Miami hosts top-100 S Zavier Mincey as Hurricanes try to sway 4-star to Coral Gables
Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland four-star safety Zavier Mincey is trending heavily toward Florida, but Miami still managed to bring him to Coral Gables for an unofficial before the Hurricanes’ spring game next week.
Miami has continued to push for the No. 73 overall prospect in the On300 and No. 8 safety in the 2024 class even as the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine has steadily continued to lean toward the Gators. Mincey was originally scheduled to visit with fellow Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray earlier this spring, but he still felt it was important to visit Miami — even if it was on his own.
“I didn’t go down (with McCray), and then I was like, ‘Man, I’m like four hours away. You know what? I’m gonna make it a priority to come,’” Mincey said. “I came in not knowing a lot; having a relationship with coaches, but not face-to-face, so definitely seeing everybody and putting faces to names just made it better.”
Saturday was Mincey’s first visit to Miami and second time interacting with head coach Mario Cristobal in person. He first met Cristobal in-person several months ago when the Canes’ program leader traveled to Daytona Beach to visit Mincey and McCray at their high school, but Saturday’s trip to Coral Gables still more than met expectations. He said Miami’s staff made his visit “a fun day” and entertaining from start to finish.
“(Miami) is just a great place to be,” Mincey said. “The classrooms are more intimate, you’re closer with your teachers than you’d be at a public university. They showed me graduation rates are high. Academics are there, coaches are there, players are there.”
The Canes have fallen in love with Mincey’s 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and exceptional length for his position and told him he can “definitely” play at the next level. Miami is trying to become the program that develops him into an NFL prospect, and he’s come to respect Hurricanes’ secondary coach Jahmile Addae, who has primarily handled his recruitment. Addae contacts Mincey daily, along with Miami defensive analyst DeMarcus Van Dyke, and he said he’s “pretty interested” in what Miami has to offer.
He said he’s interested in the programs that are talking to him — all of the Florida schools, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Alabama — because they’ve shown him the most attention throughout his recruitment and made him a clear priority.
“If I’m going to play somewhere, I have to have a relationship with the coaches and the staff and all of that,” Mincey said. “It doesn’t have to be blowing up my phone, but just a simple ‘Good morning’ or ‘How are you doing?’ Stuff like that.”
The two parties haven’t settled on a date for a return trip to campus, but Mincey said he’s interested in making another trip south.
CaneSport’s Take
Mincey’s visit to Miami came as somewhat of a surprise given the RPM entered in favor of Florida and the progress the Gators made in his recruitment during March.
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