ANALYSIS: Where Miami recruits, commits sit after latest On3 rankings update

Nearly 50 of Miami’s recruiting targets in the 2025 class are ranked in the On300 after On3’s latest rankings update Monday, including two of Miami’s four commits to far this cycle and more than three dozen major priority recruits.

Here’s where Miami’s recruiting targets and commits sit after the latest On3 rankings update:

No. 4: Five-Star Plus+ S DJ Pickett
+++ Pickett, an in-state recruit from Zephyrhills and cousin of 2024 Miami EDGE signee Booker Pickett, has been arguably Miami’s top recruiting priority this cycle and has received the ultimate VIP treatment from the Hurricanes’ staff. Miami is continuing to work to get him back to campus this spring and CaneSport confirmed UM will receive an official visit from him June 14.

No. 5: Five-Star Plus+ CB Na’eem Offord (Ohio State commit)
+++ Offord committed to Ohio State early in the cycle but has received no shortage of attention from the Hurricanes. He took a game-day visit to Miami last fall and was one of the Hurricanes’ top priorities at the start of the new year, particularly in a cycle that should feature a strong focus on elite defensive backs.

No. 13: 4-star WR Kaliq Lockett
+++ Lockett visited Miami for the Hurricanes’ junior day Jan. 27 but has continued to receive strong attention from Texas, Texas A&M and Ohio State, among others.

No. 16: 4-star WR Ty Jackson
+++ Jackson was one of the bigger climbers in this latest recruiting update and has received massive national attention. Jackson holds more than 30 offers to programs including Georgia and Alabama, but the Florida product is receiving his share of attention from in-state schools as well.

No. 28: 4-star WR Dallas Wilson (Oregon commit)
+++ Wilson committed to the Ducks last year but has continued to be a major priority for the Hurricanes. Miami has struggled, however, to get Wilson on campus consistently. He last visited Miami for the Hurricanes’ junior day.

No. 31: 4-star TE Elyiss Williams (Georgia commit)
+++ Williams will likely be hard to pull away from the Bulldogs, but that’s never stopped Miami’s staff from pushing.

No. 33: 4-star OT Josh Petty
+++ Petty is one of the most popular recruiting targets in this cycle who has remained high on the Hurricanes’ board. The 2025 cycle also looks to be particularly deep with offensive linemen.

No. 35: 4-star OT Solomon Thomas (Florida State commit)
+++ Thomas’ sudden commitment to Florida State last December caught most of us off guard, but he recently told CaneSport he believes his recruitment could continue until signing day.

No. 37: 4-star RB Akylin Dear
+++ Dear received his Miami offer fairly recently and comes from Louisiana, an area Miami defensive coordinator Lance Guidry has plenty of experience recruiting.

No. 41: 4-star WR Jaime Ffrench
+++ Ffrench expects to take an official visit to Miami after decommitting from Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement. The Hurricanes are continuing a massive push for the elite wideout.

No. 46: 4-star DL Nathaniel Marshall
+++ The 2025 class isn’t quite as deep with defensive linemen as the 2024 class was, but Marshall is still one of the cycle’s stars and a recruit the Hurricanes have worked to sink their teeth into early. Marshall is also from Chicago, from where Miami landed two five-star recruits a year ago.

No. 53: 4-star CB Jaboree Antoine (LSU commit)
+++ Miami has continued a massive push for Antoine despite his commitment to LSU Jan. 27, and the Hurricanes have remained well in the picture.

No. 68: 4-star LB Zayden Walker
+++ Walker, a Georgia product, may be in the Bulldogs’ backyard, but Miami has remained a legitimate threat to nab the blue-chip prospect.

No. 75: 4-star OT Jaelyne Matthews
+++ Miami has continued to trend up for Matthews since visiting his school during the January contact period. He’s planning to take an official visit to Miami this summer.

No. 77: 4-star DL Myron Charles
+++ Charles is yet to publicly lock in any official visit dates, but the four-star prospect has talked about potentially staying in-state multiple times.

No. 78: 4-star LB TJ Alford
+++ Miami and Ohio State have been locked in a tireless recruiting battle for Alford, and both have made strong impressions. He’s set to announce a commitment March 30, but regardless of where he initially commits, both are expected to have a chance until signing day.

No. 88: 4-star DL Jalen Wiggins (Florida commit)
+++ Miami is continuing to push for Wiggins, who was one of the only prospects in the On300 whose ranking remained exactly the same in the latest recruiting update. He’s hoping to take a visit to Miami this spring.

No. 89: 4-star IOL Max Buchanan
+++ Buchanan is hoping to take an official visit to Miami this summer and is particularly high on the Hurricanes. Head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal have both made strong early impressions.

No. 97: 4-star LB Noah Mikhail
+++ Mikhail visited Miami for the second time for the Hurricanes’ junior day but has also received strong national recruiting attention. Notre Dame, USC, Oregon and Alabama are among the teams also pushing.

No. 106: 4-star LB Jadon Perlotte (Georgia commit)
+++ Miami is still in the mix for Perlotte despite his commitment to Georgia thanks in no small part to linebackers coach Derek Nicholson, who has kept the Canes in his recruitment.

No. 109: 4-star LB Elijah Melendez (Miami commit)
+++ Melendez was one of Miami’s first commits in the 2025 class and has remained solid with the Hurricanes despite attention from several other programs, including Florida.

