Miami JUCO target talks his upcoming decision and the Hurricanes: “They tell me I can come in and make an impact immediately”

It has been a busy summer for College of San Mateo (Calif.) cornerback Sione Laulea, who took five official visits in June to USC, Utah, Penn State, Oregon, and Miami and is nearing his decision with the fall rolling around.

“I took five business trips and gathered all of the information I needed,” Laulea told CaneSport. “I enjoyed every single one and got different aspects from different types of programs, and I like all of them.”

The four-star prospect, who is one of the most sought after Junior College athletes in the country, plans on committing silently in August to the program of his choice and then announcing his pledge to the public on Oct. 8, which is his birthday.

“After those trips, I’m coming closer to making a decision,” Laulea said. “I plan on committing right before the season and then announcing it on my birthday.”

After his June 9 official visit to Miami, the Hurricanes remain a legit contender to land the California native. Seeing the campus for the second time gave Laulea another perspective on the program, which he enjoyed taking in.

“I enjoyed Miami since it was my second time out there, and I saw some progress that was made, which was good,” Laulea said. “It was good to see the coaches face-to-face rather than texting. You can definitely feel the culture and personality way better, so it was good to get out there again.”

Since offering the 6-foot-4, 180-pound defensive back in April, the Hurricanes staff has continued to make Laulea feel like a priority and believes he could potentially be a day-one starter for the program.

“They tell me that I can come in and make an impact immediately,” Laulea said. 

On the Miami staff, Laulea has built a strong relationship with Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal, defensive coordinator Lance Guidry, and defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae. 

“If I were to choose one (with whom he talks to the most), I would say coach Addae,” Laulea said. “He’s very down to earth and straightforward. He doesn’t speak to me as a coach or a recruiter. He talks to me from a man’s perspective. He really tries to help me find what’s best for me, and I respect it.”

While the coaches in Coral Gables have put their best foot forward, Laulea’s former teammate at the College of San Mateo (Calif.) and current Hurricane defensive back Demetrius Freeney has done his fair share of recruiting as well.

“Meech (Demetrius Freeney) is definitely Miami’s biggest recruiter right now,” Laulea said. “He calls me every night, telling me how great it is. I believe this because he was my best friend in junior college, so his word is pretty truthful to me, and I know he wouldn’t steer me in the wrong direction. It does bring some leverage because it would be good to play with him again. If he likes it, I think I would like it as well.”

With a decision nearing, Laulea says that all five of his schools that he officially visited are pretty equal at the moment, and there is no current frontrunner.

 According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Oregon is the heavy favorite to land his commitment with an 85.4% probability, but it appears the gap is much closer than that.

When making his final decision, Laulea will factor in development and an opportunity to play the most when the time comes.

With Miami, he hopes to see the program take that next step this upcoming season as a whole and believes that will happen.

“From Miami, I want to see change in the program, honestly,” Laulea said. “I know they’re rebuilding and Cristobal just got there, but as a junior college transfer with only two years left after this season, there’s not really any time for any games or comeback stories. It’s straight business. I just need somewhere where the foundation is laid. I think they could do it by then.”

CaneSport’s take

Miami has been heavily recruiting Laulea for a while now and has found itself in a tight race heading into the finish line. With Freeney, Laulea’s former teammate and best friend, on the Miami roster, that may have helped the Hurricanes a bit. But that can’t be the only reason he should want to be a Cane.

The post Miami JUCO target talks his upcoming decision and the Hurricanes: “They tell me I can come in and make an impact immediately” appeared first on On3.