Russell Athletic Bowl Appearance Could be for Key in Canes Recruiting
The Miami Hurricanes Appearance in the Russell Athletic Bowl against West Virginia could prove to be crucial for Miami in their final recruiting push in the Class of 2017.
December 12 constitutes the beginning of a dead period in football recruiting according to the Recruitlook.Com Calendar. They state: “12/12/16 through 1/11/17 as dead period period with the following exception…Contact Period. Coaches may have contact with a recruit who has been admitted for midyear enrollment, provided the recruit has signed a National Letter of Intent.”
Richt told Miami beat reporter Christy Cabrera Chiniros of the Sun Sentinel:
“We’re not allowed to have contact with [prospective] student athletes during the bowl practices. I think they can be at your bowl practice, but you can’t have contact with them. And there may be some guys at those practices,” Richt said.
“We can’t make tickets available to the bowl game either. If they end up at the game, it’ll be somehow other than us providing that opportunity. I hope a lot of them come and watch the game, if nothing else because we’re in the state and we’re having success…I think that will be good enough.”
Playing in Orlando will give many of their Hurricanes recruiting targets a chance to attend the game. The location is within driving distance for many of the players Miami is hoping join their recruiting class. Richt is hopeful that many of his instate targets will be paying attention to the game.
The Hurricanes currently have 21 hard (verbal) commitments and 15 remaining targets according to 247 sports.Com. Fourteen of the 21 commitments and ten of the 15 targets on the list are from Florida. Some of those players, including top Quarterback N’Kosi Perry overlap on the two lists.
247Sports up to date rankings places the Hurricanes class as the 12th best in the Class of 2017. Miami has five four star players and 16 three star players out of their 21 total commitments thus far.
Offensive Tackle Navaughn Donaldson from Miami Central, Defensive Tackle D.j. Johnson from Sacramento and Perry are the highest ranked commits in the ‘Canes class. The other two four star players are Cornerback Trajan Brady from Columbus High in Miami and Athlete DeeJay Dallas from Brunswick, Georgia.
Donaldson is making his official visit with Miami this weekend per CBS Sports. He and Richt were shown flashing the U sign in a Tweet posted by Donaldson. Donaldson is still receiving overtures from Florida and Florida State per 247’s Inside the U.
— Navaughn Donaldson (@JD_55RB) December 9, 2016
Inside the U also reports that eight other recruits are in town this weekend. They include four star recruits Cornerback and Brady’s Columbus teammate Christopher Henderson and Donaldson’s Central teammate Linebacker Waynmon Steed. Five Star Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy, an Alabama commit from Deerfield Beach is also visiting U this weekend.
Miami expects multiple players in the class of 2017 as early enrollees next month.
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