The Work by Soap McDope ‣ 247Sports
October 19, 2020
‣ Four-state athlete Johnson joins Miami 2021 class
Four-star athlete Sean Johnson out of Knik-Fairview, Arkansas has committed to the Miami Hurricanes.
Johnson, the 17th ranked athlete in the class, ironically committed this weekend just hours after Miami beat Virginia over schools like Virginia, California, Duke and Northwestern. Johnson is considered to be the fastest player in his class with a laser 40-yard time that came in at 4.28 at the Nike Combine in Florida.
The six-foot-one, 218-pound high school senior currently plays linebacker and running back for his high school team but is projected to be a perimeter player at the next level potentially at receiver or safety.
Johnson's versatility allows Miami to be flexible with its limited scholarships this cycle. Which leads into....
‣ Inside the Miami recruiting board as official visits heat up
The college football season will be nearing its end before you know it and with it comes with the recruiting dead period. Due to this, officially visits are quickly being scheduled as teams look to land the bulk of their class before the dead period which comes mid-December and lasts through January.
Miami is in a unique position because they only have six seniors on their rosters this season which gives them just six "open spots" for next season. Just for comparisons sake, Miami has 23 juniors and 21 sophomores on the team so next cycle, they'll have at minimum 23 scholarships. You then add in the three suspended players that aren't expected to be back next season -- Jarren Williams, Lorenzo Lingard, Brian Hightower -- and you have nine scholarships to offer. Throw in a few juniors that might declare such as Brevin Jordan or other guys leave, and Miami can potentially have anywhere between 12 to 15 scholarships.
With such low numbers, Miami has had to be selective and they have been. These are the guys still on the board.
Quarterbacks
#4 QB Phillip Davis :: Sunnyside, WA :: USC, WASH, MIAMI, WSU, OREGON
#78 QB John Harrison (juco) :: Brownsville, FL :: FAU, USF, FIU, MIAMI
#102 QB Sam Gant (juco) :: Largo, FL :: MISS ST, UCF, SCAR, USF, MIAMI
Miami has been slow to go after quarterbacks this cycle due to signing Tyrone Williams last season but should N'Kosi Perry transfer -- which would be a surprise -- Miami would be down to just one scholarship quarterback in Williams. Gant's recruitment has picked up and he's looking more like a Mississippi State grab if the Bulldogs actually want him. At some point, Miami will need to make a move and it'll likely be a late push at four-star Davis or perhaps go the JUCO route with Harrison.
Davis is clearly the better player but does Miami want to potentially 'waste' a scholarship spot this cycle for a position that isn't really a true need? Davis will also count against next year's roster count and potentially hurt Miami if they want to recruit another elite quarterback in the 2022 cycle.
Running back
#27 HB Matt Gray :: Moss Bluff, LA :: UCONN, UGA, WISC, OSU, MIAMI
Miami is set at running back...for now. Even without Lorenzo Lingard, they have three running backs coming back next season as a true sophomores and Cam'ron Harris isn't a lock for the NFL. Gray is the perfect developmental type prospect to bring in if Miami decides to apply pressure.
Wide Receiver
#1 WR Ryan Barr :: Bethel Park, PA :: USC, MIAMI, RUTGERS, ALA, FSU
#37 WR Marcus Clark :: Farmington, UT :: PITT, MIAMI, BYU, HAWAII, WISCONSIN
#53 WR Tyson Anderson :: Miami, FL :: CAL, VT, MIA, STAN, WKU
#54 WR Justin Sarria :: Evergreen, AL :: OU, MIA, UM, UF, USC
This is an interesting position. Miami has already landed two potential receivers in Sean Johnson and five-star Kenneth Kent. If they end up on offense, Miami really should only go after Ryan Barr, the nation's top recruit. Things get muddy when Barr is now projected to land at USC which leaves Miami playing catch up on the trio of Anderson, Sarria and Clark, all four-star recruits that Miami have not been in constant contact with.
If Barr goes to USC and Kent and Johnson end up on defense, Miami might end up in real trouble at receiver.
Tight End
#15 TE Kevin Sanders :: Albermale, NC :: MIA, ND, GT, ALA, UGA
Miami wants to get Sanders on campus and more importantly committed but this appears to be a done deal. Notre Dame has an outside shot but it's been all Miami for the four-star tight end.
Offensive Line
#21 T Christian Perry :: West Palm Beach, FL :: SCAR, FSU, MIA
#42 G Marcus May :: Orange, CT :: MIA, CLEM, FSU, TAMU, OREGON
Miami absolutely needs to land Christian Perry. Perry went to visit South Carolina and didn't commit which is good news for Miami as he will be in Coral Gables in two weeks. The only problem is that Miami is now in the position that South Carolina was where if Perry leaves Coral Gables without committing, he is ripe for the taking as he's expected to visit Florida State after Miami. Perry cannot step foot in Tallahassee or Miami might lose out on him. It's too late in the process for Miami to start kicking the tires on other tackles.
May is almost a lock for Miami although he does have visits scheduled to Clemson and Florida State.
Defensive Line
#2 DT Corey Grant :: Miami, FL :: UF, FSU, UCF, MTSU, MIA
#10 DE Evan Pierce :: Miami, FL :: FSU, BUFFALO, MIA
#21 DE Jon Moss :: Connersville, IN :: STAN, MIA, CAL, WASH, BC
#35 DE Tyler Beard :: Oregon City, OR :: MIA, UF, CLEM, MSU, USC
This is when the number's game of college football kicks in. Let's say Miami gets a quarterback, a running back, three receivers in the form of Kent, Johnson and Barr and they land three offensive linemen along with tight end Kevin Sanders. They're already at nine commits and if the number is twelve, they now have three scholarships for the entire defense.
Nevertheless, Corey Grant is a take even if it isn't a position of need and so is Evan Pierce. Should Miami strike out, which is looking more like a reality, Miami could maybe take Moss or Beard but that should be it. They can't afford to reach for another player at a position that's not a need when they only have few scholarship offers.
Miami's been consistently losing ground on Grant and with a Florida visit scheduled before his visit to Miami, there' s a chance he never gets to Coral Gables.
Linebackers
None
Kevin Jones and Sam Brooks provide stability at the position for the next two seasons. Reload up next cycle.
Defensive backs
#1 FS Rashaad Jackson :: Miami, FL :: UGA, UF, OLD DOMINION, USF, MIA
#1 SS Kevin Whitlock :: Millsboro, DE :: MIA, USC, ARK, UCLA, CAL
#9 CB Chris Martinez :: Miami, FL :: FSU, MIA
#39 CB Kellen Daniel (juco) :: Pleasanto, TX :: LSU, TEXAS, OU, TAMU, MIAMI
Florida State is pulling away with Martinez, the four-star corner, and Miami's grip on Rashaad Jackson is slipping as it is now looking like a toss up between Florida and Georgia.
If Miami strikes out on both of them, Whitlock should be their only signee at the position. They have talent with Christian Williams and Te'Cory Couch, two sophomores, at corner and true freshmen Donald Washington and E.J. Bryant. Signing just one defensive back allows them to leave space for a Beard at defensive line or maybe an extra receiver or running back.
If Jackson and Martinez change their minds, then yes, they should take three defensive backs -- all four-stars and above -- and figure out the numbers come signing day but even with an intriguing JUCO prospect like Daniel at corner, they can't take the risk.