Despite the Miami Hurricanes’ fantastic 2021 recruiting cycle, they’ve struggled to receive a commitment from any quarterback.
Once believed to flip pro-style signal-caller Jake Garcia from USC, there hasn’t been any real interest from other prospect, hinting that UM will likey end up without a quarterback in this graduating class.
With that being said, there’s a number of recruits Miami’s built relationships with in the 2022 cycle.
Let’s take a look:
AJ Duffy, Pro-Style:
Listed at 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, Duffy is one of the most talented quarterbacks on the West Coast.
Holding over 30 offers from schools such as LSU, Penn State, USC, Oregon and Miami, among other Power 5 universities. UM, along with other programs, has kept in contact with Duffy on a weekly basis.
Duffy seems to be very open to the idea of leaving the west coast, so that could play a huge roll in his recruitment with the Canes.
In 2019, Duffy threw 185/261 on pass attempts for 2,568 total yards and 26 touchdowns. the California native is not only capable of being an elite passer, consistently showing his ability to gain yardage on the ground.
This past season he ran for a total of 501 yards with 65 rushes.
Still uncertain on his commitment, 247Sports‘ Crystal Ball projects Duffy to choose Oregon despite his close ties with Miami and USC.
Zion Turner, Dual-Threat:
Turner, a dual-threat three-star signal-caller out of St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has had a fantastic high school career so far.
As a sophomore, Turner went 155/247 on passing attempts, garnering 1,782 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was also a very impressive rusher. Last season, Turner rushed 83 times, racking up 402 yards.
Turner helped lead St. Thomas to a 15-0 record just as a sophomore. Regarding his recruitment, Turner hasn’t really been getting the national attention he deserves. However, he does hold a few Power 5 offers from LSU, Texas A&M, Louisville, Kentucky, Maryland and Arkansas.
He attended Miami’s Junior Day back in January, so he’s familiar with the Coral Gables campus and plans on making a return once the NCAA dead period is lifted.
Braedyn Locke, Pro-Style:
The Rockwall, Texas native has been impressed recently with UM’s first-year offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, calling him a “winner” months ago.
That’s clearly translated to his recruiting process, as Miami was able to get Locke to visit Coral Gables in early July during his vacation in the Florida Keys.
Locke threw for 4,231 yards and 52 touchdowns during the 2019 season, which allowed Rockwall to make a good run in the UIL 6A playoffs. The 6-foot quarterback holds other offers from SMU, Arkansas and Kansas.
Miami seems to be in a really good spot here, especially if their offense shows up this upcoming season.
Jacurri Brown, Dual-Threat:
Brown is a four-star quarterback who’s teammates with 2021 UM commit Thomas Davis. Brown attended a Miami football camp last summer, mentioning that he wants to get back on campus as soon as he can.
While Miami seems to be keeping tabs on Brown, Florida is a big threat in his recruitment, and as of now could be the favorites to land the Valdosta native. He also holds offers from Ohio State, Georgia, Auburn and others. In 2019, he threw for 1,340 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 6-foot-4 quarterback also showed off his athleticism by running the ball for a total of 1,561 yards. Brown is currently the sixth-ranked dual threat in the nation and is ranked 122nd overall nationally per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
Kevin Smith, Pro-Style:
It’s still pretty early in the 2022 recruiting cycle, so Miami hasn’t offered all the quarterbacks they’re planning on pursuing.
An offer candidate for Miami is local three-star Kevin Smith of Miami Palmetto. Holding offers from Arizona State and Southern Mississipi, Smith started to garner attention from Division I schools after a fantastic 2019 season, where he 2,280 yards in the air.
Smith stands at 6 foot 2 and weighs 195 pounds. He’s the 30th ranked pro-style quarterback in the nation and is ranked 550th overall. Smith should start receiving national recognition likely after the 2020 season. Expect Miami to be one of those schools knocking on the door.
