Miami Hurricanes included in top 10 for 4-star IOL in Class of 2027

Four-star interior offensive lineman Jackson Roper, a Cherry Creek High standout from Englewood, Colo., has trimmed his recruitment to 10 schools.

Roper's top group includes Miami alongside Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC.

Four-star IOL Jackson Roper includes Miami in top 10

The big man comes in at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds. 247Sports has him rated as the No. 160 overall prospect in the 2027 class and the No. 7 interior offensive line recruit nationally, along with being the top player in Colorado. On3's industry rankings have him No. 239 overall, No. 14 at IOL, and No. 1 in Colorado.

Roper is already starting to map out visits. He has official visits scheduled for USC (May 29), Ohio State (June 12) and Oregon (June 19), with additional trips still being set. On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine currently leans heavily toward Texas A&M as the favorite.

Miami can sell NFL development on the O-line

It's no secret that under Mario Cristobal the Miami Hurricanes are built in the trenches. But, in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft, the validation will be tough to ignore.

Left tackle Markel Bell, guard Anez Cooper and right tackle Francis Mauigoa are each heading to the NFL combine.

Mauigoa is projected as high as a top-five pick, with Bell and Cooper fighting to raise their draft stock. Center James Brockermeyer was not invited to the NFL combine, but he will still get plenty of looks from NFL teams. All four players are practically guaranteed to sign with an NFL roster.

That's four guys on the offensive line from last year's team that are headed to the NFL. Any young recruit will love to see that, and it also shows that there might be some spots open in the future as Miami will need to replace four out of five starting offensive linemen.