Georgia and Miami have emerged as college football’s most intense inter‑conference recruiting rivalry, highlighted by a wave of head-to-head battles in the 2026 cycle.
Several high-profile recruiting contests have went down recently between the two programs. Miami scored a major win with five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 overall player in the class, who chose Coral Gables over Georgia in May. Miami also flipped Georgia commits Vance Spafford, a four-star wide receiver, and Jontavius Wyman, a top defensive back.
Miami was able to flip Tennessee commit Tyson Bacon over Georgia who was also in pursuit. But Georgia has notched its own head-to-head victories, seizing targets like running back Jae Lamar and cornerback Justice Fitzpatrick from Miami’s class. Lamar is a from Georgia and the Bulldogs were able to defend their turf with him, but Fitzpatrick was right in Miami backyard.
Georgia wide receivers coach James Coley, a Miami native and former Hurricanes offensive coordinator/QB coach from 2013-15, returned to Athens in 2024 and has been leveraged to recruit Miami-area prospects. Meanwhile, Miami wins the transfer portal in the rivalry with adding former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.
The teams were also competing for elite recruits like running back Derrek Cooper and defensive lineman James Johnsonare. While Georgia has stronger depth at those positions, Miami’s strong NIL offerings, like reportedly giving up to $2 million for Cantwell, have proved competitive.
Miami has finished at least in the top-14 nationally in each of the last three recruiting cycles. The program is clearly on an upward trajectory under head coach Mario Cristobal, but they are still chasing the elite tiers behind Georgia and SEC powerhouses.
It will be difficult to match the recruiting power of a program like Geogia while Kirby Smart is still at the helm but with more on-field success, the Hurricanes could continue to push the Bulldogs. The recruiting battles are a testament to the changing college football landscape but also might be a sign of more good things to come for Miami.