No. 111: 4-star WR Vernell Brown III
+++ Brown, whose father and grandfather both played at Florida, has quickly turned into one of the most coveted receivers in this year’s cycle and a massive priority for the Hurricanes.

No. 112: 4-star S Hylton Stubbs
+++ Stubbs recently locked in an official visit with Miami June 21, although he’s remained high on Florida. He’ll also take official visits to the Gators, USC and Florida State.

No. 114: 4-star S Dallas Golden
+++ Golden is yet another elite Florida defensive back in this year’s cycle Miami is hoping to get back to campus this spring. Florida, Florida State and Notre Dame are among programs also targeting him.

No. 120: 4-star DL Trajen Odom
+++ Odom has gone from an unranked under-the-radar name to a national recruit receiving major attention from programs like Miami, Oregon, LSU and Alabama, among others. He visited Miami for the Hurricanes’ junior day.

No. 122: 4-star IOL Cortez Smith
+++ Smith visited Miami in January and could take an official visit to Miami, although he’s visited Georgia more than twice as many times as his next most-visited school. However, Miami is definitely in the mix.

No. 131: 4-star EDGE Iose Epenesa
+++ Iowa and Illinois have been listed as the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine’s favorites for Epenesa for some time, although Miami has had plenty of success recruiting the midwest in recent years.

No. 139: 4-star TE Nate Roberts
+++ Roberts, a one-time Oklahoma commit, is currently trending toward Ohio State but has remained a national recruiting priority.

No. 152: 4-star QB Luke Nickel (Miami commit)
+++ Nickel was Miami’s first 2025 commit and was one of the biggest risers in the latest On300, going from an unranked three-star prospect to the country’s No. 152 recruit.

No. 153: 4-star WR Cortez Mills
+++ Mills, a prospect within an hour’s drive of Coral Gables in Homestead, is another massive recruit expecting to take an official visit to Miami this summer. He’s visited Miami more than any other program thus far.

No. 166: 4-star EDGE Zion Grady
+++ Grady spent some time on Miami’s campus in January but has continued to be a popular name for Georgia fans to know.

No. 181: 4-star CB Chris Ewald Jr.
+++ Ewald, who decommitted from Michigan shortly after the national championship amid rumors Jim Harbaugh could leave the Wolverines for an NFL job, has become a popular name for Miami fans recently.

No. 185: 4-star WR Naeshaun Montgomery
+++ Miami is continuing to push hard for Montgomery, who recently transferred from Cardinal Newman to Miami Central (a program the Hurricanes have had major success recruiting in recent years).

No. 198: 4-star S Amari Wallace
+++ Wallace is more of a nickel back than a true safety or corner, but his playmaking ability has landed him squarely on Miami’s radar.

No. 203: 4-star RB Alvin Henderson
+++ Henderson took several visits to Miami last fall and was on campus in full Canes gear during the January contact period, although Florida State has continued to be reported as a popular name for the four-star running back.

No. 204: 4-star TE Kiotti Armstrong
+++ Tight ends coach Cody Woodiel was unable to get to Armstrong’s school in January, but he still had a chance to spend some one-on-one time with the Texas prospect during the contact period. Miami is still a name on the radar.

No. 205: 4-star DL Brandon Brown (Texas commit)
+++ Brown was previously teammates with 2023 Miami signee Robert Stafford, and while he may be committed to the Longhorns, he’s still a top-300 prospect in Miami’s backyard.

No. 213: 4-star OT Douglas Utu
+++ Utu may be part of the best high school offensive line in football this year at Bishop Gorman, a school Miami has had success recruiting in recent years.

No. 215: 4-star TE Brock Schott
+++ Schott has been one of Miami’s favorite tight end prospects in this year’s cycle and will return to Miami March 23. He also visited last May and received two in-school visits from the staff in the January contact period.

No. 230: 4-star WR Jayvan Boggs (Ohio State commit)
+++ Miami is among the programs working to flip Boggs, another Florida product, from the Buckeyes and could receive a spring visit from the four-star prospect.

No. 238: 4-star IOL SJ Alofaituli
+++ Miami is trending up for Alofaituli, who has remained high on the Hurricanes and is hoping to visit in the near future.

No. 249: 4-star OT Ziyare Addison
+++ Miami is among the programs pushing hard early for Addison, who has developed a rapport with Mirabal and will likely take an official visit this summer.

No. 252: 4-star CB Ben Hanks Jr.
+++ Hanks is a Florida legacy, but Miami has done a good job recruiting him early and is a particularly strong contender for the four-star corner.

No. 260: 4-star LB Gavin Nix
+++ Nix is another potential star in a loaded national linebacker class. Miami has steadily shown more and more interest in the four-star linebacker.

No. 266: 4-star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng
+++ Owusu-Boateng and Nix are both popular targets for the Hurricanes and teammates at IMG Academy.

No. 271: 4-star TE Luka Gilbert
+++ Gilbert visited Miami in January and has been a popular target for Woodiel. Miami has looked at Gilbert as an in-line tight end.

No. 289: 4-star RB Byron Louis
+++ Louis looks to be the next great running back out of local powerhouse American Heritage and is one of the biggest local priorities for the Hurricanes this year.