Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 39 Cam Pruitt

The Miami Hurricanes have massively reshaped the roster from a year ago with five primary offensive starters gone (QB Tyler Van Dyke, RB Henry Parrish, WR Colbie Young, OL Javion Cohen and Matt Lee) along with seven on the defensive side (DT Leonard Taylor, DT Branson Deen, DL Jared Harrison-Hunte, S Kam Kinchens, S James Williams, CB Jaden Davis and CB Te’Cory Couch).

50. RB JORDAN LYLE … 49. RB CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON … 48. DE COLE MCCONATHY … 47. S ZAQUAN PATTERSON … 46. TE CAM MCCORMICK … 45. NY CARR … 44. JUSTIN SCOTT … 43. OT Markel Bell … 42. RB AJAY ALLEN … 41. TE RILEY WILLIAMS … 40. OL MATTHEW MCCOY

Which brings us to our annual series breaking down the top 50 players on the current roster. As we go along on this list you’ll get an idea of the overall depth of talent on Mario Cristobal’s team this year as he seeks Miami’s second 10-win season in the last two decades.

Today we are at No. 39:

NO. 39 LB CAM PRUITT

Why He’s No. 39

A 6-3, 195-pound true freshman, Pruitt was a standout this spring and even worked in for some first team reps. Coaches were quick to sing his praises as a fast, downhill, physical linebacker, and given there isn’t much depth here there seems little doubt he can work in for significant reps in Year 1 (the only returners who have played a lot are starters Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe, and the team also added Louisville veteran Jaylin Alderman in the second portal window). Certainly there are a lot of reps gone with the departure of primary backups Corey Flagg and KJ Cloyd (per Pro Football Focus they played 785 combined reps while Mauigoa and Bissainthe played 1,142). Pruitt worked at WILL and SAM this spring, and he arrived at Miami as a three-star out of Theodore (Ala.) High School. He chose Miami over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Notre Dame and Penn State, among others.

What he needs to do to move up this list

Continue his progress this summer and into fall drills. Pruitt was really impressive in the spring, and coaches aren’t going to hesitate to put the best players on the field. If Pruitt continues to pack on weight and strength and understands the defense inside and out then he will be in line for a lot of opportunities. With that said, Raul Aguirre and Jaylin Alderman are more experienced, and Alderman had a decent first year starting at Louisville in 2023. So Pruitt has to show he’s a guy that can be a difference-maker in games.

Realistic season objective

We see Pruitt as a key WILL backup who can also work at SLB in run situations. So the opportunity is there for action on defense as well as a big role on special teams. Realistically we can see him getting into games and there not being much of a drop-off between him and the starters (it might be a tall order for him to start in Year 1). This season will be a good opportunity for him to soak up some experience so he can compete to start in 2025.

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