Down The Stretch: ’25 DBs

Miami is undefeated and in the midst of a potentially special season. Success on the field likely also influences recruiting for seasons to come.

Should the Canes win the ACC Championship and advance in the college playoffs, it would precipitate many decisions by young men at both the high school, college and the Miami coaching staff.

Current players who can opt to leave early for the NFL Draft will have a decision to make. Others may consider transferring for a better playing opportunity. High School players considering Miami will have to determine if Coral Gables is the right place/fit for their future. Depending on their decisions, the Miami coaching staff must then decide if they need to return to the transfer portal to fill roster needs for 2025. All of the above will occur down the stretch before Christmas, starting at the conclusion of the ACC Championship game.

This series will examine various scenarios, by 2025 position units. In this first edition, we will break down the defensive back position unit.

Current Roster:

Miami has 14 defensive backs on the 2024 roster. Two (Mishael Powell, Daryl Porter) will exhaust their eligibility after this season. Three (D'Yoni Hill, Jadais Richard, Isaiah Taylor) will be eligible to leave early for the NFL Draft. Others may decide to transfer. If all are not on Miami’s roster in the spring, Miami will need five new recruits from the high school ranks and/or Transfer Portal to fill the roster holes.

High School Recruiting:

Miami currently has six (6) verbal commitments from the high school ranks (Hylton Stubbs, Bryce Fitzgerald, Amari Wallace, Jaboree Antoine, Chris Ewald, and Timothy Merritt. However, Wallace sustained a serious leg injury this fall. Miami will honor is scholarship offer but it may result in a medical redshirt through 2026.

Remaining Targets:

From all reports, Miami is still recruiting DB DJ Pickett, CB Ben Hanks Jr., and CB Shamar Arnoux. Should they all decide Miami is the place for them, then we should expect more position attrition to occur.

BOTTOM LINE:

We don’t expect Miami to carry more than 12-14 defensive backs in 2025.

Hard decisions may come down the stretch.

GO CANES!