Miami making a serious move to flip 4-star Georgia commit this weekend

Minkah Fitzpatrick played for Kirby Smart when he was the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban, so with Saban retired, his younger brother, 2026 four-star defensive back recruit Justice Fitzpatrick, committed to the Bulldogs. However, with Minkah back where he started his NFL career, in Miami, after an offseason trade from the Steelers, Justice might consider sharing Hard Rock Stadium with his All-Pro older brother. 

Justice Fitzpatrick was in Miami Gardens for the Hurricanes' Week 1 win over Notre Dame, and now with DJ Lagway and the Florida Gators coming to town in Week 4, he’ll be back on the sidelines for another official visit with the program. 

Justice Fitzpatrick scheduled for another gameday visit with Mario Cristobal’s Hurricanes

Fitzpatrick has not shut down his recruitment, and with early signing day still months away for the 2026 recruiting class, Mario Cristobal has stayed hot on the trail of some of the class’s top players. Fitzpatrick is the 43rd-ranked player in the country according to 247Sports Composite, and the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native is the 4th-ranked cornerback. 

Miami has also recently made a push for four-star edge rusher Ronelle Johnson, who is committed to Indiana, and four-star Michigan defensive lineman commit Alister Vallejo. Those flip pursuits have had mixed results thus far, but Cristobal seems to be making the greatest headway with Fitzpatrick, who would immediately become the second-highest-rated player in Miami’s 2026 class, which ranks 12th in the country. 

Cristobal’s philosophy on the recruiting trail has always been to build through the trenches, and that’s been reflected in this year’s roster, which is dominant on both lines of scrimmage. However, you still need the players on the outside, and this past offseason, Miami was forced to dip into the Transfer Portal to bring newly hired defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman reinforcements. 

Transfer safeties Keointe Scott, Jakobe Thomas, and Zechariah Poyser have all played significant roles for Hetherman in their first season with the Canes, but all three are in their final season of eligibility and will have to be replaced next offseason. That’s the flipside of adding veteran players through the portal, and unless you can supplement with homegrown recruits, you can be a volatile program year-to-year. Just look at Florida State if you want proof. 

Fitzpatrick could be one of those foundational homegrown pieces for the secondary, if Miami can pry him out of Smart’s grasp, and a big-time win over the flailing Gators this weekend certainly won’t hurt.