Miami and Mario Cristobal flip 3-star LB previously committed to Rutgers

JJ Edwards, a 6′2″, 205‑lb linebacker from Edgewater High School (Orlando, FL), has flipped his commitment from Rutgers to the Miami Hurricanes. He confirmed the move on X for On3.

The commitment comes following an official visit over the weekend. Edwards' film shows a disciplined and instinctive player who reads the field well, avoids getting tied up by blockers, and has shown impressive speed in space. On3 lists him as the nation’s No. 53 LB and the No. 92 player in Florida. He is a three-star prospect with an On3 Industry Ranking of 87.13. Edwards becomes the sixth 3-star recruit for the Hurricanes in the class of 2026. He joins IOL Rhys Woodrow, IOL JJ Sparks, IOL Canon Pickett, IOL Joel Ervin and DL Tyson Bacon. The rest of the class is made up of blue-chip recruits including Jackson Cantwell who is one of the top prospects in the country.

He ran a verified 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the Under Armour camp, and reports say he holds his own with receivers while still effectively shedding blocks in the run game. Miami's defensive staff, specifically DC Corey Hetherman, were reportedly sold after watching his film and seeing his skill set firsthand. A fun coincidence is that Hetherman also brought in transfer LB Mohamed Toure from Rutgers. Hetherman coached Toure briefly during his time at Rutgers before taking the job at Miami.

This flip marks Miami’s 14th commit in their evolving 2026 class and strengthens their LB room, alongside earlier commit Jordan Campbell. Campbell is a four-star prospect and is rated as the No. 9 LB in the 2026 class, per On3. The Hurricanes 2026 class remains one of the best in the nation as they still sit inside the top 10 at No. 9. Miami is also second in the ACC, only behind Clemson.