Miami entering picture for in-state NC State commit after he visits opening practice
A new defensive line target has emerged for the Hurricanes after landing an offer roughly one week ago.
Newberry (Fla.) three-star defensive lineman Mykah Newton, a NC State commit, visited Miami’s campus Wednesday along with fellow three-star defensive lineman Donta Simpson, who is committed to Maryland. Newton, the No. 811 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and No. 57 defensive lineman in the On3 Industry Ranking, received his Miami offer June 23 and watched his first practice as a Hurricane recruit Wednesday before the start of the August dead period at midnight.
Newton is still firm in his commitment to NC State and isn’t actively looking to decommit, although Miami piqued his interest enough for him to visit.
“It was important for me to visit because my mom always had a saying: don’t block your blessings,” Newton said. “I always keep my eyes open and don’t block the blessings that come your way. I talked to my family, talked to my mom, and we all decided to come down and see what Miami has to offer.”
Newton went through an academic presentation, watched Miami’s first fall practice and ran through meetings with co-defensive line coaches Jason Taylor and Joe Salave’a. He also spoke with head coach Mario Cristobal and likes the direction Miami is trending after his visit.
He said he felt he had to at least make the trip to check out Miami after the Hurricanes began showing interest. The Hurricanes’ historic prominence and proximity to home both factored into his initial interest.
“Miami has a lot of legacy to their program, and they’re a growing program,” Newton said. “They’re a program you can’t overlook. They’re a program you have to visit. They have a lot of things to offer. I talked to a lot of coaches, and they all said they have a lot of things to offer, so I couldn’t pass up on that.”
Newton said Miami has moved quickly in the last week, but has been consistent since establishing contact. Several members of the coaching staff have checked up on him and emphasized their care for him as a person before a football player. He said the staff has acted like “people before coaches.”
Penn State, South Carolina and Auburn have also been in contact since Newton announced his pledge. He does not currently have plans to visit any other programs this fall and isn’t certain when he may fully shut down his recruitment. But Cristobal has impressed him.
“I’ve been chatting it up with (Miami’s) coaches, getting to know them a little bit more,” Newton said. “Coach (Cristobal), he’s a great guy, a funny guy. I didn’t know he likes to play video games like that either. He’s very competitive. He’s a good guy.”
CaneSport’s Take
Newton certainly looks like he could be an option for Miami along the defensive line in a class not excessively deep with defensive line talent. The Hurricanes clearly like him enough to begin the recruiting process.
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