No. 1 overall prospect in Class of 2027 includes Miami in top-11 schools

John Meredith III, the top overall prospect in the 2027 cycle, has narrowed his recruitment to 11 programs and included Miami among his finalists, he announced this week via recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound cornerback from Trinity High in Euless, Texas, is a Five-Star Plus+ prospect and currently sits No. 1 in the Rivals Industry Ranking.

Meredith's top group: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC.

The Hurricanes' inclusion keeps them in the national race for an elite perimeter defender whose length, speed and ball skills have drawn consensus five-star reviews. Recruiting services note he pairs top-end speed with 33-inch arms and the fluidity to match both bigger bodies and keep up with quick receivers.

Meredith holds more than 40 scholarship offers and he's among the most coveted defensive backs in the country for 2027. Miami appears to be squarely in the race.

The Hurricanes and Mario Cristobal have had a little bit of recent success with No. 1 overall prospects. In the 2026 class, OT Jackson Cantwell, committed to Miami and looks to be a major part of the Hurricanes future plans. It would be a massive feat to sign back-to-back No. 1 overall recruits, but as of right now, there's a chance.

Currently, Miami does not have a cornerback committed in their 2027 class, but they do have safety Jaylyn Jones already on board. CB Kenton Dopson was previously committed to Miami in the Class of 2027, but after reclassifying to 2026, he flipped to the University of North Carolina.

2027 Miami Hurricanes football commits

• Ah'Mari Stevens (Wide Receiver), 4-star, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Edison)
• Jaylyn Jones (Safety), Hollywood, 4-star, FL (McArthur)
• DeMarcus DeRoche (EDGE/ATH), 4-star, Fort Lauderdale, FL (Cardinal Gibbons)
• Zaquan Linton (Offensive Tackle), 3-star, Wellington, FL (Palm Beach Central)