Miami Hurricanes Football

Cormani McClain, a 5-star cornerback in the 2023 recruiting class, announced Thursday he's decided to play college football at Miami.

Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal reacted to the news:

McClain emerged as an intriguing two-way contributor at Lake Gibson High School in Florida, where he played both corner and wide receiver. He transferred to Lakeland High School for his senior season.

The versatile playmaker projects as a defensive back at the college level, and he could also be an impact player on special teams at the outset.

He's rated as the No. 2 overall prospect and the top-ranked cornerback in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Last May, McClain told Warchant's Michael Langston he still enjoyed playing on offense but his affinity for playing cornerback grew over time.

"I love playing press-man," he said. "I also play a lot of receiver, and whatever the team needs I'm going to do in making some big plays. Offense is probably more natural for me at times because that's where I started my career, so I'm comfortable with route-running. But corner ... I just love it there. Being out there on a corner, and it's one-on-one."

His steady growth as a corner allowed him to receive scholarship offers from many of the nation's top programs before he made his final decision.

Now his focus will shift to continuing that development in college.

McClain is a special talent on a path toward a potential NFL career, but there's still a major jump from high school ball to high-level college games, so a transition period should be expected as he arrives to Miami ahead of the 2023 season.

That said, even if he's not a Day 1 starter for the Canes, it probably won't take long before he sees the field. It's a significant recruiting victory for Cristobal and Co.

The Miami Hurricanes fell to the Duke Blue Devils 45-21 on Saturday to fall to 3-4 on the season, and head coach Mario Cristobal ripped his players for not working hard enough following his team's latest loss.

"If someone’s not playing hard, they have to go play somewhere else," Cristobal said, per Brett McMurphy of Action Network. "What we have to do requires tough people. To turn a program, rebuild it, it requires tough-minded people willing to do the work"

The Hurricanes had a solid start to the season, posting wins over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats and Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Since then, things have gone downhill for Cristobal's squad.

Miami lost its next three games to the Texas A&M Aggies, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and North Carolina Tar Heels and dropped to 2-3 on the season. The Canes bounced back with a slim 20-14 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies on Oct. 15, but their latest loss has them back below .500.

Miami struggled mightily in Saturday's game against Duke. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who completed 11 of 16 passes for 81 yards and one touchdown, exited with an injury and was replaced by Jake Garcia, who completed just 13 of 21 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns against three interceptions in relief.

The Hurricanes committed an unacceptable eight turnovers in Saturday's loss, including five fumbles in addition to Garcia's three interceptions, one of which was a pick-six.

Fans had high hopes for Miami this season following the hiring of Cristobal, who led the Oregon Ducks to a 35-13 record and four bowl appearances in his five seasons as head coach, but that success hasn't translated with the Hurricanes.

Miami is going to need a solid turnaround to make a bowl in Cristobal's first season as head coach. The Canes have a tough schedule remaining with games against Virginia, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Pittsburgh.

They'll try to bounce back next weekend against Virginia.

The No. 25 Miami Hurricanes were upset by the unranked Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 45-31 on Saturday for their second straight loss, and it was a brutal showing for Mario Cristobal's team.

Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was replaced by Jake Garcia in the third quarter after completing just 16 of 32 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown while also tossing two interceptions.

It was a hideous performance from Van Dyke, who entered Saturday's game having completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 671 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in three games.

Garcia completed 10 of 19 passes for 169 yards in relief of Van Dyke.

The Miami defense was also subpar against Middle Tennessee, allowing Blue Raiders quarterback Chase Cunningham to throw for 408 yards and three touchdowns on just 25 attempts.

The Hurricanes were especially susceptible to big plays, as Middle Tennessee recorded four pass plays of 69-plus yards. The victors finished with 507 yards of total offense compared to Miami's 367.

Now 2-2 on the season following back-to-back losses, fans, understandably, ripped the Hurricanes on social media following the loss.

Miami will now go back to the drawing board heading into its bye week before its matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Oct. 8.

Four-star edge prospect Malik Bryant announced Wednesday that he is headed to Miami.

