Miami football getting close to commit from 5-star DT Leonard Taylor

The Miami football program is getting close to receiving a commitment from five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor when he announces his collegiate destination August 6.

Five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor would be the cornerstone of the 2021 recruiting class for the Miami football program is he announces to the Hurricanes on August 6. A report from Andrew Ivins of Inside the U on Saturday stated that Taylor could be leaning towards committing to Miami next month.

Taylor is the 28th ranked player, third-ranked defensive tackle and sixth-ranked player in Florida in the Class of 2021. A commitment from Taylor would vault Miami into the top 10 and ahead of the Gators in the national recruiting rankings for 2021. Wide receiver Romello Brinson is currently the highest-ranked Miami 2021 commit.

The report from Ivins about Taylor getting closer to committing to Miami came from a larger article projecting a mock 2021 recruiting class for the Hurricanes. In most scenarios receiving a commitment from Taylor would make him the jewel of the class. Miami is still recruiting five-star defensive athlete James Williams.

Manny Diaz and his staff have positioned themselves in a good place with multiple five-star recruits. After a 6-7 season in 2019, the Hurricanes have quickly recovered on the recruiting trail. Players like Taylor and Williams naming the Hurricanes among their finalists is a good omen for the future.

"“DT Leonard Taylor – I’m not ready to move my 247Sports’ Crystal Ball forecast over to Miami just yet for the nation’s No. 1 ranked defensive tackle according 247Sports, but I have heard enough things over the past couple of days that suggest he’s leaning towards the Hurricanes, which is why he’s in the mock.Taylor is set to announce a commitment Aug. 6th on CBS HQ. Miami and Florida are the two finalists. The Gators have long been viewed as the team to beat for Taylor, but Diaz’s assistants seem to have found a way to make up plenty of ground over the past few weeks.”"

Ivins’ above assessment indicates that Miami is moving in the right direction to receive a commitment from Taylor. If Taylor does commit to Miami he would be a huge help to continue to add more top-flight talent. Players want to play with other great players. The 2021 recruiting class could alleviate pressure on Diaz.

Miami has had an exceptional spring and summer recruiting. The inability of college football programs nationally to get on the road has aided the Hurricanes staff as the majority of the 2021 Miami recruiting class if from Dade and Broward counties. Adding Taylor would make the 2021 Miami recruiting class elite.