A quick glance at the 247Composite rankings shows Miami locked in battle with Florida State for the best ACC recruiting class, a fight the Hurricanes are currently winning by a razor thin margin.
Miami football recruiting 2013: Hurricanes on track to land top class
Offensive tackle K.C McDermott headlines one of the best classes in the country.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
It would not be surprising if that gap got larger soon, though. The Hurricanes are riding a wave of positive recruiting momentum after a reported 115 recruits watched Miami’s upset win over then-No. 12 Florida last weekend. In the coming weeks, we will see if that victory pays off in any new Hurricanes.
Even if it doesn’t, Miami currently has the makings of a top-five class in the country, and that is even after a relative lull in recruiting last month. The Hurricanes have not added any new recruits since late July, when four-star defensive end Trent Harris committed.
New Hurricanes
The crown jewel of Miami’s 25-man class is undoubtedly offensive tackle K.C. McDermott out of nearby West Palm Beach Central. McDermott, a five-star recruit in the 247Composite, is considered a top-three tackle in the 2014 class.
McDermott won’t be forced to carry the class by himself, though. He’ll have help from the aforementioned Harris, defensive lineman Travonte Valentine, running back Joseph Yearby, outside linebacker Juwon Young, and two more tackles in Trevor Darling and Reilly Gibbons, all of whom are rated four-stars on the 247Composite.
McDermott, Darling and Gibbons will be responsible for protecting another key recruit in this class -- quarterback Brad Kaaya from West Hills, Calif. Kaaya, a pro-style QB, is among the top-10 at his position this year.
On target
Al Golden recently spoke about his recruiting plans to the Palm Beach Post:
“On the [defensive] line, we’re top-heavy. We need help, quickly,” Golden said. “We need help mid-year at that position, for instance. At wide receiver, we’ve got seven on scholarship. Six are healthy. That’s a bad number. We need help at wideout. Those are the two areas, in addition to the offensive line, that are focal points for us in recruiting.”
With that in mind, Miami has two targets for whom it is considered a strong favorite at those positions.
On the defensive line, Anthony Moten, of Ft. Lauderale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas is considered a Miami lean and is rated four stars.
At receiver, Johnnie Dixon, of Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer High School, is a very good player and also rated four stars. He is a Miami lean as well, though N.C. State is trying to get in the picture.
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