The IMG Academy star chose the Hurricanes over Florida, Alabama and Maryland. He is considered the No. 61 overall prospect in the 2023 class and fourth-ranked linebacker, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Bryant previously outlined the areas that would factor into his decision, per Jeff Sentell of DawgNation:

“I would definitely say the culture at the school and the tradition behind the schools. Definitely the history with the school, coaches and the team. Of course, like all the small stuff, too. I'd have to fit into the scheme and stuff like that. I'd definitely say the culture and it definitely has to be the right fit. I have to see myself there."

He is listed at 6'2" and 235 pounds, and he has the frame to add 10-15 pounds of muscle that would make him a potential star at the next level. He already has the burst off the edge and a refined set of moves to get to the quarterback. There's little reason to believe he will have to wait long before he's getting regular snaps on Saturdays.

The Hurricanes are currently the No. 8 overall recruiting class in the nation.

The Miami Hurricanes added one of the best defensive players in the entire 2023 recruiting class Saturday.

Defensive lineman Jayden Wayne announced he will attend Miami during an appearance on CBS Sports HQ.

Wayne, who checks in at 6'5" and 245 pounds, is a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He is also the No. 30 overall player, No. 5 EDGE and No. 9 player from the state of Florida in the 2023 class.

One look at the list of schools that offered him scholarships during the recruiting process underscores his overall talent level.

A laundry list of some of the top programs in the country was interested, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida, Auburn, Penn State, Texas and USC.

It is no surprise so many schools wanted to add him to their defenses.

After all, Adam Gorney of Rivals was so impressed with Wayne's play at the Pylon 7on7 Tournament that he compared the pass-rusher to Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux. It was quite high praise considering the Ducks defensive end has been widely considered the best prospect for the 2022 NFL draft for some time.

Brandon Huffman of 247Sports pointed to Arizona Cardinals star Chandler Jones as a pro comparison for Wayne and highlighted the prospect's "length and quickness to beat blockers off the ball and the explosiveness at the LOS to quickly get into the backfield."

Huffman suggested Wayne's athleticism alone gives him the ceiling of an elite pass-rusher as someone who could quickly develop into a key playmaker on his new team's defensive front.

Defenses need athletic linemen who can use their speed and burst both against the run and to prevent quarterbacks from establishing a rhythm in the no-huddle, fast-paced offensive approach so many take in today's college football.

If Wayne lives up to his potential, he will be just that for the Hurricanes.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and his staff are building up a strong roster of good, young prospects going into their first season with the program.

Even before Cristobal's arrival, the previous coaching staff did a good job of bringing in talent. The Hurricanes finished in the top 20 of 247Sports' national team rankings in 2021 and 2022.

Cristobal has already secured 13 commitments for the 2023 class. Wayne and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, teammates at IMG Academy, are 5-star recruits on their way to Miami next year.

It will be on Cristobal and his coaches to maximize the potential of high-ceiling players like Wayne to get the program back among the nation's elite.

Francis Mauigoa, one of the top offensive linemen in the 2023 recruiting class, announced Monday he's committed to Miami.

Keegan Pope of On3 reported the 5-star prospect's choice.

Mauigoa has made a few stops in his high school career. He played in his native American Samoa and at Aquinas High School in California before landing with national powerhouse IMG Academy, and he's looked like an elite prospect on every step of the journey.

The 6'5", 330-pound rising star rates as the No. 9 overall player and the best offensive tackle in the class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Mauigoa also played along the defensive line in high school, but his best long-term outlook comes if he can solidify himself as a high-end left tackle in college.

"They like the way I dominate on the line. They like how ruthless and unstoppable I am on the line," he told Ryan Wright of Recruiting News Guru in February 2021 about his conversations with college coaches.

The standout two-way lineman attracted attention from top programs around the country during his recruiting process before making his college choice.

Mauigoa is a high-floor prospect because he's a strong bet to become a force at offensive tackle, but other options exist should that not work out at Miami.

He's got the size to shift inside to guard, or he could flip back to the defensive line to play tackle. He has several paths to success, and his baseline talent makes it likely that he succeeds.

It's a nice win on the recruiting trail for Mario Cristobal and the Canes, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Mauigoa earns a spot in the starting lineup early in his college career.