Miami is a recruiting power under Mario Cristobal and of course it now has the on-field product to match, entering the weekend with a top 10 ranking and rival Florida State coming to town.
That combination has led to one of the more gaudy visitor lists in America for Saturday (full slate at CanesCounty.com), from 20-plus Hurricane commitments to those pledged elsewhere, top underclassmen and so much more.
Multiple five-stars occupy the group committed to other programs expected at Hard Rock Stadium Saturday evening, where The U is looking for late flips to solidify a third straight top-10 class under Cristobal.
Rivals breaks down five of the best as they travel to South Florida.
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Pickett is as critical a target for Miami as any prospect at any position in the 2025 class. We've been told he is at or near the top among overall recruits for several programs, the Hurricanes included, as they continue to chip away at the LSU commitment. Pickett has all the family ties to The U, often spending time with cousin and UM pass rusher Booker Pickett while in town, so those angles and that familiarity are about as prominent as can be.
The game angle for Pickett, though, could be about Miami's most vulnerable position -- the secondary -- with the staff pitching an instant impact role for the unique 6-foot-4 talent. Miami will swing until the final whistle in this recruitment, something Pickett has long admitted continues to hold his attention. Oregon, Florida and others are also still trying to change his mind.
It has been a relatively quiet fall on the recruiting front for Thomas, who has said he remains rock solid to FSU as his pledge runs closer to the one-year mark. At different times he would admit Florida, LSU and South Carolina were primary flip contenders, but he hasn't hit the road this season as much as many would have expected. Now, Thomas is on the Miami visit list with Cristobal and Alex Mirabal continuing to build their reputations as elite offensive line recruits and developers.
Of course Thomas will also get to see the Seminoles in action, in person, in this one, and sometimes there is a bit of a compromise from programs hosting elite recruits with key opponents in town. Either way, getting the top-ranked guard prospect in for some time with Miami's top recruiters can't hurt the program's chances for what would be a surprise win on the trail.
At one point in the offseason, it looked like Miami was in the driver's seat for Carter's verbal commitment. As he pushed it to the month of July, though, his official visit to Ohio State pushed the Buckeyes over the top and he hasn't looked back. Still, Carter has taken a few trips, including to local Florida where he previously saw Miami work in person. Now he gets to Miami Gardens as a Hurricane recruit, where Miami has continued to push for a flip. His teammate, Cane commitment and fellow defensive lineman, Mykah Newton, has also been an ear for Carter to learn more about the program.
The strong Hurricane class doesn't have as much depth on the defensive interior as it would like, so Carter as a key flip target as the Early Signing Period inches near. Newton will be making the trip with him and surely the group of fellow commitments will push Carter to consider the program more in the end. A flip won't be easy here, but the visit tells us the door is relatively open.
Another position where Miami is looking for potentially one more addition, it has long built up a relationship with another OSU pledge in Alford. The Vero Beach standout has already been on campus this fall so the return trip continues to suggest that this recruitment is far from over. Miami isn't the only program having success in working on a potential flip here, either, so every visit he chooses to go on could say a lot about the true contenders to pull the upset.
Miami has just one off-ball linebacker committed to this point in IMG Academy's Gavin Nix, so it is looking to pair him with a modern 'backer for years to come. Alford or fast-riser Kellen Wiley, will also be in town, would each potentially fit that bid for the Canes down the stretch of the cycle.
One of the biggest surprise visitors for Miami this weekend is certainly Arnoux, who has long said he remains solid to USC despite pushes all over the country including Auburn, Colorado and now The U. While he hasn't been hosted by the program in over a year, communication between each side has increased of late and Arnoux still has considerable ties to South Florida, where he grew up. He told Rivals he remains close with longtime friend and Miami commitment Chris Ewald, who will also be at Hard Rock Stadium.
Arnoux is a confident, rangy cornerback recruit who fits a lot of the classic mantra often associated with Miami at its best, so it's little surprise to see Cristobal and company make a late run here. Stranger things have happened on the trail, so this trip and re-familiarization may be worth keeping a closer eye on compared to others on this list.
