It’s now May, and the Miami Hurricanes still have the top-ranked recruiting class for 2018. A major part of that is the Canes’ 17 commits, more than anybody. But Mark Richt’s probably going to finish with a top-10 class come February, because the players he’s lined up to date are of excellent quality. An example: receiver Brian Hightower.
See why Miami commit Brian Hightower is one of 2018’s best WR recruits
Size, speed, and route running set Hightower apart.
Hightower committed to Miami at the beginning of March, joining Artur Sitkowski, the four-star QB who throws to him at Florida’s IMG Academy. Hightower is the No. 74 overall player in the 2018 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, and the No. 15 receiver. He’s 17th overall in Florida, the most densely packed of all recruiting states.
There isn’t one thing that makes Hightower jump off a film reel. What’s special about him is that there’s no element of receiver play he isn’t good at. He’s a smooth route runner who can clown cornerbacks with a single step. He’s about 6’3 and 200 pounds, with the size to go up and get deep balls. His hands are good. He’s fast enough to roast people on fly patterns straight down the sideline. He’s cool with shorter routes, too.
“I can do everything,” Hightower told SB Nation’s Bud Elliott after IMG’s spring game this month. “One thing for sure is I’m a very dangerous deep threat. I’m very good at deep balls. I’m hard to stop on that. Once I’m even, I’m leavin’.”
He models his game after Randy Moss’, and while nobody’s going to be Randy Moss, it doesn’t take much imagination to see Hightower as a No. 1 receiver in college and an eventual NFL prospect. The talent’s there, and the holes in his game aren’t.
