Miami Hurricanes Earn Commitment From Elite QB Jaden Rashada
The Hurricanes have picked up significant recruiting momentum on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks, leading up to the biggest pledge of the Mario Cristobal era at Miami to date: Pittsburg (Calif.) quarterback Jaden Rashada announced his commitment to The U on Sunday.
The Elite 11 Finalist visited Coral Gables during the week, the final official visit of his intense recruitment.
Just over a week ago, it didn't appear as though the Canes were a serious factor in Rashada's recruitment. Originally scheduled to commit on June 18, the Florida Gators and Texas A&M Aggies appeared to be the frontrunners for Rashada's services following his UF official visit from June 7-9, his second trip to Gainesville in as many weeks. A&M hosted him days prior.
However, Cristobal and his staff were able to get in Rashada's ear at the 11th hour and convince him to use that fifth and final official visit to Coral Gables. Rashada pushed his pledge back as a result, reshaped his top schools with the Canes in his final five, and made his way to UM this past week from June 21-23.
“Coach (Josh) Gattis, Coach Cristobal, you know those are two proven coaches that can show that they’re all about winning, so that’s a big part of it too," Rashada stated at his press conference.
He also added another important factor in his decision by saying, “Miami just felt like home when I went there the second time.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
SI All-American currently considers Rashada to be the No. 4 quarterback in the country heading into the Elite 11 Finals next week, among the group of five Tier 1 signal-callers in this class. The On3 Sports consensus rankings, meanwhile, view Rashada as the No. 7 quarterback in this class.
During his debut season as Pittsburg's starting QB in 2021, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound gunslinger completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,220 yards, 27 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's been a standout in 7-on-7 tournaments nationwide as a member of Miami Immortals, where he played with multiple Hurricane commitments.
Rashada's commitment finalizes the Hurricanes' plan to take two quarterbacks from the 2023 recruiting class, as Miami accepted a pledge from Milton (Fla.) signal-caller Emory Williams this past Monday.
He's the eighth recruit to join Miami's haul this cycle, following Williams, wide receiver Robby Washington, tight end Reid Mikeska and Jackson Carver, offensive tackle Frankie Tinilau, interior offensive lineman Antonio Tripp and off-ball linebacker Bobby Washington.
Cristobal hinted a plenty of recruiting momentum headed Miami's way while speaking to reporters Saturday at the program's Legends Camp.
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