Mario Cristobal knew he had work to do when he took the job at the “U” ahead of the 2022 season. The Miami Hurricanes were struggling to find their footing both on the field and on the trail. Year one? A forgettable 5-7. Year two? Slight momentum with a 7-6 finish. But by year three, UM had finally looked like a program taking shape. The arrow is pointing up. And yet, as Miami eyes 2025 with optimism, Mario might find himself in a tricky situation. If he wants to keep his 2026 4-star edge rusher at Miami.
Because if true, in-state Carol City four-star edge rusher Jordan Campbell, a longtime Miami commit who, as reported by Rivals, is suddenly listening again. “Miami commit is entertaining offers,” the report said. “Four-star edge rusher Jordan Campbell has been committed to Miami for nearly two years but his recruitment is far from shut down. There are several programs that expect to get him on campus this fall, such as Auburn, Florida State and Nebraska, but we hear that Campbell is waiting for a big push, on and off the field, from Kirby Smart and Georgia. NIL will play a major role in Campbell’s final decision.” That last line is the one that rattles. Not just because of what it says about Miami’s hold on Campbell. But because Georgia’s NIL machine is known to be just as powerful, if not more so, than the Canes.
It’s the recruiting equivalent of staring down a mirror. Mario Cristobal, for his part thinks a lot of that will have to do with the Canes being very aggressive in the NIL era. They can spend money to bring in top players, and they’re doing it. But so does Kirby Smart. “Well we’ve always been very well established,” Cristobal said about NIL at ACC Media Days. “We’ve always been compliant, and we’ve been aggressive in the right kind of way and use it in a formative fashion that benefits our program and our players.” That’s not just spin. Miami’s approach to NIL has become a foundational strategy rather than a gimmick.
Recruiting Rumor Mill
Major reclassification could be on the way
Decision incoming for 4-star safety Joel Wyatt
Bigger financial offer on table for Clemson commit
Intel: https://t.co/k5fVxs1oQS pic.twitter.com/EGe4UJH9zZ
— Rivals (@Rivals) July 25, 2025
Take the receipts. Miami stunned the recruiting world when it flipped $4 million QB1 Carson Beck away from Georgia. Then came the No. 1 OT in America, Jackson Cantwell, who claims it was the people and the place, and not the money. This isn’t just about glitz. There’s a clear emphasis on positional value, future draft projections, and player development environments. For Campbell, who has NFL potential off the edge but remains raw in technique, those factors could matter more than logo loyalty. But Georgia is Georgia, and Kirby doesn’t miss often when he wants someone bad enough.
It helps that Miami’s collective, Canes Connection, isn’t just throwing money around. It’s structured, professional, and targeted. The result? Talent retention, locker room cohesion, and a rising draft output that gives Cristobal a data point to sell. In his first year, Miami had a grand total of one draft pick. A seventh-rounder. This past April? Seven Canes heard their names called, including the blockbuster: Cam Ward going No. 1 overall to the Titans. Whether that type of development arc can appeal to Campbell is still up for debate. But it’s certainly ammunition in Miami’s pitch.
The tension here is layered. Yes, Miami has poached from Georgia. But the SEC powerhouse has landed their share of body blows too. Most recently flipping a major NIL target at the buzzer that Miami thought it had sealed. So the Hurricanes know how thin the margin is.
Mario Cristobal’s greatest nightmarish déjà vu
Even with one of the biggest NIL war chests in CFB, Miami has felt the sting of losing top talent to better offers. According to CBS Sports, three of the twelve 2025 recruits interviewed pointed to Miami as “one of the biggest spenders.” And still, that didn’t stop WR Isaiah Horton from taking a shinier deal from Alabama. One source told CBS Sports earlier this spring that Horton bolted after Bama came through with a better offer.
This is exactly what keeps Mario Cristobal pacing the sideline. Knowing that NIL battles don’t end when a kid signs, or even plays his freshman season. The portal and poaching game are year-round now, and the Canes have learned that even a stack of dollars isn’t a guarantee of loyalty.
Kirby Smart, meanwhile, is playing chess while the rest of CFB panics over checkers. Without naming names at SEC Media Days, Smart made his philosophy crystal clear: “We sell relationships over transactions,” he said. “We don’t believe in just being transactional. When you’re transactional, you can not reach your ultimate goal without relationships.” Translation? Georgia isn’t just offering bags, they’re selling belonging. For Kirby vs. Cristobal for a top-edge rusher like Campbell, that difference might be the deciding factor.
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