Local 5-star WR opens door for Miami to make another run at him

With the early signing period already underway, Miami is in a position to be a candidate for some blue-chip prospects that could flip from their original commitments. 

One of the biggest targets out there is four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell. There have been links to Russell, who attends Miami Northwestern High School, and the Hurricanes for over two years. Russell surprised many by committing to Syracuse over the summer, but Miami has always been in the picture despite conflicting reports from recruiting "experts" over the past month.

Now comes word that Russell will not sign with the Orange today. 

Miami is not the only one in pursuit of Russell

The Hurricanes are definitely sitting pretty right now with Russell having second thoughts and with him living right down the street from campus. But if Russell isn't going to Syracuse, he's going to explore every option available to him. 

Another school being mentioned as a possible fit is Michigan. The Wolverines are in desperate need of playmakers on offense and they've targeted Russell as a potential late flip. There's another kicker here: Michigan basketball coach Dusty May offered Russell two years ago when he was the coach at Florida Atlantic. Russell is interested in playing both football and basketball and Michigan is more than willing to give him that option. 

"Two teams to watch, and again he may very well end up at Syracuse, but there are some teams making this interesting," 247Sports' Tom Loy said. " Michigan, with the opportunity to play both sports, basketball and football, and Miami, which he visited basically for every home game this year."

The recruiting people really like Russell

Russell is an interesting prospect because the tools are so intriguing. He's 6-foot-4 with high-end athleticism that makes him a legitimate prospect in multiple sports. Miami has the potential to put an amazing offense on the field over the next few years. Adding an outside piece like Russell is the type of move that could put the Hurricanes over the top. 

"When you see him play, there's something different about his game. He has all the tools to be a dude on the outside," 247Sports recruiting evaluator Andrew Ivins said. 

Loy added that Russell is still expected to sign this week, but probably not Wednesday.