace whatever premium players we lose. DJ and his brother Dawson Jacobs (who is a big 2028 target) are visiting for the Pitt game. Expect the red carpet.
- The name with a lot of juice right now is five-star WR Brysen Wright. I like Miami's momentum here and this weekend's visit is a huge opportunity.
- Expect some movement in and out of the class. This staff is always monitoring senior tape. Two names playing very well: Aston Whiteside (Texas A&M commit) and Quinton Cypher (Ohio State commit).
- The Portal is a long way away, but I suspect Miami will be firmly play for any NFL-type defensive tackle prospects.
He’d have to play insane ball to finish the season to go R1 imo. Not a knock on him as a player. Just a lot of good ends this year. And next year he’d be the unquestioned #1 end here. Pre NIL he’d be as good as gone.
His production is very good, his measurables are top tier & he will kill at the combine. He will be a 1st or 2nd round pick if he stays healthy this year. He could move into top of the draft next year so there is a legit conversation to be had with him & his people.
You don’t have to convince me. I’m just looking at the guys available, team needs, etc. I know he could play his way into the second tier conversation of ends, which puts him the end of R1/R2 discussion. I think he could move into T10 status if he comes back another year. Is that worth risking injury, do we win a title this season, there’s plenty of factors at play that can sway this decision. Luckily NIL is a thing, so we can at least make the conversation about staying.
