The Miami Hurricanes got off to an incredible start with their 2016 recruiting class and are looking to maintain this recruiting momentum all the way through February of 2016. South Florida is loaded with stars for 2016, especially at the skill positions. 42 of the prospects listed in the first ESPN300 rankings for 2016 are from Florida with nearly 20 being from Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach. To help keep tabs on the Miami Hurricanes’ 2016 class, here is a complete list with a breakdown and film on each of the current defensive commits as well as the total class and player rankings according to each major recruiting site.
You can view the Offensive Class Overview here.
This post will be continuously updated as rankings, stats, film and commits change throughout the recruiting process.
2016 Recruiting Class Ranking:
Rivals: Not yet released
247Sports: 1st overall
ESPN: Not yet released
18 total commits: 6 offensive commits, 12 defensive commits
(Players listed in alphabetical order, not by ranking)
6’0-195 Tyler Byrd: Athlete, Naples High School in Naples, Florida
Rivals: 4-star
247Sports: 4-Star
ESPN: 4-star
Other Offers: Florida
Byrd was a Florida commit until early February, when he flipped to The Canes. Tyler Byrd is an incredible athlete that can be used in many ways, but will likely be a corner at the next level. Byrd is a speedy guy and has good cover skills. ESPN ranks Byrd as the number 8 athlete in the country and the 104th best overall recruit in the country. Byrd would be a great addition to the Canes secondary and would bring great range and athleticism. Byrd finished his junior year with 64yds rushing and 228yds and 3TDs receiving, to go along with 46 tackles and 2 interceptions.
You can view his HUDL page here.
6’1-205 Devin Gil: Safety, Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: Louisville, Marshall, Temple and more
Devin Gil is a very talented and versatile prospect. He has the size and athleticism to play both safety and linebacker. When Flanagan lost linebackers to injuries late in the season, Gil moved up from safety and played very well at middle linebacker in the playoffs. Gil is very aggressive and a big time hitter. He can cover and roam deep as a safety and walk up and be a physical run stopper at the line of scrimmage. Devin Gil finished his junior season with 64 tackles and 4 interceptions.
You can view Devin Gil’s highlights here.
6’5-220 Evan Hinson: Defensive End, Deltona High School in Deltona, Florida
Rivals: 3-Star
247Sports: 4-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: South Florida, Iowa State
Evan Hinson is coming to Miami as a two sport athlete. Hinson excels both at football and basketball and has stated that he will be allowed to play both at Miami. Hinson plays receiver and defensive end in high school, but most project him to predominantly be a defensive end at the college level. Hinson has great height, athletic ability, and a good frame. He will likely get to 240+ pounds in college if he wants to play defensive end. Hinson was able to get into the backfield often last year and finished his junior season with 15 tackles for loss and 5 sacks.
You can view Evan Hinson’s highlights here.
6’2-190 Deion Jackson: Cornerback, Hallandale High School in Hallandale, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: Temple
Deion Jackson has great size and is extremely fluid. He is clearly one of the most talented corners in the state and will quickly blow up once his senior season starts. Jackson is coming off of an injury and is already back to dominating on the 7-on-7 and camp circuit with The South Florida Express, arguably the best 7-on-7 team in the nation. Jackson has the ideal length and athleticism that Miami is looking for in a corner. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jackson will have 20+ big time offers by the time it is all said and done. Jackson doesn’t have junior stats or film due to the significant amount of time he missed while injured.
6’5-245 Joseph Jackson: Defensive End, Gulliver High School in Miami, Florida
Rivals: 4-star
247Sports: 4-Star
ESPN: 4-star
Other Offers: Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State and many more
Joseph Jackson is an elite pass rusher off the edge. At 6’5-245, he has incredible speed and strength and can get to the QB at will. Jackson is arguably the most physically dominant player in the Miami Hurricanes’ 2016 class. He is an absolute freak that can blow up running plays in the backfield, destroy QBs and dominate an opposing offense. Although Jackson is a 4-star on all three major sites, he is rated as a top 7 defensive end in the country by Rivals and 247Sports, while ESPN somehow has him as the 18th best defensive end. I think ESPN may need to update his ranking again. Perhaps the most interesting part of Jackson’s highlights is when he lines up at receiver and runs by defensive backs.
You can view Joseph Jackson’s highlights here.
