5-star DL Justin Scott sets Miami visit

Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott announced his top eight schools on Jan. 8. One of the programs that made the cut was Miami.

Scott is visiting the Hurricanes on April 13-14, On3’s Chad Simmons has learned. He is currently on spring break in south Florida and was also in Coral Gables on April 11.

“They were telling me that a guy like me is a program changer,” Scott told Simmons about Miami on Jan. 9. “It’s the same thing, just the opportunity of being able to come in and compete, just being able to get some playing time immediately.”

Scott is the No. 11 overall prospect and No. 2 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 1 player in Illinois. 

On3 rates Scott higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2024 On300, he is the No. 7 overall prospect in the country.

Scott has official visits scheduled to Georgia (June 2) and Ohio State (June 23). His most recent visit was to Notre Dame on March 25.

Scott is a top target for Miami this cycle

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Fighting Irish are leading for Scott’s pledge at 79.1%. The Illinois native originally planned to commit on Jan. 31, but decided to push back his decision.

“I definitely thought that I was kind of rushing it,” Scott shared with Simmons on Jan. 26. “I hadn’t even taken any officials and really, when you look at it, I really haven’t even been to that many places. I just wanted to maximize the opportunities cause you only get this once. I just want to enjoy it. I felt like there was no need to just rush this commitment. The last thing I want to be is committed and still take visits. When I commit to a school, I want to be locked in with that school and just shut down my recruitment.”

Being a top contender for Scott, who also visited Miami on Oct. 8, is a big win for head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff. After signing a top-10 class last year, Miami is off to a slower start this cycle.

The Hurricanes only have two commitments in Gray (Ga.) Jones County three-star quarterback Judd Anderson and Shreveport (La.) C.E. Byrd On3 three-star kicker Abram Murray. However, they are currently trending for multiple prospects, including Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep four-star wide receiver Joshisa Trader and Miami Gardens (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep four-star safety Zaquan Patterson.