Jai Lucas officially lands 5-star forward as new era continues for Miami Hurricanes

On Wednesday, Miami officially signed five-star forward Caleb Gaskins to its 2026 recruiting class, locking in a local blue-chip talent viewed as one of the top prospects in the country.

Gaskins, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward from Miami's Christopher Columbus High School, is ranked No. 9 nationally by Rivals, No. 16 by ESPN and No. 23 by 247Sports. In the 247Sports Composite, he becomes the second-highest rated recruit in Miami program history.

Five-Star Forward Caleb Gaskins

As a junior, Gaskins helped Columbus win a Florida Class 7A state title and the Chipotle Nationals championship, averaging 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds on a 30-3 team. On the Nike EYBL circuit with Nightrydas Elite, he posted 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds across 15 games, then elevated his play at Peach Jam with 20.0 points and 10.2 boards while shooting nearly 60 percent inside the arc.

The Melbourne, Florida, native has also been a regular presence with USA Basketball, participating in multiple junior national team minicamps since 2022, serving as a finalist for the 2024 U17 squad and earning an invite to the 2025 U19 national team training camp.

Gaskins took official visits to Florida and Texas A&M and scheduled an official to Ole Miss before ultimately choosing the Hurricanes.

The Jai Lucas Era in Miami

For Miami, the signing shows how quickly Lucas has changed the program's recruiting. In less than a year on the job, he has now signed three of the top 12 recruits in school history in Gaskins, freshman wing Shelton Henderson and guard Dante Allen. With Gaskins as the headliner and only early signee so far, Miami's 2026 class already sits among the best in the nation.

Miami is currently 4-1 after their most recent win over Elon, 99-72. The Hurricanes face Delaware State on Sunday, Nov. 23 and then play BYU on Thanksgiving Day.