Mario Cristobal and Miami goes 2-for-2 after 4-star LB commits to the Hurricanes

Four-star linebacker AJ Randle continued a terrific Thursday for Mario Cristobal with his commitment to Miami in a live ceremony Thursday evening. Randle made his pledge to the Hurricanes over a final group that included Florida, South Carolina, NC State, Georgia and Ohio State. 

Earlier in the day, four-star offensive lineman Jatori Williams made a surprise commitment to the Hurricanes. He had originally planned to make his announcement Friday, but moved the decision date back to July 4. However, Williams couldn't wait any longer and Randle wasn't too far behind. With both players in the fold, Miami now has 15 commitments in the 2027 recruiting class.

"He's a freak show. He might be the fastest linebacker in the class. He's got a hurdling background. He's got a track background," 247Sports recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins said. "For Miami fans, they need to think about Chase Smith, who has been there in Coral Gables, a big, athletic linebacker, and AJ is much further along than Chase Smith was at this stage. He is a former safety that moved into the box. He can play in space, he can sift through traffic, and really he can pin his ears back and go get the quarterback. A huge pickup for Miami. 

4-star LB AJ Randle commits to the Miami Hurricanes

Randle's commitment bolsters the Hurricanes class to the verge of a top-five national ranking. Both Randle and Williams have scheduled official visits to Coral Gables for June 5. Randle, who has already taken a visit to South Carolina, said that the Miami commitment will effectively shut down his recruitment. In the preview of his commitment, Randle told 247Sports' Anna Adams that the coaching staff and the experience for student-athletes was something that stood out for Adams at Miami. 

"It's one of the best atmospheres I've been in with the coaching staff. It's a great community in Coral Gables. They've got really good support both athletically and academically for their student-athletes," Randle said.

Randle is the first linebacker commit in the class, and it's a position that Miami will focus more of its efforts on over the next several weeks of official visits. The Hurricanes will look to solidify their status as favorites for four-star in-state linebacker Kaden Henderson when he takes his official visit next weekend. Also scheduled for a May 29 visit is four-star linebacker Noiah Glover, who has Miami, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Georgia in his final group. Cristobal is hoping to make a strong impression on Glover, who will make a final decision after his officials. 

Randle's commitment continues a hot stretch for the Hurricanes that included the pledge of four-star cornerback Donte Wright, who flipped from Georgia last Sunday and in-state edge rusher Jayvon Dawson. 

I like how Miami is building out this defensive class," Ivins added. "They are going to pair him with Jayvon Dawson. These are two big, athletic guys that look like they belong in the SEC. The coaches are Miami are recruiting a certain type of individual and these type of guys are going to keep them in the mix for multiple College Football Playoff appearances."

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