Blades says recruitment is wide open despite assumptions

Former Miami commit Al Blades could very well re-commit to the Hurricanes. In fact, odds are he will. If that’s the plan, the class-of-2018 prospect won’t admit that publicly. A more prevalent thought is that Miami and Florida State are the only schools in the running to land his commitment.

Still, Blades, who had heavy family ties to the Hurricanes, dismisses both lines of thinking quickly.

“I’m open,” he said on Saturday. “I’m open to all schools.”

And so he’ll field other offers and listen to a long list of pitches from coaches. Blades is in frequent contact with coaches from UCLA but the Bruins are yet to extend a scholarship offer.

UCLA may be in most frequent contact of the programs that have yet to make things official, but there are other schools on which Blades says he has an eye.

“There are schools that I have interest in that I watched growing up,” Blades said. “There are schools like Oklahoma, Michigan, Clemson, Florida. Really, I just want to go to a school that ha interest in me and wants me. Florida is a big school I want an offer from.”

IN HIS WORDS: “It’s like family down there at Miami. I know most of that new staff pretty well. I still really don’t know [Mark] Richt like that, but with the defensive coaches, it’s like family.”

RIVALS REACTION: Miami still seems like the most likely landing spot for Blades, but Florida State has made up ground in recent months. The Seminoles are, at the least, a small threat to steal the defensive back away from Miami.