Miami Hurricanes Football

Miami Hurricanes tight end Cam McCormick isn't ready to leave the college football world.

Even though he's been a part of it for quite some time.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, McCormick petitioned the ACC for what would be his ninth season of eligibility. If granted, it would mean he can remain with the Hurricanes through the 2024 campaign.

Austin Nivison of CBS Sports noted in December that McCormick was granted the ninth year when he was previously at Oregon. However, Jackson explained the Pac-12's previous ruling is moot and that the ACC must be the one to make the decision at this point.

McCormick arrived at Oregon as a 3-star recruit in the class of 2016, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

However, his career with the Ducks certainly didn't unfold as he envisioned. James Crepea of The Oregonian noted he was one of three Ducks players hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis in January 2017 because of overly strenuous workouts.

He then missed significant time in every season from 2018 through 2021 because of a broken left ankle that required three surgeries and a torn right Achilles. He was recognized with the Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award because of the perseverance he showed through so many setbacks.

McCormick, who graduated from Oregon with bachelor's and master's degrees, finally had a healthy season with the Ducks in 2022 and finished with 10 catches for 66 yards and three touchdowns.

He transferred to Miami this offseason and has two catches for 28 yards through the first three games of this season.

The Hurricanes are off to an impressive 3-0 start that includes a win over Texas A&M and will face Temple on Saturday in their final game before an ACC slate that includes matchups against Florida State, Clemson and North Carolina.

Mario Cristobal and the University of Miami continued its hot streak of recruiting the South Florida area Thursday as the Hurricanes landed a commitment from five-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount, according to 247 Sports' Gaby Urrutia.

Blount, a junior at powerhouse Miami Central High School, is the top-rated player in the state of Florida and No. 5 player in the country for the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to 247 Sports Composite.

He chose Miami over other programs like Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, and Ohio State.

"Their culture as a team and the bond they have as a team. They have a major bond and their players play with aggression and they're keeping South Florida kids," Blount told InsideTheU before his practice on Wednesday.

Prior to transferring to Miami Central, Blount was a defensive menace at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale for three years after making the varsity squad as an eighth grader. He racked up 29 sacks for the Panthers and was twice named a MaxPreps All-American in his classification.

He was in attendance for UM's recent upset of Texas A&M at Hard Rock Stadium and was really impressed by the team's defensive unit and the culture surrounding the program.

"The defense was dominant. I'm mainly focusing on the defense when I'm watching, but the culture of the team, when the offense or defense makes plays, the whole team gets excited. I seen a lot of that," Blount said of the performance

With the commitment, Blount now becomes Miami's first five-star commitment for 2025 and the Hurricanes now have the sixth-rated recruiting class in the nation.

He joins a class that includes four-star wide receiver Waden Charles and three-star quarterback Luke Nickel.

There was a scary moment in the University of Miami's victory over Texas A&M on Saturday as Hurricanes All-American safety Kam Kinchens had to be stretchered off the field.

Kinchens went down after completing a tackle with just over two minutes remaining in the matchup and Miami well on its way to a 48-33 win. He was not able to get back on his feet, and the team's trainers eventually had to bring out the stretcher.

The ESPN broadcast reported that Kinchens was awake and talking to trainers when he was taken off the field and that he'd be transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Miami coach Mario Cristobal gave a positive update in his postgame press conference.

Mario Cristobal providing a good post-game update on Kam Kinchens:

“Everything seems to be relatively normal.” Says he’s going to see him after this but “everything seems fine.” https://t.co/dGvYBZCZVF

— Will Manso (@WillManso) September 10, 2023

Kinchens, 20, is a South Florida native and one of the leaders of this Hurricanes' squad. His injury had a clear impact on the tenor of the rest of the game as his teammates were clearly shaken up on the sidelines.

Following a sensational sophomore campaign in which he earned his first All-American honors, Kinchens has gotten off to a hot star this season as well and was playing particularly well against the Aggies.

He got his first interception of the year off Conner Weigman in the third quarter and later had a fumble recovery as well, helping set the tone so that Hurricanes can pull away for the win.

The Miami Hurricanes have landed a huge commitment from one of the top wide receivers in the 2024 recruiting class.

Five-star wideout Joshisa Trader announced Thursday that he is committing to Miami, choosing the Hurricanes over the Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes.

I’m Home!🙌🏾@hayesfawcett3@canesfootball@coach_cristobal@dtrain2901@CoachPop_Cooney @realRodMack @Kevin_Beard9 pic.twitter.com/yh5h2M07Fn

— Joshisa”jojo”Trader ¹ (@joshisathe1) July 13, 2023

Trader, who plays high school football for Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, is the No. 3 athlete and No. 25 prospect in the class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

"It's like a brotherhood down there," Trader said about the Miami program in the past, per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "It's like a family. I can relate to a lot of people down there and stuff like that. When you play together as a team, it gets real."

In addition to Miami, Florida State, Ohio State and Georgia, Trader also received offers from Florida, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Penn State, among numerous others.

