Why stock is being bought in Mario Cristobal, his long-term plan at Miami

The expectations are a bit brighter for Miami heading into year two of the Mario Cristobal era. But is the hype worth ‘Canes fans getting their hopes up?

On3’s JD PicKell is on Miami fan’s side, revealing why he’s buying stock in Cristobal and his Hurricanes ahead of the 2023 season.

“The Miami Hurricanes are who I’m buying stock in the ACC this year. Florida State is too expensive for me, Clemson is too expensive for me. For Miami, I’m buying into Mario Cristobal,” PicKell said during a recent edition of the Hard Count. “This whole thing is contingent on Mario Cristobal in my mind. He’s also a guy that has won everywhere he’s been. He was at FIU, at Oregon — did great things while there.

“He is a coach that is a dog of a recruiter. He knows what he’s looking for, he makes it a priority to find top talent. He’s not in Eugene, Oregon anymore. No knock on Eugene, but he’s in Miami surrounded by some of the top high school talent in the country, I think that’s a pretty good situation.”

Despite a less-than-impressive 2022 campaign, Cristobal was able to haul in the No. 6 overall recruiting class in the 2023 cycle, per On3’s team rankings. The group is headlines by two five-star offensive tackles, Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, who are two of the top three OTs in the class, per the On3 Industry Rankings.

Overall, the Hurricanes have signed 26 recruits to its incoming class, 15 of which are rated at four-star of higher. Eight of them are rated in the top 200 players in the country — and PicKell believes this success on the recruiting trail is just the tip of the iceburg.

“He gets Miami. And some of that probably translates to the recruiting trail. Miami didn’t have a great year last year, it was his first year as head coach — and they had a top 10 class in 2023,” PicKell said. “They missed a bowl game and had a top 10 class. That’s saying something. … He gets it. He’s from Miami — he is Miami.”

The Hurricanes kick their 2023 season off at home against Miami (OH) on Sept. 1, but their first real test will be the following week when Texas A&M comes to town. The matchup against the Aggies is sure to go a long way in the recruiting game with a win over an SEC foe.