Many of the headliners from Miami’s national championship game run this season were big-money transfers like Carson Beck, Keionte Scott, and Keelon Marion, but Mario Cristobal built The U back into a force through high school recruiting. The 2026 recruiting cycle saw Cristobal and his staff land their third top 10 class in the country since taking over the program, and with a strong early start, the 2027 group is shaping up to be another elite collection of talent.
Currently with four commits in place, all four from Florida, Cristobal is taking the fight up north to another historic powerhouse: Notre Dame. On Friday, Miami officially offered Notre Dame four-star commit Ace Alston, the No. 11 cornerback in the country according to 247Sports Composite and the 117th overall player.
Alston announced the offer on his social media. He committed to the Fighting Irish in early December but has plenty of time to rethink as his senior season is still months away.
🙏🏾 Blessed to be offered by @CanesFootball 💯 Thank you @ZacEtheridge4 and @CoachWillHarris for the opportunity 🥷🏝️@CoachEvanDreyer pic.twitter.com/rDq4eiEgGK
— Ashton “Ace” Alston (@acemoney_6) January 30, 2026
Miami offers 2027 4-star DB Ace Alston in hopes to flip his commitment from Notre Dame
The Cincinnati, Ohio, native took a number of unofficial visits in the fall before ultimately committing to the Irish. He visited Ohio State, Missouri, USC, Penn State, and Tennessee, along with multiple reported trips to South Bend. Many of those programs were included in his initial top 10 while Miami was completely off his radar. Now, the Hurricanes are in the race.
As focus is shifting off the 2026 recruiting class and the Transfer Portal, which reached something of a conclusion, at least in terms of major dominoes falling, with Miami officially signing Darian Mensah and Cooper Barkate from Duke, Cristobal is seemingly shifting attention to building out his 2027 class.
It’ll be an uphill battle for Miami to flip Alston’s commitment after entering the fray this late in the cycle, but money talks, and currently, The U is flush with cash. The ACC, unlike other Power 4 conferences, allows whichever of its member programs earns bonuses for advancing in the College Football Playoff to keep all of the money. For Miami, which won its way from the No. 10 seed to the title game, that meant $20 million.
Much of that money has been spent on a portal class that now includes Mensah, a high-priced quarterback, and his top wide receiver. But $20 million on top of the over $20 million revenue-sharing cap allotment from the House Settlement and whatever outside NIL fund Miami generates means the Canes could be in the early stages of assembling another top 10 or even top 5 class in 2027. Maybe, Alston will be a part of it.