Trader is the second wide receiver to commit to Miami in the 2024 class, joining 4-star Chance Robinson. The Hurricanes offense has also received commitments from 4-star tight end Elija Lofton and 4-star running back Kevin Riley.

Miami has the No. 16 recruiting class in 2024. Georgia, Ohio State and Florida are ranked within the top three.

Trader will join a Miami squad that finished 5-7 last season under head coach Mario Cristobal and will slot into an offense that includes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who has the ability to take the Hurricanes to new heights in 2023.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 198

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 32⅜"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.45

3-CONE: 7.09

SHUTTLE: 4.41

VERTICAL: 38.5"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Versatile player with good size. Has the ability to play from the slot and outside.

— Good speed when running downfield. Has the recovery speed to quickly get back in phase with receivers.

— Remains calm with a ball in the air. Has the ability to use good timing when playing the ball and receiver.

— Scrappy player who fights from whistle to whistle. Physical tackler who isn't afraid to strike the ball-carrier.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks some fluidity at times. Heavy footed and has stiffness through hips.

— Can struggle with his short-area quickness, especially in press. Allows separation due to lack of ability to mirror at line of scrimmage.

— Can be too handsy with receivers, often grabs downfield.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 11 G, 25 TCK, 1.5 TFL, 7 PBU, 2 INT

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NOTES

— DOB: 5/26/2000

— 25 starts

— Transferred from Georgia after two seasons in 2021

— Senior Bowl participant

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OVERALL

Tyrique Stevenson is active with a high motor and scrappy playing style. He's also versatile and is used to playing from both the outside and slot cornerback positions.

While playing both, he has shown the ability to play from press and off coverage. In press, he often chooses to mirror at the line of scrimmage while getting hands on and riding receivers downfield. When doing so, the Miami product can be too handsy at times and hold on to the receivers.

Stevenson has also occasionally been heavy-footed and struggled with his short-area quickness. While progressing down the field, the 22-year-old has shown the ability to run with receivers while also displaying good recovery speed when out of position. He also has good skills to play the ball in the air and remains calm when doing so.

Although Stevenson plays with a high motor and good physicality, there are times when he provides below-average run support. He is more than willing to tackle, but he can take below-average angles in the open field. When in the short area, he can front up ball-carriers while also delivering big blows to running backs and unsuspecting receivers.

Overall, Stevenson can be an NFL starter but will have to work on his consistency. A prospect with very good size, he will do well as a press man corner, where he can use his strength and physicality. It may take some time, but he has all the tools to be a starter.

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GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 123

POSITION RANK: CB17

PRO COMPARISON: Bashaud Breeland

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

The new-look Miami Hurricanes football staff has finally taken shape as Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor has been promoted to the program's defensive ends coach, according to Adam Lichtenstein of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Taylor, 48, served as a defensive analyst on Mario Cristobal's inaugural staff last season. He will be filling the void left behind by Rod Wright, who left the program to become a defensive assistant with the Houston Texans.

A former defensive player of the year and four-time All-Pro, Taylor is a South Florida legend having spent the majority of his illustrious career with the Dolphins.

Taylor is the latest and final piece of a revamped defensive coaching staff for the Hurricanes. Lance Guidry was hired from Marshall to become the program's defensive coordinator and Derek Nicholson will coach the linebackers after working at Louisville in a similar capacity.

He will have no shortage of talent to work with next season as defensive end was one of Miami's best position groups in 2022 and the team returns a solid group of pass rushers.

The Hurricanes have three players with at least four sacks returning to the program in Akheem Mesidor (seven), Jahfari Harvey (5.5) and Nyjalik Kelly (four). They also have a trio of four-star prospects incoming with Collins Acheampong, Rueben Bain and Jayden Wayne, per 247 Sports.

Miami finished with the fifth-most sacks in the ACC last season with 37 for 193 yards. It was one of the bright spots on a defense that finished 10th in the league in scoring defense, allowing 26.8 points per game.

While Taylor hasn't coached a position group at the collegiate level he coached the defensive line at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, a perennial powerhouse in South Florida, per Lichtenstein.

Charlie Strong has left the Miami coaching staff after one season after being passed up for the defensive coordinator job, he told Chris Low of ESPN.

Strong, 62, was hired as the Hurricanes' co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach last year on Mario Cristobal's inaugural staff.

However, after defensive coordinator Kevin Steele left Miami to take the same job at Alabama, Cristobal opted for former Marshall and Tulane defensive coordinator Lance Guidry to take over that side of the ball for the Hurricanes, a move Strong disagreed with.

"Coach Cristobal and the program made a decision to go in a different direction. It's time for me to go in a different direction," Strong told Low.

Previously a head coach at three programs, Strong has a long track record as one of the better defensive minds in college football.

He served as a defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer at Florida and won national titles in 2006 and 2008. He won a third ring in 2020 as a defensive analyst at Alabama.

