The commitment of four-star safety J.J. Dunnigan on Sunday and three-star edge rusher DeAnthony Lafayette on Monday vaulted Miami past Michigan and into the top 10 2026 classes in the 247Sports composite rankings. Miami now has 273.90 recruiting points to 273.62 for Michigan.
Texas is ninth in the 247Sports composite rankings with 285.41 points. After the additions of Dunnigan and Lafayette, Miami has a commitment from offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell as the only five-star prospect in the 2026 Miami class, 18 four-star players and eight three-stars.
The 19 blue-chip (four and five-star) commits in the 2026 Miami class are the fifth most nationally. USC and Georgia, the top two 2026 classes, plus Notre Dame and Texas A&M, lead with 22 blue-chip commits.
Dunnigan is the third-highest rated 2026 Miami commit and the top-ranked defensive player. Lafayette is the first edge rusher committed to Miami in the 2026 class. Edge rusher Rueben Bain is expected to leave Miami for the 2026 NFL Draft and Akheem Mesidor will be out of eligibility at the end of the 2025 season.
Expect Miami to add transfers if Lafayette is the only 2026 commit at edge rusher. Three-star DL Isaac Chukwurah, currently committed to Penn State, has 247Sports crystal balls from 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Brian Dohn and Gaby Urrutia of Inside the U projecting him to flip to Miami.
If Miami finishes in the top 10 classes nationally, it would be the third top 10 class that the Hurricanes have signed under Mario Cristobal during the full recruiting cycle. Miami signed the seventh-ranked 2023 class nationally, the fourth-best class in 2024 and was 14th in the 2025 247Sports composite rankings.
Miami has always closed strong under Cristobal. Chukwurah might not be the only flip Miami has over the next month. The early national signing period is from December 3-5. Miami should be active and make headlines when the 2026 class becomes official.