Miami football 2024 signees shine at Polynesian Bowl

Coming off a two-sack game earlier this month at the Under Armour All-American Game, Booker Pickett Jr. continued to impress at the Polynesian Bowl. Pickett earned two more sacks at the Polynesian Bowl. Pickett Jr. has outperformed his recruiting ranking in the postseason All-Star games.

Five-star 2024 Miami defensive line signee Justin Scott also represented the Miami football program in Honolulu. Along with four-star 2024 Miami edge rusher signee Marquise Lightfoot, the Miami DL have shined in the postseason high school all-star games. Scott should challenge for snaps this fall.

Pickett is the 262nd signee, 27th edge rusher and 33rd prospect from Florida in the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. Pickett, Lightfoot and fellow 2024 Miami signee Elias Rudolph provide the Hurricanes a trio of blue-chip edge rushers in the 2024 class. Miami has one of the best 2024 DL classes.

Pickett could compare to Rueben Bain, the 2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. At 6'3.5 and 210 pounds, there have been questions about Pickett's slight frame. Similiar questions arose during the 2023 recruiting cycle that Bain was undersized. Bain went out and proved his production was better than his recruiting ranking.

"Miami EDGE signee Booker Pickett lived in the backfield all evening. Pickett’s combination of twitch and flexibility made him a big-time mismatch as a speed rusher. The Tampa native is extremely slippery and difficult for offensive tackles to wrangle. We counted two sacks and multiple pressures for Pickett. The showing wasn’t a surprise, given what we saw from Pickett throughout the week at Under Armour."

- Charles Power On3

Scott is the consensus highest-ranked commit in the 2024 Miami class. Scott is the 16th-ranked prospect, third defensive lineman and top player from Illinois in the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. The 2024 Miami DL signees should set a foundation for an elite group at the position for the next few seasons.

"Five-star Miami defensive line signee Justin Scott flashed rare athleticism and movement skills at his 6-foot-4, 310-pound size. He’ll need to polish up his hand usage, but the fluidity and twitch were notable."

- Charles Power On3

Scott is a rare athlete for his size who also plays basketball for Chicago St. Ignatius. During the Polynesian Bowl, Scott had an impressive tackle on Nebraska five-star quarterback signee Dylan Raiola. Raiola scrambled before Scott pursued him and gained the tackle.

With the high school all-star games complete, the focus will be on the early enrollees until Miami begins Spring Practice in March. Five-star DL Armondo Blount, edge rusher Cole McConathy and Lightfoot are among the early enrollees for Miami up front.