Strong also had a brief NFL stint as the assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 under Meyer.

Last year, the Hurricanes defense ranked ninth in the ACC in total defense, allowing 375.2 yards per game, and ranked 10th in scoring defense at 26.8 points allowed per contest as the team went 5-7 in Cristobal's first season.

Guidry's defense at Marshall finished top-five in six different FBS defensive categories. Tulane hired him last month, but he left after a few weeks for Miami, and he'll try to revive the Hurricanes' struggling unit.

Success starts in the trenches in college football, and the Miami Hurricanes improved their outlook up front with a major recruiting victory Thursday.

That's because offensive tackle Samson Okunlola chose to join their 2023 recruiting class:

The moment he made it official 🙌

5⭐️ OT Samson Okunlola commits to Miami 🥞@SAMSONOKUNLOLA_ x @247Canes pic.twitter.com/sCWn98yG8e

— 247Sports (@247Sports) December 15, 2022

The other finalists were Alabama, Florida and Michigan State.

"For me, it's the situation," Okunlola said of choosing Miami, per Brian Dohn of 247Sports. "I just know there are going to be good dudes coming in there. I know what it is now, it's not going to be like that in a couple of years. That is what it is for me. That is what kept them in the game, just seeing the future. These guys are the best recruiters out there."

Okunlola, who checks in at 6'5" and 305 pounds, is a 5-star prospect and the No. 20 overall player, No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 1 prospect from the state of Massachusetts in his class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

One look at the number of high-profile programs that offered him a scholarship underscores just how talented he is, and he announced Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida, Penn State, Michigan State and Miami as his nine finalists in June.

His older brother, Samuel, is a defensive lineman who was part of Pittsburgh's 2022 recruiting class.

Dohn projected Okunlola, who was a two-way player in high school, as a future first-round draft pick. Dohn highlighted his "hand placement" and speed, which help him win the battles up front off the snap and then drive defenders downfield and into the second level.

He is also athletic enough to pull in the rushing attack or on screens, which keeps the playbook open and should help him compete for playing time as soon as his freshman season.

If Okunlola lives up to the expectations that come with that skill set, he will be a cornerstone of Miami's offense for the foreseeable future.

This is also a major victory for head coach Mario Cristobal, who has a background as an offensive line coach and needs to win recruiting battles like this if he is going to return the Hurricanes program to elite status.

Miami has the No. 4 class in the country for 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Quarterback Jaden Rashada, a 4-star prospect in the 2023 college football recruiting class, announced Friday he's flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida.

Rashada posted a statement on Twitter, saying he "dreamed of playing SEC football since I was a little kid:"

God is great, please respect my decision! IM HOME 🏡🐊. #GOGATORS🐊 #COMMITTED @coach_bnapier @CoachRyanO @kearycolbert pic.twitter.com/hZzav80fp5

— Jaden Rashada 5️⃣ (@jadenrashada) November 11, 2022

The Pittsburg High School (Cal.) standout is rated as the No. 57 overall prospect and the seventh-best quarterback in next year's class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Rashada announced his commitment to the Hurricanes in June amid a flurry of rumors about the type of name, image and likeness (NIL) deal he'd received.

On3's Jeremy Crabtree reported the quarterback was offered $9.5 million by Canes booster John Ruiz, which would set the record for a single NIL agreement but also represented less than the $11 million offered by UF's Gator Collective.

"The report by On3.com is inaccurate as it relates to Jaden Rashad," Ruiz told Crabtree. "I have never spoken to [NIL lawyer Michael] Caspino about Jaden Rashada. Mr. Caspino and I spoke about an unrelated player months ago and had a very professional and pleasant conversation. I respect him."

Rashada also denied the speculation on social media:

Want to Address this as rumors are flying around🚨: pic.twitter.com/1sLTfc1lw3

— Jaden Rashada 5️⃣ (@jadenrashada) June 27, 2022

Meanwhile, his switch to the Gators pushed the program inside the top 10 of the 2023 recruiting rankings to No. 8 overall, per 247Sports.

Florida doesn't have any 5-star members of next year's class at this stage, but its 19 4-star recruits are tied for the highest in the country.

Rashada has made impressive strides as a passer, using more touch to hit targets at every level of the field. A little further improvement with his footwork should help him become more consistent with his accuracy, which already made a year-over-year jump.

Here's a look at his high school numbers over the past two years, via MaxPreps:

• 2021: 57.0 percent completions, 201.8 passing yards per game, 27 TD, 5 INT
• 2022: 64.1 percent completions, 235.8 passing yards per game, 25 TD, 8 INT

He's mostly a pocket passer, attempting just 61 rushes in 20 games since the start of last season, but he's averaged a strong 7.2 yards per carry when he does uses his legs to make plays.

Rashada also possesses a college-ready 6'4'', 185-pound frame that still has room for more weight as his physical development continues at the next level.

All told, he's a terrific recruiting pickup for the Gators, especially since it comes at the expense of the in-state rival Hurricanes.