Before the weekend, two names were circled for the Canes: Brysen Wright and Asher Ghioto.
Now the crystal balls are in.
Rivals' Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons logged picks for Miami on two of the biggest names who were in the building Saturday. Brysen Wright to Miami at 70 percent confidence and Asher Ghioto to Miami at 60 percent.
This was the biggest recruiting weekend we've ever had, with more five-stars on campus and at the stadium at once than ever before. And it happened to land on a double-overtime rivalry game with Hard Rock going insane.
You expect positive fallout from a weekend like that, and it's already starting.
Former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards has been a fan of Wright for a long time, and he took a lap when the news hit.
Wright's dad is a Florida State fan, he's at Mandarin in Jacksonville, which is UF territory. Pulling a kid like that out of there isn't normal.
People also forget how young he is, he was supposed to be in the 2029 class. So when you hear him called a seven-on-seven merchant, you're critiquing a 16-year-old who plays like a grown man.
He plays safety, he takes Wildcat carries and returns punts. He already has his own cleat and his own trading cards.
One comparison is DeAndre Hopkins, a guy who makes his living on contested catches. Ahmmon's read on the "he's not fast" criticism is that Wright isn't slow, he's cruising.
"It's almost like it's too easy," he said. "He's just on cruise control."
He'll be open by 10 yards, know he's scoring, and coast the last five because he's probably playing safety on the next snap.
Ahmmon thinks the speed training at the next level unlocks the rest.
Georgia was applying a lot of pressure, and after he saw the Florida atmosphere at the Ole Miss game, he started to swing toward the Gators. Miami got him into Hard Rock for this one and the momentum swung right back.
He's expressive and plays with a ton of energy. Nothing about him says he wouldn't fit in Miami. He reminds me of the old-school guys.
People make the white-guy, red-hair jokes. Go look at the championship teams in the '80s, '90s and 2000s.
Ghioto is a Miami type of guy who happens to be from Jacksonville, and Jacksonville isn't where we usually do damage.
Ghioto is a five-star on some sites and a four on others, and Ahmmon sees a Maxx Crosby vibe. Hard, physical, not a pure speed rusher. He beats you with power, a little like Armondo Blount.
Jason Taylor comes in here.
Marquise Lightfoot was a five-star, and you can see him putting performances together as a junior. Blount keeps getting healthier and more productive, and he had a sack Saturday. He's turning the corner and recruits see that, they want to see current guys going in the first round and producing on Sundays.
Miami is balancing both the legacy and the recent success, and that's what's making the U a place these kids want to be. Surefire talent can't leave the state, and right now we're keeping the premier talent home.
They're not going to Florida. They're not going to Florida State. They're coming to Miami.
Recruiting intel lands first on CanesInsight, subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss the next one.
Now the crystal balls are in.
Rivals' Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons logged picks for Miami on two of the biggest names who were in the building Saturday. Brysen Wright to Miami at 70 percent confidence and Asher Ghioto to Miami at 60 percent.
This was the biggest recruiting weekend we've ever had, with more five-stars on campus and at the stadium at once than ever before. And it happened to land on a double-overtime rivalry game with Hard Rock going insane.
You expect positive fallout from a weekend like that, and it's already starting.
Brysen Wright
Wright is the one with all the momentum. Highlight, circle, underline.Former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards has been a fan of Wright for a long time, and he took a lap when the news hit.
Wright's dad is a Florida State fan, he's at Mandarin in Jacksonville, which is UF territory. Pulling a kid like that out of there isn't normal.
People also forget how young he is, he was supposed to be in the 2029 class. So when you hear him called a seven-on-seven merchant, you're critiquing a 16-year-old who plays like a grown man.
He plays safety, he takes Wildcat carries and returns punts. He already has his own cleat and his own trading cards.
One comparison is DeAndre Hopkins, a guy who makes his living on contested catches. Ahmmon's read on the "he's not fast" criticism is that Wright isn't slow, he's cruising.
"It's almost like it's too easy," he said. "He's just on cruise control."
He'll be open by 10 yards, know he's scoring, and coast the last five because he's probably playing safety on the next snap.
Ahmmon thinks the speed training at the next level unlocks the rest.
Asher Ghioto
Ghioto's recruitment had a wobble after some good summer momentum.Georgia was applying a lot of pressure, and after he saw the Florida atmosphere at the Ole Miss game, he started to swing toward the Gators. Miami got him into Hard Rock for this one and the momentum swung right back.
He's expressive and plays with a ton of energy. Nothing about him says he wouldn't fit in Miami. He reminds me of the old-school guys.
People make the white-guy, red-hair jokes. Go look at the championship teams in the '80s, '90s and 2000s.
Ghioto is a Miami type of guy who happens to be from Jacksonville, and Jacksonville isn't where we usually do damage.
Ghioto is a five-star on some sites and a four on others, and Ahmmon sees a Maxx Crosby vibe. Hard, physical, not a pure speed rusher. He beats you with power, a little like Armondo Blount.
Jason Taylor comes in here.
Marquise Lightfoot was a five-star, and you can see him putting performances together as a junior. Blount keeps getting healthier and more productive, and he had a sack Saturday. He's turning the corner and recruits see that, they want to see current guys going in the first round and producing on Sundays.
Miami is balancing both the legacy and the recent success, and that's what's making the U a place these kids want to be. Surefire talent can't leave the state, and right now we're keeping the premier talent home.
They're not going to Florida. They're not going to Florida State. They're coming to Miami.
Recruiting intel lands first on CanesInsight, subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss the next one.
