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The Miami Hurricanes have the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation as of Monday morning. The big fish so far is five-star running back Lorenzo Lingard. State Of The U has a good rundown of all the commitments in the class.
One of the top 3 RBs in America this cycle and a top 15 player overall, Lorenzo Lingard is a priority recruit for Miami. OC/RB coach Thomas Brown has been building the relationship with Lingard for quite some time. That paid off with the above-linked commitment and gives Miami their new highest-ranked player in this recruiting class.
Lingard has averaged 11.42 yards per carry over 2 years and nearly 200 carries at the HS level. And, those aren’t stats against poor competition either: Lingard plays in Florida’s largest classification: 8A. So he’s doing huge numbers against top tier competition. Pretty good, if you ask me.
A recruiting analyst I follow on twitter compared Lingard and former Georgia RB Todd Gurleyfor their tall frame and other traits. I’m in love with that comparison, and if Lingard can be for Mark Richt’s Miami what Todd Gurley was for Mark Richt’s Georgia, then SIGN ME UP!
If Lingard signs with Miami, and maintains his five-star rating, he will be the first five-star to sign with the Hurricanes since defensive end Chad Thomas in the class of 2014.
Early recruiting rankings don’t mean much, but Miami is bringing in quality, and not just quantity, and is off to a good start. The Hurricanes have not signed a top-five recruiting class since 2008. We’ll see if 2018 can get there.
Quickly
What state produces the most talent for Notre Dame? You might be surprised.
Missouri got seven of the top in-state prospects it has offered so far on campus over the weekend. Missouri is not a powerhouse state for prospects, but it is not barren, either, so doing well in the state is key.
Ohio State had two elite prospects in offensive tackle Jackson Carman, and defensive end Malik Vann on campus over the weekend. The Buckeyes also extended offers to four-star athlete Thomas Booker and four-star receiver Justyn Ross. I doubt the Buckeyes can convince Ross to leave the state of Alabama, but Urban Meyer did pull Raekwon McMillan from Georgia a few years back, beating out Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Auburn, and the other Southern powers.
Lane Kiffin landed a commitment from a high school freshman in QB Brandon McDuffey. Will Kiffin even be at FAU when McDuffey graduates from high school? He has a history of taking commitments very early.
Oklahoma State hosted a pair of four-star teammates from Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point in tight end Mustapha Muhammad and linebacker Chad Bailey. They would be huge gets for the Pokes. I had a chance to see Muhammad recently at a Nike Camp in Houston, and he was quite impressive.