A Dive Into Hurricane Recruits That Have Outplayed Their Rankings

In the world of recruiting teams are constantly fighting for blue-chip recruits, but what about the players that don't fall in that category that have seen success with the Miami Hurricanes in recent years?

Looking back into the recent history of the Hurricanes, this article will breakdown the success stories of recruits that weren't regarded highly by recruiting outlets but ended up having valuable production on the field for Miami.

Class of 2022: Anez Cooper and Colbie Young

Starting off with the Class of 2022, the Hurricanes landed two players that ended up becoming important starting pieces in 2023. While Young is no longer a Hurricane and is now a Georgia Bulldog, he was once upon a time a three-star JUCO recruit that found his way to Miami. Across two seasons with the Hurricanes, Young totaled 79 receptions for 939 yards and 10 touchdowns.

With Young gone, there's no doubt the top hidden gem from this class is Cooper. In his two seasons at Miami, he's started 17 games and earned All-ACC Honorable Mention in 2023. Heading into 2024, he's one of the top offensive linemen in the conference and an important piece to one of the nation's top offensive line units.

Class of 2021: Jacolby George and Kamren Kinchens

Both three-star recruits (per 247Sports) and All-ACC performers in 2023, Kinchens was able to turn himself into a third-round draft selection and potential starter for the Los Angeles Rams while George looks to continue his dominance on the outside for the Hurricanes in 2024. 247Sports listed Kinchens as the 41st safety in the class while he received interest from nearly every top football school. He went on to become an All-American at Miami and show out for his hometown team.

As for George he broke out in 2023, scoring nine touchdowns and going for 851 receiving yards en route to an All-ACC Third Team selection. Now with a new quarterback at the helm in 2024, George has a chance to improve upon his breakout 2023 campaign.

Class of 2020: Xavier Restrepo

Miami's second lowest ranked recruit in that class, Restrepo went above and beyond that as he finished the 2023 season with nearly 1,100 receiving yards and All-ACC First Team honors. Now heading into the 2024 campaign as one of the top receivers in the nation, he has a chance to continue his success into the NFL.

While not included in this, an honorable mention has to go to Elijah Roberts who was a three-star as well in this recruiting class for Miami. He didn't end up producing much at all in three years at Miami, but in 2023 with SMU he tallied 10 sacks and no finds himself on the Bednarik Award Watchlist for 2024.

Class of 2018: Gregory Rousseau

Rousseau played just one season for the Hurricanes after coming in as an undersized three-star defensive end in 2018. His 2019 season was sensational however, as he finished second to Chase Young in sacks with 15.5. He ended up sitting out the 2020 season due to COVID and to prepare for the upcoming draft, where he ended up being selected in the first-round to the Buffalo Bills. Miami fans can only imagine what a partnership of Rousseau and Jaelan Phillips would've done to opposing offenses.