6’3-220 Zach McCloud: Linebacker, Santaluces High School in Lantana, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 4-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and more
McCloud is a fast, athletic, and physical linebacker. He has good speed and loves to attack down hill. I spoke to McCloud when he first committed and he told me that he always plays angry. That angry play shows in his huge hits and numerous forced fumbles. McCloud has the physicality to stop the run, but is also able to use his athleticism in coverage. Zach McCloud finished his junior year with 119 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 9 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries.
You can view Zach McCloud’s junior highlights here.
6’1-215 Michael Pinckney: Linebacker, Raines High School in Jacksonville, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: 3-Star
Other Offers: Florida, Louisville, Nebraska, Tennessee and more
Michael Pinckney was the first player to commit to the Canes for 2016 all the way back on June 21, 2014. Pinckney is a very solid all-around linebacker. He attacks at the line of scrimmage and is an extremely good tackler. He diagnoses plays very quickly and wastes no time getting to the ball carrier. Pinckney is rated as the #11 Inside Linebacker in the country by 247sports. He finished his junior season with over 75 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
You can view Michael Pinckney’s highlights here.
6’1-230 Shaquille Quarterman: Linebacker, Oakleaf High School in Orange Park, Florida
Rivals: 4-star
247Sports: 4-Star
ESPN: 4-star
Other Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Clemson, Georgia and many more
Shaquille Quarterman is currently the highest rated defensive player in Miami’s 2016 class and rightfully so. Quarterman is one of the most physically developed linebackers you will see at the high school level and has great instincts to go along with it. I spoke with just a few weeks ago about his game and the recruiting process. Quarterman has incredible strength and speed and will wreak havoc in the middle of Miami’s defense. ESPN has Quarterman ranked as the #2 linebacker in the country, Rivals has him at #5 and 247Sports has him at #3. Shquille Quarterman finished his junior year with 137 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
You can view Shaquille Quarterman’s big production, Miami/Uncle Luke themed highlight film here and his full HUDL Junior year highlights here.
6’1-215 Greg Simmons: Linebacker, Fort Pierce Central High School in Fort Pierce, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: Cincinnati, Maryland, Kentucky and more
Simmons loves to attacks and is a very physical linebacker at 6’1-215. He is all over the field and can rack up a ton of tackles. Simmons compares his style to Sean Spence and tries to model his game after him. Both are scrappy linebackers with real high motors. Simmons has good speed for a linebacker and can make plays sideline to sideline. Simmons rushed from the edge often this past season and was able to get to the quarterback very often. Greg Simmons finished his junior year with 90 tackles, 10 sacks, and 1 interception.
You can view Greg Simmons’ highlights here.
6’3-215 Joshua Uche: Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: Florida Atlantic, Bowling Green, and Marshall
Joshua Uche has the size and athleticism to play both Outside Linebacker and Defensive End. Uche is incredibly quick off the edge and had 8.5 sacks for Columbus last season. Uche also played some linebacker last season and has the size and aggressiveness to attack down hill as well as the speed and agility to drop into coverage. He will continue to get bigger and has the frame to continue to add muscle. Uche was a play maker for Columbus on defense this past season and has the versatility and skill set to continue making plays at the next level.
You can view Joshua Uche’s junior highlights here.
5’11-180 James Wiggins: Cornerback, South Dade High School in Homestead, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: NR
Other Offers: None yet
James Wiggins plays Wide Receiver, Corner, and Safety at South Dade, but the Canes are recruiting him primarily as a Defensive Back. Wiggins has good speed and size at 5’11-180 and is a pure play maker. Wiggins has a very impressive build and many have compared his frame to that of Antrel Rolle. Wiggins has very good ball skills for a corner and has improved them even further by playing receiver in high school. Wiggins’ offensive stats were not released, but he finished with 56 tackles and 2 interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.
You can view James Wiggins’ highlights here.
5’9-180 Cedrick Wright: Safety, Gulliver High School in Miami, Florida
Rivals: 3-star
247Sports: 3-Star
ESPN: 4-Star
Other Offers: Ohio State, Tennessee, West Virginia and more
Cedrick Wright is not the biggest safety prospect in size, but he is constantly around the ball. Wright is often called “The Honey Badger 2.0″. Wright is a ball-hawk in the secondary and is a player that can really change a game in the blink of an eye. He reads QBs well and is always in position to make a play on the ball. Wright is also very physical and can play well up near the line of scrimmage. He is a very strong tackler. Wright finished his junior year with 82 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
You can view Cedrick Wright’s highlights here.