Miami's Freshmen Impact is 'No Surprise at All'
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No. 10 Miami has many to be thankful for as they head into the Cotton Bowl Classic against No. 2 Ohio State.
Miami's defense has been elite all season, with highlights from Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, and Keionte Scott, who have been destroying teams, leading them to the most victories on the year. Moreover, there has been a single group that has elevated the play to an elite standard.
Miami's 2025 recruiting class finished 13th in the country, a notable decline from the 2024 class, which ranked in the top five, according to 247Sports. However, look at the field this season, and it is clear that one class was severely undervalued.
Miami's freshman class, led by superstar wide receiver Malachi Toney and the now-public emergence of defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald, highlights the consistent recruiting and development that is growing in Coral Gables.
"The high school recruiting continues, the uptick of it has been awesome," head coach Mario Cristobal said. "Yeah, Third [Scroggins]. Third makes a tremendous play on the quarterback on power read. Josh Moore and Malachi [Toney], I'll say both because both of them are involved. Their blocking during the game was just as valuable as anything else that our entire team did. They were very physical. They were involved. They affected the ability to pop some bigger runs, and the route discipline was excellent as well.
"Thought that we had him on some plays, but it was difficult to throw the ball. But those guys playing, as well as Bryce [Fitzgerald] and a few other guys, again, I think, speak loudly to their commitment to player development. The caliber of players that we're recruiting and are coming here to the University of Miami. Great sign of things to come."
It has also caught the eye of star quarterback Carson Beck. Even when he couldn't throw the ball when he arrived at the University of Miami, he still saw those players making plays. He has consistently raved about Toney, as the star freshman is his No. 1 option, but he always saw the growing danger of Fitzgerald alongside Scott as a dangerous d
"Not surprised at all," Beck said. "You see them every day in practice making plays. You see the way they work and prepare. The whole season, those two guys have really impacted this team. And they both are guys that came in. I mean, they're in their first year, right? Obviously, Keionte [Scott] being a transfer and Bryce being a freshman. But the way they have both been able to have an impact, in being their first year, here, along with me and a lot of other guys. But they changed that defense, honestly.
"You look at the spring, and then you look when those two guys came in and another couple guys
that came in, it completely changed the landscape of what our defense looked like. And they've
been making plays all year. It was awesome to see, especially that last one. I don't know if y'all
saw the TV copy, but I'm freaking out on the sideline after Bryce caught the last interception. I
freaking literally sprinted down the sidelines at him. It was awesome for them to be able to make
the plays they did."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.