Mario Cristobal explains how flipping Justin Scott lit the fire for Miami recruiting

Late last month, Miami made a huge splash on the recruiting trail when five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott flipped his commitment from Ohio State. It was a landmark moment for Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes, who were looking to build momentum on the trail ahead of National Signing Day.

That’s exactly what happened.

“It was a spark that lit a fire and it hasn’t stopped and momentum is building,” Cristobal told On3’s Andy Staples. “We’re still going, man. We’re over here working. It’s a long way to go, and we’re still working.”

Miami secured four more commitments after Scott’s flip, and that helped the Hurricanes jump up to No. 4 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking as of 6:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Cristobal said Scott fit in well with the players on the team when he visited, and considering the success the 2023 recruiting class had at Miami, it seems like everything is starting to click.

“He’s such a high-caliber, just popular player and people know that wherever he’s going, they’re probably going to be pretty good in that position,” Cristobal said of Scott. “I think he got along really well with our guys. Last year’s freshman class has had great success here. They know that the trajectory of this program is going [up].”

More on the momentum Miami is creating on the recruiting trail

Justin Scott is the highest-ranked signee of Miami’s 2024 class and one of two five-stars to sign with the ‘Canes. A product of St. Ignatius (IL) High School, the five-star defensive lineman is the No. 15 overall player from the cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He initially committed to Ohio State in July, but announced his decision to flip on Nov. 29 and signed on Wednesday.

Recruiting has heated up in South Beach since Cristobal took over at his alma mater in 2022. Last year, Miami brought in the nation’s No. 8-ranked 2023 recruiting class, according to the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking, and the Hurricanes appear to be landing an even better group in 2024.

This time around, though, Miami has six top-100 players coming in — compared to four a year ago. But, as Cristobal said, the Hurricanes aren’t done as they try to lock up the remainder of their recruiting class while they prepare for the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers.

Miami put together a 7-5 record during the regular season to take a leap from its 5-7 record in 2022. With another top-10 class in the works, there’s plenty of positive momentum around the program as Cristobal gets ready for Year 3.