BREAKING: Joshua Horton flips from UNC in huge win for Miami Hurricanes
North Carolina might have beaten Miami on the field this season.
But the Hurricanes beat UNC today for 3-star DL Joshua Horton. Horton, out of Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes High School.
Horton had committed to the Tar Heels Aug. 19, but he took a secret trip for Miami’s game against Duke and now has flipped. He’s a Hurricanes commitment. It was a long time coming, as indications were a few weeks ago this was going to happen.
That visit set the ball in motion – “I talked to them (coaches) a lot about life, football, about the school,” he said. “When I was down there we did a tour of the school. I just saw the foundation of the program. I know coach (Mario) Cristobal is doing a great job recruiting. This 2023 class they have, they should be back real soon.”
Horton was identified by Miami coaches in September as a difference-maker, and UM was on him ever since.
Others that were hot on his trail prior to his North Carolina commitment were Auburn and UCF, where he took June official visits. And Auburn and Georgia were also in on his recruitment in recent weeks.
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A 6-3.5, 275-pounder, Horton can play end but is more likely to wind up an athletic tackle. He is Miami’s third defensive lineman in the class, joining Collins Acheampong and Jayden Wayne.
“They are trying to turn the program around, get it back to where it used to be basically,” Horton said. “They feel I can contribute to them doing that.”
Also of note is Horton was a bit underrated coming into this season.
A reason for that?
“I didn’t do a lot of the camps that rate people,” he says.
Horton is signing in December and will arrive in college next summer.
His goal at Miami?
Help the team to a title and then “I want to go to the NFL, want to be produced into a great NFL player,” he says.
CaneSport’s take
Horton says he relied on his family and coaches for recruiting advice and that “This recruiting process, it’s been fun but also stressful at the same time. Just a whole lot of stuff going on, people to talk to.” This is a big win for Miami, and we hear the Canes view him as one of the nation’s top DL talents.
