Miami lands first commitment of 2025 class with Georgia QB Luke Nickel
Miami may be largely focused on its 2024 recruiting class, but Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton 2025 quarterback Luke Nickel ensured the Hurricanes won’t need to worry about finding a top gunslinger in next year’s cycle.
Nickel became Miami’s first commit of the 2025 class, announcing his decision on social media Friday night and choosing the Hurricanes over more than two dozen programs including Florida State, Penn State and Ole Miss, among others. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback visited Miami for the first time July 29 for the Hurricanes’ end-of-summer recruiting barbecue and remained in Coral Gables the following day for a more formal unofficial visit. He also visited South Carolina earlier this summer and Penn State and Pitt in early April.
His commitment makes him the second quarterback Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson has landed since arriving on campus from Houston earlier this spring (following 2024 three-star quarterback Judd Anderson‘s commitment in April). Nickel told CaneSport following his trip to Coral Gables he felt the Hurricanes have a great program and Dawson had helped spark his interest in the Canes.
Inside 2025 QB Luke Nickel’s Miami commitment: ‘That’s the place I want to be’
Nickel had been in contact with Dawson for several weeks before taking his first visit to Miami, which marked his first in-person meeting with Dawson. Nickel told CaneSport he was excited to build on his relationship with the quarterbacks coach and has his sights set on returning for a game this fall.
Stanford, Duke, Penn State and Florida State were also high on Nickel’s radar. He previously said a school’s academic standing could also factor into his decision as he searched for “somewhere I could feel at home on and off the field.” Dawson told Nickel he would be ready to accept a commitment is he chose to make an early decision, and Nickel was confident in the conversations he had with Miami’s offensive coordinator.
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Nickel is a strong believer in Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, whose success at Oregon caught his attention. He’s also been impressed by the level the Hurricanes have recruited at since Cristobal came to Coral Gables in late 2021.
Miami began trending heavily for Nickel in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine after his late summer visit after Florida State, Pitt, Penn State and Ole Miss had all trended positively at some point. The RPM listed Miami with better than a 90% chance to land Nickel.
CaneSport’s Take
Nickel’s commitment comes at an interesting time given the Hurricanes are still pursuing four-star 2025 quarterback Ryan Montgomery, who has held Miami in very high regard along with programs like Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Purdue and South Carolina, and three-star quarterback Bekkem Kritza, who transferred to Miami Central this spring. Fellow four-star quarterback Carter Smith also worked out for the Hurricanes this spring. The quarterback picture for the 2025 class is still far from decided in terms of total numbers and how it’ll shake out, but having this one on board is a great start.
