Miami might have a real shot with the nation's top junior running back. McKeesport (Pa.) five-star Kemon Spell, the No. 1 RB in the 2027 class, reopened his recruitment this weekend with Miami in the mix, and a school he wants to visit this fall. His decision came on the heels of Penn State firing head coach James Franklin after a three-game skid.
Spell had been the longest-tenured pledge in Penn State's 2027 class, committing in August 2024. He decommitted Sunday which was the same day that Franklin was fired. He is now considering a national slate of powers that includes Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, USC, Florida State and Tennessee, with multiple fall trips under consideration but no Miami date set yet.
Miami's pitch is led by running backs coach Matt Merritt, who joined Mario Cristobal's staff in 2024 and is in his second season coaching the position.
On the field, Spell brings the production of a true five-star prospect. As a sophomore in 2024 he carried the ball 157 times for 1,681 yards (10.7 per carry) and 24 touchdowns for a McKeesport team that reached the WPIAL Class 4A final. He added 280- and 274-yard rushing games in the playoffs and has posted an 11.17 second time in the 100 meters.
Spell attended Ohio State's season-opening win over then-No. 1 Texas on Aug. 30 in Columbus. The Buckeyes won a 14–7 defensive slugfest over the Longhorns and that could have potentially left an impression.
Franklin's dismissal — announced by Penn State on Oct. 12 — has already reverberated through the Nittany Lions' future classes and shows how much stability at the head coaching position impacts recruiting. Luckily for Miami, that doesn't seem to be a worry in the near future (knock on wood), so hopefully that can sway Spell.