Huge win for Miami Hurricanes as WR Joshisa Trader announces commitment: “That’s my home”

Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna four-star receiver Joshisa Trader committed to Miami Thursday evening in a stunning announcement that took the recruiting world by storm, choosing the Hurricanes over Ohio State, Georgia, Florida and Florida State, among others.

Trader is the No. 34 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking, No. 9 receiver in the class and No. 5 prospect in the state of Florida, and the 6-foot-0.5, 175-pound recruit has immediately become Miami’s highest-ranked commit this cycle. Miami has been the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine’s frontrunner for most of the 2023 calendar year, but Trader had repeatedly stated he planned to take his recruitment well into the fall.

Miami spent months aggressively pursuing him, making Trader a top priority for the Hurricanes’ entire offensive staff and including him in numerous group chats with Miami staff members. Trader came to campus for two unofficial visits in 2023 and worked out at one of the Hurricanes’ June prospect camps but chose not to take official visits in June, telling On3’s Chad Simmons he was waiting to take official visits while his mother recovered from health-related issues.

However, Miami never wavered with Trader, who is now undoubtedly the biggest “splash” commitment the Hurricanes have landed so far this class. Head coach Mario Cristobal, offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and receivers coach Kevin Beard were all heavily involved in his recruitment.

Trader told Simmons “Miami is up there” in a June 14 interview, saying “there’s always love from them and that’s my home.” The Hurricanes impressed his mother as well, and Trader told CaneSport in a June 22 interview following a prospect camp his relationship with Miami’s staff was “one of the best I’ve got.”

“Just being here, it feels like everybody loves you,” Trader told CaneSport June 22. “The love is different from anywhere else here at UM. I can say that for sure.”

His commitment gives Miami 17 commitments in the 2024 class and should provide a substantial boost to the Hurricanes’ national recruiting rank, which sat at 22 prior to his commitment. He is Miami’s fifth On3 Industry Ranking four-star commit and the Hurricanes’ second receiver commit, joining Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star receiver Chance Robinson, the No. 113 national prospect and his 7-on-7 teammate.

Trader’s commitment also represents the biggest receiver commitment the Hurricanes have landed in Cristobal’s two full recruiting cycles. Four-star slot receiver Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph and Robby Washington were the only receivers to commit to Miami in last year’s class, and the Hurricanes placed extreme emphasis on landing elite pass-catchers in this year’s class.

CaneSport’s Take

Miami HAD to land at least two of the South Florida three-receiver trio of Robinson, Trader and Five-Star Plus+ Ohio State commit receiver Jeremiah Smith, and the Hurricanes have now given their receiver room a massive boost by adding a talent poised to instantly compete for a starting spot once he arrives on campus. Landing Trader gives the Hurricanes an immediate boost in the receiver room and helps Miami make substantial progress in recruiting a position the team dearly struggled with least season and which lacks proven depth this year.

With Trader’s commitment, Miami has now landed two of the best South Florida talents in this year’s recruiting class but is still in hot pursuit of four-star safety Zaquan Patterson, Trader’s teammate at Chaminade-Madonna. If the Hurricanes land Patterson as well, despite losing Smith to Ohio State, Miami should be able to feel good about its South Florida recruiting effort in the 2024 cycle and could be on track to compete for another top-10 recruiting class.