Miami players try to recruit Florida visitors after win in The Swamp: 'We run Florida'
On Saturday, Miami invaded The Swamp and walked out with a 41-17 victory over in-state rival Florida. However, the Hurricanes attempted to leave with much more than a simple tally in the win column.
After the game, several of Miami’s players approached a group of Florida recruits in attendance. The Hurricanes weren’t shy, telling the recruits they “better come to Miami” and that the Hurricanes “run Florida.”
One of the high school recruits in the crowd was DJ Pickett, who is a five-star prospect and the No. 2 cornerback in the 2025 recruiting cycle. Pickett committed to LSU in July but Florida hosted him for its season-opener on Saturday.
Florida’s athletic staff attempted to keep Miami’s players moving toward the tunnel but many of them continued to shout toward the high school prospects. The incident was salt in the wound for the Gators after a brutal loss.
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Miami had already made a statement on the field. In the win, Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward erupted for 385 passing yards and three touchdowns. In comparison, Florida’s Graham Mertz recorded 91 passing yards and failed to find the end zone.
Worse, Mertz left the game in the second half with a concussion. Miami’s defense was stellar, only allowing Florida to convert one of its nine third-down attempts. Additionally, the Hurricanes squeezed two turnovers out of the Gators.
With both programs naturally targeting players from their backyards, the outcome on Saturday could play a role in recruits’ future decisions. Miami currently has the edge in the 2025 recruiting cycle, with the No. 13 class compared to Florida’s No. 19 class, according to On3’s Industry Rankings.
Now, Miami has the edge on the field and the recruiting trail. Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal couldn’t be prouder of his team’s success.
“Nobody really likes to talk about the starting point,” Cristobal said during the postgame press conference. “I knew when I got to Miami there was a lot of work to do, and these guys have been through a lot, and they made the decision that it was enough, they’ve had enough, and they were going to prove that by the way they played the game. And they did that, and a lot of fans made their way through it.
“This is a big rivalry game for us. I never got to play in a game like this. Miami hasn’t been here in 16 years and hasn’t won in 20 plus years. So, you think this game was big? You think the amount of animosity and hatred, bad blood between the fanbases, you think it amped it up a little bit? Come on, it was through the roof. It was off the charts.”