Miami offers 2029 (yes, 2029) defensive lineman, becomes first 7th grader to land Hurricanes offer: ‘Are you serious? Are you for real?’

Miami offered a 2029 (yes, a 2029) prospect. Not an incoming high school freshman in the class of 2027 or even an incoming eighth grader in the class of 2028. But an incoming seventh grader, currently 12-years-old, and the youngest prospect to receive an offer from the Hurricanes since head coach Mario Cristobal took over the program following the 2021 season.

Cristobal offered 6-foot-2, 180-pound defensive lineman Karsen Bell from the Miami Gardens Ravens in the Florida Youth Football League after the Hurricanes’ head coach and several players stopped by a practice this summer as part of the program’s community outreach. Miami’s players and coaches interacted with the youth football players throughout the afternoon, and Cristobal finally informed one of the Ravens’ assistants he wanted to offer the 2029 recruit.

“The first thing I asked, I said, ‘Are you serious? Are you for real?’” said Karsen’s father, Kadian. “My son, he’s kind of a stoic kid, he’s real quiet, but he smiled and he was like, ‘Thank you.’ He had this look of disbelief, just like all of us did. I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t think any of us were expecting that at this time.

“I think my son, he passed the eye test but he’s 12. He’s got a lot of talent and he has a bright future, and I don’t think he’s skimmed the surface of what he can be as a football player. Thankfully, coach Mario (Cristobal) saw the same thing, and I guess that’s what made him extend the offer.”

Miami was the first program to offer Karsen, show interest in the incoming seventh grader or even establish contact with the Bell family. But his father was pleased to see Cristobal make such a substantial effort to create a foundation within the community’s football roots.

“I like the fact that they’re trying to keep our talent home,” Kadien said. “In the past years, top athletes have gone to Alabama, Georgia, to different schools around the country, wherever, and they become first round draft picks and we miss out on that, but it’s mainly due to the fact that our coaching staffs or our recruiters weren’t really making sure early on that we got our top-tier talent. I guess (Cristobal) realized that and went even further than expected by going this deep into the classes coming up.”

His father still believed he was years from landing his first collegiate offer, but it didn’t come as a surprise the Hurricanes’ staff was keeping an eye on the Ravens’ youth league team.

“There’s a lot of different kids that come from there,” Kadien said. “Jeremiah Smith, Joshisa (Trader), a couple of those guys at (Hollywood) Chaminade. There’s a couple of five, four-star guys and three-star players that came out of there and they’re in high school now. Some of them are even on the Canes’ team. I think it’s that talent the (Ravens) have produced.”

Kadien expects to bring Karsen to campus for his first unofficial visit once the dead period ends but does not have a hard visit date set in stone.

“I think this really gives (Karsen) an extra motivation to realize if you stay on the right path and do the things you’re supposed to do, you already have somebody in the bank right here who gave you a scholarship offer to come play football,” Kadien said. “So if he continues staying out of trouble and doing what he’s supposed to do and all of that, there’s going to be a multitude of schools doing the same thing.”

CaneSport’s Take

Cristobal offering a seventh grader isn’t totally unprecedented. Miami’s head coach first offered 2024 four-star defensive lineman Aydin Breland as a seventh grader when Cristobal was still the head coach at Oregon, and it’s a big reason why Breland is still considering the Canes now. Of course, we aren’t saying this 12-year-old is going to turn into a top-30 recruit and one of the most coveted defensive linemen in the country by the time his class rolls around, but it isn’t the first time Cristobal offered a 2029 prospect. Miami also offered 2029 offensive lineman Jamarion Evans, and CaneSport will soon have an update on him as well.

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