Miami football averages 15th best recruiting class from 2017-21

The Miami football program averaged the 15th best-signing class over the last five years according to Chip Patterson of CBS Sports. The average Miami signing class over the last five seasons was 14.8. Miami was second in the ACC behind Clemson who was fifth, Notre Dame was 12th.

Miami signed the 13th ranked class in 2017, eighth in 2018, 28th in 2019, 13th in 2020 and 12th in 2021. The Hurricanes are just one of 22 FBS programs nationally to sign a class ranked in the top 25 in each of the past five recruiting cycles. Florida State who ranked 17th and North Carolina who was 21st were other ACC teams listed.

The examination by Patterson is solely based on how signees were rated and ranked coming out of high school. In the 247 Sports 2020 College Football Team Talent Composite Miami finished 18th with Clemson fourth, Notre Dame eighth and Florida State 16th. With the class Miami signed in 2021, those numbers should improve.

Patterson named three teams that were trending up and down. Miami was not one of those teams. Florida State was named one of the programs trending down in recruiting. The Seminoles recruiting classes descending and the ascension of Texas A&M trending up coincided with Jimbo Fisher leaving Tallahassee for College Station.

The five-year rankings compare close to the 2021 signing classes. Twelve of the top 15 classes in 2021 matched the top 15 programs over a five-year period. The only teams not in the 2021 top 15 who have been over the last five seasons were Auburn, Penn State and Texas.

Miami finished with the 15th best class averaged over the last five years despite signing the 28th best class in 2019. The 2018 Miami signing class was the worst of any of the programs that finished in the top 17 programs in the five-year average. Manny Diaz has signed the 13th and 12th best classes over the last two cycles.