According to 247, it sounds like this is our guy. Staff is gearing up for a big push.
A quarterback recruit to know moving forward for Miami and Cristobal
VIP
By ANDREW IVINS
Miami picked up a verbal commitment a few days ago from offensive lineman Anthony Tripp. While the four-star joins a Hurricanes' recruiting class that also includes wide receivers Andy Jean and Lamar Seymore, the foundation of Mario Cristobal's first real recruiting class at Miami – for the lack of better terms – is still coming together. Cristobal and his staff have quickly made inroads with blue-chip talents around the country after taking over for Manny Diaz, but they are still waiting for the first real big fish to jump in the boat and make a splash.
One position that could certainly create a bit of a ripple effect for the Hurricanes in the 2023 cycle is quarterback, and after checking in with some folks in Coral Gables, it sounds like Miami could be gearing up to make a run at California-based five-star
Jaden Rashada, who the 247Sports' Composite pegs as the nation's No. 5 passer. The Hurricanes might have offered Rashada just a few weeks ago, but according to those with direct knowledge of the situation, Rashada is expressing some interest in Miami.
Will that interest lead to a visit? As of earlier this week, nothing had been set up, but it should be noted that Rashada is expected to play some 7-on-7 tournaments with the Miami Immortals in the coming months, which means that that's a good chance he might eventually make his way down to South Florida for a weekend. It should also be noted that Rashada was offered by Cristobal this past September while Cristobal was at Oregon. So, there's a bit of a preexisting relationship between the two.
When it comes to other schools involved in the recruitment, 247Sports' national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman noted a few weeks ago that he felt like Rashada could very well end somewhere in the Pac-12 as UCLA, Washington and Cal have all done a nice job of recruiting Rashada. That doesn't mean, however, that Cristobal can't eventually change the outlook of the recruitment.
As a junior, Rashada (who is listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds) completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,220 yards with 27 touchdowns to go against five interceptions in 11 games. That earned him a spot in the upcoming Polynesian Bowl.
Of course, Rashada isn't the only quarterback that Miami is talking with coming out of the February dead period. Back on Monday, the Hurricanes hosted Columbus (Miss.) Heritage Academy's
Mack Howard for a visit, and they are set to get
Marcus Stokes of Ponte Verda Beach (Fla.) Nease on campus Friday. Miami has yet to offer either four-star a scholarship, but the coaches seem to like the fact that Howard, who just won a state basketball title, is a plus athlete. Stokes, on the other hand, is seen as a competitor with a winning edge to him.
In addition to keeping tabs on both Howard and Stokes, Cristobal and Miami are also expected to keep swinging at five-stars
Nico Iamaleava and
Dante Moore, both of whom visited in January, but appear to be trending elsewhere at the moment.
More on other recent/upcoming visitors for Miami:
- The nation's top-ranked defensive lineman spent all of last weekend at Miami as
David Hicks arrived in town Friday and stayed through Monday. He's as good as advertised, at least in this evaluator's eyes. It's not going to be easy to sign Hicks, but one trusted contact noted that they felt like the multi-day trip cemented Miami as a legitimate player moving forward. Hicks, who plays his football at the Texas powerhouse that is Allen, compares in some ways to current UM defensive lineman Leonard Taylor given his explosive first step and lean, yet stocky build.
- Tampa (Fla.) Wharton Top247 cornerback
Dijon Johnson is expected to visit Miami on Saturday. That's big for the Hurricanes because Johnson is probably the top corner in the Sunshine State not named Cormani McClain. He visited both FSU and USC in January before checking out Oklahoma, Alabama and FSU (again) last week. New UM defensive backs coach Jahleel Addae is from the greater Tampa area. So, it will be interesting to see if he can make a move in the recruitment as the Sooners have already secured an official visit from Johnson.
- One of the more promising offensive line prospects in the Peach State this cycle is Douglasville South Paulding's
Madden Sanker. The Top247 prospect is a two-time state champion wrestler. Many think that Georgia is going to be hard to top, and for good reason given how Kirby Smart has things cranking in Athens, but Sanker is going through the recruiting process and is planning to be at Miami on March 31 for an unofficial visit. Having recently sized Sanker up at a camp in Atlanta, he should be as a potential multi-year starter at one of the guard spots.
