Under Mario Cristobal, Miami has been recruiting at a frenetic pace. After landing Carson Beck from Georgia and Xavier Lucas from Wisconsin, the Hurricanes seem determined to leave no prospect off the radar. And amidst that recruiting momentum, Miami rubbed one of the SEC giants the wrong way, and they are now out to sabotage Miami’s 2026 class. It all truly started after the No. 12 wide receiver in the country, Vance Spafford flipped to Miami, setting off the recruiting war between Miami and the SEC giant.
Spafford got his first offer from Michigan State back in 2023, and in a few months, several programs followed, including UCLA, Cal, and Washington. However, the program that appealed to Mission Viejo, California natives, the most was Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs. The Dawgs offered him on 22nd July last year, and in November, Kirby Smart landed his commitment. However, this wasn’t the end of the prospect’s journey.
On 23rd June, last month, Spafford officially decommitted from the Bulldogs and on the same day committed to Miami, giving a major blow to Kirby Smart’s recruiting aspirations. And it all happened overnight. But now, Kirby Smart is edging Mario Cristobal in the race for some high-profile prospects. Alex Donno, a Cane’s insider, appeared on the July 3rd episode of ‘Locked on College Football’ with Spencer McLaughlin and said how Georgia and Miami are facing off in a recruitment battle.
“You notice Miami and Georgia going head-to-head for a lot of players in this class, which has been fun to follow. Georgia recently landed one of Miami’s top targets in defensive tackle, James Johnson, who’s a four-star, borderline five-star on some of the services. James Johnson was the type of player Miami needs to be landing if they’re going to finish with the number one class,” said Alex Donno. And it’s not just James Johnson, there are several high-profile recruits, too, who don’t really look leaning toward Georgia.
Of course, for Miami, losing Johnson was a major blow, who is a 2nd ranked defensive lineman in the class and a 47th overall prospect. But on top of his blow, Miami is also losing its grip on a five-star wide receiver talent. “There’s a top receiver who plays in Miami at Northwestern, Calvin Russell. That’s another, that’s the type of player you need to land. But Calvin Russell seems like a young man who wants to play anywhere but Miami,” said Alex Donno. Losing Russell is a big deal because he has a massive family connection with Miami.
December 31, 2024, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA: Georgia Bulldog Football Head Coach Kirby Smart speaking at the CFP All State Sugar Bowl Head Coach press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz New Orleans USA – ZUMAl187 20241231_zsp_l187_018 Copyright: xJamesxLeyvax
Russell, apart from being a 5-star, highly talented wide receiver, is also a top basketball player for Northwestern High, Miami. Just last year, he led his team to a 20-3 record on the court and won the district and GMAC titles. His performance was also top-notch as he raked up 38 points, 19 rebounds, and 2 steals in the quarterfinal MVP performance. Now, about his family connection to Miami, Russell’s mom, Chanivia Broussard, is a basketball legend for Miami and one of the most revered players on the court in the team’s history. So, despite that connection, he prefers Syracuse and Michigan over Miami, which are programs that offer a great basketball legacy.
Another blow from Kirby Smart as Mario Cristobal runs out of options
Despite the setbacks that Miami seems to be facing in its 2026 recruiting class, it still managed to land Jackson Cantwell, who is the No. 1 overall player in the class. Apart from Cantwell, who came on a reported $5 million deal, players like Israel Briggs, the 8th-ranked tight end, and Jordan Campbell, another 8th-ranked edge, are among the 19 commits Mario Cristobal has landed. So, overall, the class is still ranked 11th, but if the head coach wants to finish in the top 10, he will need to land another massive prospect.
Yes, we are talking about Derrek Cooper, a Hollywood, Florida native, and currently leaning towards Miami in the 247Sports rankings. Being a 3rd ranked, 4-star athlete in the class, the guy’s commitment will be a coup if Miami manages to land him. However, there are some complications with him, too, and Georgia looms large again.
“Derrek Cooper, who’s a five-star or four-star in some places. He’s a top player. But there are other programs, including Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas, that are recruiting Derrek Cooper really hard, as is Miami. Cooper actually was scheduled to make a July 12th verbal commitment. He has come out now and postponed it indefinitely,” concluded Alex Donno. The verdict?
As per ON3’s probability rankings, Miami is still leading Cooper’s race with a 48.6% probability, and the close second is Georgia with 38.1% probability of landing him. The final date of his commitment is indefinitely postponed, and it seems the Dawgs are closing that gap rapidly, making Cristobal’s woes even more intense.
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