4-star QB Luke Nickel signs with Miami Hurricanes: 'I think I'm a perfect fit'
Miami quarterback signee Luke Nickel committed to the Hurricanes more than a year ago as a little-known signal caller yet to receive a ranking from several of the major recruiting databases.
Wednesday, he signed with Miami as an Elite11 quarterback, the No. 103 overall prospect and No. 13 quarterback in the On300 and a top-300 recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking.
Nickel, Miami’s longest-tenured 2025 commit, is confirmed to have signed and submitted his National Letter of Intent to formally become a Hurricane. Nickel became Miami’s first commit in the 2025 class when he announced his commitment late last summer following a workout for offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and ensuing unofficial visit and remained solid for the last 16 months. Florida State and South Carolina both briefly attempted to make runs at the 6-foot-1.5, 215-pound commit, but Nickel never seriously entertained either program.
“I think for starters, he gets the ball up and out quickly,” On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power told CaneSport this spring. “He holds the ball high and has a natural, mechanically sound release that he’s able to replicate over and over. I thought he was at his best when he was working from a stationary platform, when he was throwing off of timed drops. I thought he delivered some really nice passes. He’s got good arm strength, can throw the balls at all levels.”
Nickel eclipsed 9,000 career passing yards this fall to surpass Stetson Bennett on Georgia’s all-time state passing leaders and has helped Milton (Ga.) rattle off 23 straight wins and set its sights on a second-straight state championship at Georgia’s highest classification. Nickel has thrown for 2,706 yards, 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 65.8% of his passes so far this fall but can still play in two more games if Milton reaches the state championship.
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Nickel has been consistently encouraged by Miami’s on-field success this fall and has been vocal about his enthusiasm to play for Dawson next fall. Miami’s offensive success and first 10-win season since 2017 has made a strong impression on Nickel, who hopes to have similar success in Coral Gables.
“Talking to coach Dawson, it’s always been something that was going to happen here,” Nickel told CaneSport. “They were eventually going to be one of the best offenses in the country, and it’s only going to get better here. I’m just looking forward for me to eventually be in that offense because I think I’m a perfect fit, and I think me and him can do special things.”
CaneSport’s Take
Nickel had one of the most drama-free recruitments of Miami’s 2025 class after locking in with the Hurricanes more than a year ago and never visited another program after committing. South Carolina and Florida State’s brief runs at Nickel never presented a serious threat, and he quickly reaffirmed his commitment to Miami. On3 views Nickel as one of the higher-floor quarterbacks in the 2025 class.
