Storylines to watch in Miami’s final summer official visit weekend: Can Miami close the gap with Jeremiah Smith, Jaylen Heyward?
Miami will host 20 official visitors this weekend – six committed prospects, 14 uncommitted recruits and plenty of blue-chip targets the Hurricanes want in Coral Gables.
Miami’s official visit weekend is headlined by No. 3 overall prospect and top 2024 wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, an Ohio State commit whose official visit began Thursday, and will also feature recruits like Georgia four-star safety commit Jaylen Heyward, top-70 EDGE Marquise Lightfoot and Hurricanes commit Chance Robinson, who is visiting Miami as Florida and Penn State both make their pushes.
Here are a few storylines to watch in Miami’s final official visit weekend of the summer.
Can Miami close the gap with Jeremiah Smith, Jaylen Heyward?
The Hurricanes have trailed for Smith and Heyward for all of 2023, but this weekend is the opportunity Miami’s staff has been working toward for both.
Miami will have its chance to make its best, extended pitches to both elite recruits as it tries to flip Smith from Ohio State and Heyward from Georgia, although the Buckeyes and Bulldogs have had their teeth sunk into both prospects since earning their commitments.
Miami is facing some competition from Florida for Smith as well, but the Hurricanes have been seen as the biggest threat to Georgia for Heyward for some time now. On3’s Jeremy Johnson recently reported the Bulldogs are still well ahead for Heyward, but this weekend will be the third time Miami has brought the four-star recruit to campus this spring.
This will also be Heyward’s final official visit of the summer after visiting Georgia June 9 and UCF June 16. Smith canceled his Penn State official visit this weekend in favor of visiting Miami.
Will the Hurricanes land commitments?
Miami has been in good position with a few prospects in this class for a while, but this feels like the time for the Hurricanes to finally seal the deal. And if not this weekend, Miami should definitely position itself to get some public announcements next week, not unlike they did last weekend with Kevin Riley when he announced his commitment Monday.
We’ve already placed three-star receiver Jacory Barney on commit watch this weekend, and Miami is in the top two, three or four schools for Ricky Knight, Artavius Jones and Lightfoot to name a few. Miami has been pushing hard for prospects in this group for awhile, and with Florida State also pushing hard for Knight, UCF being competitive for Jones and Ohio State and USC also in the running for Lightfoot, the pressure is on this weekend for Miami to make sizable impressions.
The Hurricanes have the advantage of getting the last summer official visit with these prospects as several eye late June or July commitments. Knight plans to commit the first week of July, Barney is continuing to look at a July commitment and Kendall Jackson wants to commit next week, just to name a few prospects.
Can The U keep Chance Robinson solid with Florida pushing?
Some Hurricane fans were anxious after Robinson was particularly complimentary of Florida’s staff on his June 9 official visit to Gainesville, although he was adamant in a recent interview with CaneSport Miami is still going to be his school.
This weekend should be an opportunity for the Hurricanes to solidify their standing with their second-highest-rated commit.
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