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.
