Miami football named top 13 for top 25 safety Jardin Gilbert

The Miami football program was named as one of the top 13 schools that four-star safety Jardin Gilbert from Baton Rouge is considering. The baker’s dozen includes five SEC schools and Florida State but not LSU.

Four-star safety Jardin Gilbert named the Miami football program as one of 13 finalists where he is considering playing college football. Gilbert is the 24th ranked safety, 429th ranked player overall and 12th ranked player in Louisiana in the Class of 2020. Five SEC schools and Florida State highlight his finalists with Miami.

Baylor, Memphis, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and Auburn are the other programs that Gilbert is considering besides the two Florida ACC Schools. Miami has yet to receive a commitment from a safety in the 2020 class but has two cornerbacks.

None of the 13 schools that Gilbert listed as his finalists are listed as warm according to his 247 Sports profile. Gilbert was upgraded to a four-stars last month. At 6’1, 175 pounds, Gilbert is the type of rangy defensive back preferred by Miami head coach Manny Diaz and co-defensive coordinators Blake Baker and Ephraim Banda.

Banda would also be Gilbert’s position coach, doubling as the safeties coach for Miami. Miami signed four safeties in 2020. That makes it less of a priority in 2021 with the possibility the Hurricanes will only add one or two more. Miami has offers out to 22 safeties total with a handful still warm on the Hurricanes.

Four-star safety Kamren Kitchens from Miami Northwestern and three-star Caden Fordham from Jacksonville are both are highly considering the Miami Hurricanes. Top 10 safeties, local products, James Williams and Corey Collier and Terrion Arnold of Tallahassee are players Miami is considering but will be longshots to sign.

Avanate Williams who was the top-ranked signee for Miami in 2020 was the second-ranked safety nationally in the class is the future for Miami at the position. Miami is deep in 2020 with rising senior Amari Carter and rising juniors Gurvan Hall, and Bubba Bolden who redshirted at USC in 2018.

In addition to losing Carter after the 2020 season, Hall and Bolden are both eligible to enter the NFL draft. Adding the four safeties in the 2020 signing class was critical. Williams should contribute in 2020 even with the depth of Carter, Hall and Bolden. Hall was the leader in tackles in 2019 for Miami among returnees.