Recruit and Develop: 3 homegrown Miami players to watch in 2024
The transfer portal and NIL have created a new world in college football. When it comes to roster construction, things are very fluid.
But the good old-fashioned “recruit and develop” model still matters. One could easily argue that it still matters a lot.
Retention rates look much different now in the modern landscape, but those programs that recruit high school prospects and turn them into high-quality starters will always have a leg up on their competition. The transfer additions and recent high school signees get most of the attention in the offseason, but talent development still wins games in college football.
However, player development is not always linear. We all saw the star turn coming for Kiko Maugioa, but we didn’t necessarily see it coming for Rueben Bain in 2023. Miami will be counting on some more in-house talent development for the Hurricanes to reach their ceiling this fall similar to Bain.
We are taking a look at former high school signees who is with the program. It is harder to stash players in today’s college football world forcing coaching staffs to get young players on the field faster. However, recruiting and developing stars is still possible.
Miami has young and inexperienced pieces who could be ready for a star turn in the short-to-intermediate future.
Finding quality depth at wide receiver
Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George are each entering year four on the Miami roster. The duo brings 142 receptions, 1,956 yards, and 14 receiving touchdowns to the offense. The passing game starts with No. 12 In the transfer portal, the Hurricanes added Houston Sam Brown to the roster to give the passing a quality No. 3 option.
Miami has a clear top two at wide receiver Restrepo and George locked down their spots, but position coach Kevin Beard must develop some more depth behind George, and Restrepo. After losing three scholarship players to the spring transfer portal, the Hurricanes are looking for some new talent to step up, offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson needs another player or two to emerge.
Ray Ray Jospeh appears to be the top candidate.
Despite the hype, the Canes has yet to see much from Ray Ray. The speedy inside wide receiver did not see much of the field in his junior season but he was noticed out on the field during some of the kickoffs, but he is looking to change that during this Spring to go up on the depth chart.
Developing defensive back depth
The defensive back enters the season as a positional strength for Miami. However, their still might be some question marks.
Four-star newcomers Zaquan Patterson and Dylan Day will get their fair share of preseason attention, but a second-year player might be ready to fill a big role this season.
Miami had a huge recruiting win with Washington transfer Mishael Powell committing to Miami. In 876 snaps this past season, Powell played 477 in the slot, 165 in the box, and 122 at free safety. He finished the year with a strong 73.9 coverage grade and brought in three interceptions, including one in the Pac-12 title game against Oregon, and defended nine more passes, according to 247.
Miami has some older players plugged into spots along their defensive backs, but depth is always needed. Look for Powell to potentially play a big role as the season progresses, and Patterson has the potential to develop into a multi-year starter for the Hurricanes in the future.
Finding a consistent DT
Miami’s pass rush took some positive strides in 2024 as the defense recorded more than 34 sacks. The versatility and productivity of Rueben Bain had a ton to do with that. The Miami Central product was one of the best freshman defensive tackles in college football and helps create opportunities for others.
The Hurricanes had a big time loses with Leonard Taylor leaving to go to the Draft, so for the defense to hit another gear, Miami must develop a more consistent defensive tackle. Josh Horton might be the answer the Hurricanes have been looking for.
Horton hardly saw any action in the 2023 season but he got so much potential to him and he is a guy that you can look at for.
Trinton is the owner of CanesToday. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, he is a freshman in high school and wants to graduate from the University of Miami
