The Miami football program has the highest-ranked 2020 recruiting class in the country for teams that finished with a losing record in 2019. Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Ephraim Banda was ranked the top-recruiter in the ACC Coastal.
The surprising addition of four-star safety Avantae Williams during National Signing Day on Wednesday vaulted the 2020 Miami football signing class from 18th early in the day to 13th in the final rankings. Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Ephraim Banda led the recruitment of Williams.
Banda finished the 2020 recruiting cycle as the 14th best recruiter in the country and tops in the ACC Coastal according to the 247 rankings. Banda finished with an average player rating of 91.45 and 72.25 total points. Banda was credited with six of the Hurricanes signees for 2020. Four signees were four-stars and two, two stars.
The four-star Miami signees Banda is credit with getting to sign a National Letter of Intent with Miami are Williams, running back Don Chaney Jr., safety Jalen Harrell, defensive lineman Elijah Roberts, and three-star safeties Keshawn Washington and Brian Balom.
Banda is the highest-ranked recruiter for Miami since Micheal Barrow in 2014. Barrow also finished 14th in that recruiting cycle when he was credited with 12 signees. The former Hurricanes linebacker went on became the Seattle Seahawks linebackers coach from 2015-17.
Barrow held the same position as well as being the Hurricanes’ special teams coach from 2007-13 under Randy Shannon.
Head coach Manny Diaz gave Banda credit for securing the National Letter of Intent from Williams for the Miami football program. A four-year relationship between Banda and Diaz with Willams was the difference in signing the four-star safety per all three. Diaz discussed Banda’s hard work during an NSD press conference.
"“We’ve known Avantae since the summer coming out of eighth grade…This is a four-year relationship. I’ve got to give all the credit to Coach Banda, who never gave up on him, but there was just a feeling that Avantae was a Cane at heart. In recruiting, you just get to know these guys.There’s something about him that he just fit in here.”"
The 2021 Miami football recruiting class is off to a good start. The Hurricanes currently rank ninth nationally, second in the ACC and first in the Coastal Division. The average signee for the 2020 Miami class is 89.97. The 2021 class is 87.69. Banda is credited with getting commits for Miami from two players in the 2021 cycle.
Four-star defensive tackle Savion Collins and three-star outside linebacker Tyler Johnson committed to Miami as the result of the hard work of Banda. Collins is the 222nd ranked player 17th ranked DT, and 32nd in Florida. Johnson is 385th, 27th and 56th.