Miami football and Mario Cristobal building IMG Academy pipeline
The commitment from five-star edge rusher Jayden Wayne to the Miami football program is the third for the Hurricanes in the class of 2023 from an IMG Academy prospect. Miami previously received commitments from five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and four-star tight end Riley Williams.
Wayne transferred from Tacoma, Washington Lincoln to IMG Academy for his senior season in 2022. Williams was previously at Portland, Oregon Central Catholic before his transfer to IMG for the 2022-23 school year. Mauigoa is originally from American Samoa and also prepped at Aquinas High School in San Bernardino, California.
Miami previously signed four-star tight end Jaleel Skinner in the Class of 2022 from IMG Academy. Wide receiver Michael Redding III is entering his third season in the Miami football program after playing at IMG. Miami cornerback Luis Gutierrez and long snapper Gabe Landers also played at IMG.
IMG finished the 2021 season ranked 13th nationally. Building a pipeline to IMG is important for any elite college football program. IMG recruits the best high school athletes in the country and provides them with far greater instruction than they received at their former high schools. Players at IMG generally will develop faster.
That's three IMG Academy commits for Mario Cristobal and Miami this cycle, and all three are blue-chip talents.#GoCanes signed three IMG recruits between the 2018-22 classes.
— All Hurricanes (@AllHurricanes) July 9, 2022
Mauigoa, Wayne and Williams are three of the top four commits to Miami in the Class of 2023. Mauigoa is the ninth-ranked player nationally, the top OT and third in Florida in the Class of 2023. Wayne is 30th, the fifth-ranked edge rusher and ninth in Florida. Williams is 66th, the second-ranked TE and 15th in Florida.
Mauigoa and Wayne make up the second time in three recruiting classes that Miami projects to have two five-star signees. Miami signed defensive tackle Leonard Taylor and safety James Williams as five-star prospects in the Class of 2021. The Hurricanes 2023 class currently ranks ninth overall nationally.
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With several players expected to commit through the end of July Miami has a good chance to break into the top five 2023 classes by the end of the month. Miami is only .01 behind Notre Dame and Tennessee for the seventh-ranked 2023 class. This is currently the highest-ranked Miami class since 2018 when they finished eighth.