Mario Cristobal shares impact Zaquan Patterson can have as a freshman

Miami boasts the No. 5 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, according to On3 Industry Rankings. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is particularly excited about incoming four-star safety Zaquan Patterson.

“Zaquan is an absolute stud from top to bottom as a competitor, as a physical presence, as someone who represents himself and his family extremely well,” Cristobal said. “A lot of you guys have seen it play in person and his value is not only as a safety, but also in the form of a special teams player. He is all over the field all the time. He sets a tone for that team in a couple of different ways.”

Patterson played high school football at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, where he is a four-star recruit. He is the No. 91 player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to On3 Industry Ratings. Further, Patterson is listed as the No. 6 safety in his class.

Patterson will provide welcomed help to Miami’s secondary. Last season, the Hurricanes allowed 216 passing yards per game, ranking No. 55 in the country. Additionally, the team notched 12 interceptions, tied for the 36th-most in the nation.

While Cristobal is hopeful Patterson can make an immediate impact for the Hurricanes, he wishes his standout freshman would have more time to develop.

“Unfortunately, and fortunately, nowadays because of the transfer portal, the movement in college football, the unpredictability of rules changing, your freshmen have to be ready to play,” Cristobal said. “They almost have to bypass the immaturity of freshman year and get right to it.”

On3 director of scouting and rankings Charles Power believes Patterson can meet the challenge. On Jan. 13, Power gave Patterson a rave review when evaluating Miami’s incoming freshmen.

“He’s a physical presence at safety. He’s fairly polished as well. He’s probably at his best kind of moving toward the box and making plays as a tackler and run defender,” Power wrote.

Zaquan Patterson isn’t alone

If Patterson can’t meet the challenge, another Miami freshman will certainly step up. In total, Miami’s 2024 recruiting class consists of 27 players, including three five-star prospects. All three of the five-star recruits are defensive linemen.

The group is headlined by Justin Scott, who is the No. 4 DL in the entire class. Cristobal had nothing but good things to say about the thrilling prospect.

“Justin is a massive, massive man. Extremely athletic, great family, awesome mom, great student, great high school,” Cristobal said. “If you want to get an idea for his athletic ability, turn on his film and watch him run the football. There are no plans for him here to run the football, but in high school, watch him run the ball at 330 pounds is a pretty good indication of the type of athlete that he is.”