DJ Jacobs is the No. 1 EDGE rusher in the 2027 high school class and the No. 8 player in the country, and though the Roswell, Georgia native has committed to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over Miami, his recruitment is far from over. After knocking off Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal, Mario Cristobal and his staff might be gaining ground on the recruiting trail.
Jacob’s was impressed with Miami’s win, and more specifically, the play of the Hurricanes’ defensive line. Miami’s five sacks of Julian Sayin clearly made a statement to the top recruit. “Miami gets after it. A lot of pressures and a lot of sacks,” Jacobs told 247Canes as he reacted to the Cotton Bowl.
Miami looks to be gaining ground on Ohio State for DJ Jacobs with Cotton Bowl win
Immediately following his Ohio State commitment, Jacobs left the door open for Miami, Texas A&M, and Georgia to stay in the mix, saying, “Recruiting is never over, so we’ll see who really wants me and who will fight for me. Ohio State is a top program, Miami is a great school and I feel very valued by them. You have Georgia and A&M, too.”
While he mentioned four schools, at this point in his recruiting, it sounds as though it’s a two-team race for Jacobs between the Buckeyes and the Hurricanes. As for Miami’s pursuit, it’s not a surprise that he feels valued by Cristobal and his staff because, maybe more than any other coach in the country, Cristobal builds his rosters through the trenches.
It wasn’t just the Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State that was catalyzed by the play of superstar edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, and future first-round NFL Draft pick offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa; it’s been Miami’s entire turnaround under Cristobal.
With Mesidor out of eligibility after this season and Bain expected to head to the NFL with Mauigoa, the Hurricanes will need to reload at the edge position. 2025 five-star Hayden Lowe could be next up on the edge for Corey Heatherman’s defense, and 2026 five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell is the ideal Mauigoa replacement.
To continue to win the same way, that pipeline needs to be replenished every year. Jacobs could be that foundation piece of the 2027 class, and it seems as though he is coming around to how important to Cristobal he could be if he flips to Miami before next year’s early signing period. Still, the NIL package will need to reflect that value to pry him away from the Buckeyes.