5-star DL David Stone set for Sat. announcement, and Canes looking to close: “Family atmosphere at Miami has always been there”

Throughout the 2024 recruiting cycle, securing the top defensive lineman in this class has been one of the Miami Hurricanes’ top priorities, and on August 26, one of, if not the, top targets will be coming off the board.

Ahead of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s game against St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) on ESPN, Five-Star Plus+, defensive lineman David Stone will be announcing his commitment as he chooses between Oklahoma, Michigan State, and Miami.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Stone’s hometown Sooners are currently trending to land the 6-foot-4, 280-pound interior defensive lineman, but the Hurricanes are hoping to prove the RPM wrong come Saturday.

Throughout his recruiting process, Stone has said that his family will be the top priority and No. 1 factor in his decision, and the Hurricanes have done all they can to make the entire Stone family feel welcomed in Coral Gables.

From hosting his family on campus multiple times throughout the spring and summer to making his six-year-old little brother a graphic to celebrate his first day of school, Miami has pulled out all the stops to impress the elite defender.

“It’s been a lot,” Stone told On3 about Miami’s message. “They called me before the game, actually, they wished me luck. They were on the phone with my family when they were driving up here. Man, they’ve just been real on me heavy. They’ve been connecting with my family a lot, I like that. That’s something I look for in a school. Because they’ve been reaching out and ever since I’ve been on my first visit there, that family atmosphere at Miami has always been there. It hasn’t changed, it’s been consistent. I really like that.”

Although the Hurricanes have missed on a handful of top defensive linemen this cycle, including Justin Scott, Dylan Stewart, and Collins Simmons, landing Stone would be arguably Miami’s biggest get this cycle.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, if Stone were to commit to the Hurricanes, he would be the highest-rated pledge in the class, coming in as the No. 8 overall prospect in the country, but it goes beyond that.

Landing Stone would be huge for Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal & Co. on the recruiting trail as they look to build momentum heading into the fall and a marquee recruiting battle win over Oklahoma, with whom the Hurricanes have had their fair share of recruiting battles.

While we do not know where the coveted defensive lineman will be going until he picks up a hat on Saturday, what we do know is that Miami will be fighting tooth and nail for Stone until the very end.

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