Miami Hurricanes LB commit Ezekiel Marcelin still being pursued by ACC foes

Miami (Fla.) Central three-star linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin didn’t hesitate to commit to the Hurricanes in late June, but his other finalists didn’t simply give up their pursuit of the local star.

Pittsburgh and Stanford are still in pursuit of Marcelin after pushing hard for the three-star 2025 linebacker in the weeks leading up to his commitment, although he still feels he made the right decision committing to Miami, he told CaneSport. The No. 476 overall prospect and No. 88 linebacker in the cycle still communicates with Miami’s staff daily and said little to nothing about the Hurricanes’ recruiting approach has changed since he announced his pledge June 23, but he’s continuing to hear from the Cardinals and Panthers.

Marcelin took an official visit to Pittsburgh the second week of June and was initially scheduled to visit Stanford June 21, although he canceled his Stanford visit and committed to Miami that weekend instead. Both schools are sharing different recruiting messages.

“Stanford’s message is about their academics, really just that and the degree you can get by coming out of Stanford,” Marcelin said. “(With Pitt), my cousin, Jeremiah Marcelin is up there and Lamar Seymore (his former teammate at Miami Central), and those guys just say it’s a great program. They love being up there, so that’s really what it is about Pitt.”

Ezekiel said he and Jeremiah aren’t exceptionally close, although Jeremiah has told Ezekiel about potential early playing opportunities at Pitt. Jeremiah told Ezekiel he’s already second string on the depth chart after one spring on campus, which Ezekiel finds attractive. But he also knows he can compete for a spot in Miami’s rotation as a freshman as well.

Ezekiel said he wants to earn Freshman All-Conference and All-American honors regardless of where he ends up, and he’s not planning on backing off his Miami pledge any time soon.

“I feel like I made the right choice to stay home,” Ezekiel said. “I’m just happy I got it out of the way to get ready for the season. The coaches communicate with me daily and give me reassurance that I’m home and this is where I need to be.”

CaneSport’s Take

It would take something pretty drastic and unforeseen for Ezekiel to back off his Miami commitment, and I fully expect to see him in orange and green next fall. Ezekiel is expected to early enroll at Miami and should join a very good linebacker group next season.

The post Miami Hurricanes LB commit Ezekiel Marcelin still being pursued by ACC foes appeared first on On3.