Can Miami sign another top-five class? What influence does DJ Lagway have? Florida State recruiting mailbag

Less than 24 hours before the early signing period begins, Billy Napier and the Florida Gators have rapidly climbed up the recruiting rankings.

Mario Cristobal’s Miami Hurricanes – hoping to finish in the top 10 for the third straight year – lost a key signing on Monday and could be on the verge of losing a few others. And Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles, whose season went awry long ago, are struggling to finish in the top 50.

You have questions about recruiting. We have some informed opinions. Let’s dive in.

How will DJ Lagway’s play impact recruiting for the Gators? — Micah B.

A huge one. Lagway’s five-star aura helped him attract prospects before he even signed with Florida. After scoring five touchdowns against Kentucky, Jadan Baugh brought up some of his recruiting conversations with Lagway. Now that Lagway is living up to the hype, the Gators’ pitching looks even better, especially for offensive talent (in high schools or in the transfer portal).

Since Lagway became the starter after Graham Mertz tore his ACL in October, the Gators have shed 10 commitments (including five blue-chip prospects). For this, Lagway deserves at least indirect recognition. A few weeks ago, Napier said uncertainty about his future was “probably the only” tough battle the Gators faced in recruiting. This uncertainty had recently disappeared because sporting director Scott Stricklin publicly expressed his confidence in Napier. And Napier earned that vote of confidence in part because Lagway turned things around in 2024 while demonstrating sky-high potential for 2025 and 2026. We probably won’t know the full DJ Lagway effect for months or years, but he looks like Florida’s most important recruit since Tim Tebow. — Baker

DJ Lagway’s strong play has helped attract other top players. (Matt Pendleton/Imagn Images)

A third straight top-10 class seems like a lock for Miami. But is it possible for it to be in the top five classes back to back? —Hassan K.

I’m not trying to trigger the panic button, Hassan, but slow down. Things could get tricky on Wednesday.

Florida replaced top-100 safety Hylton Stubbs on Monday, and there are rumors the Gators could also sign four-star receiver Joshua Moore, a former Florida player who joined the Canes in October. Miami also appears to be on the verge of losing longtime four-star linebacker Gavin Nix to Oregon. If Miami loses all three, the Hurricanes could fall out of the top 15.

Could the Hurricanes add some big pieces to the class? Yes. The battle is to land five-star cornerback DJ Pickett from LSU, five-star receiver Dallas Wilson from Oregon, four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. from Florida and four-star linebacker Tarvos Alford from Ohio Displacing State will continue until the final moments of the next game day. But be aware that things may not work out the way they do in Miami. When large amounts of dollars are thrown around towards the end of the game, things happen. — Navarro

One reason for Alabama’s long dominance under Nick Saban was that it deprived Florida schools of the state’s top talent. Georgia has been doing that a lot lately too. Between UCF’s promotion to the Big 12 and Miami’s resurgence, have more in-state players (especially South Florida) stayed home? Or is the exodus still a problem? —Jesse K.

It’s still a problem. Of the top 100 recruits in the country in 2002, 16 came from Florida. The state’s Big Three signed 14 of them. This cycle, 12 of the top 100 recruits in the 247Sports Composite are native Floridians (excluding transplants from IMG Academy). Florida schools only have commitments from four: five-star offensive lineman Solomon Thomas (Florida State), five-star receiver Vernell Brown III (Florida), four-star safety Hylton Stubbs (Florida) and the four star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. (Florida). Even with a turnover or two, half of the state’s best players leave the state. This, if you notice, is a trend. In the previous two cycles, only 12 of the top 30 recruits stayed home.

UCF is recruiting at a higher level after moving to the Big 12, but the Knights still haven’t consistently signed elite prospects. John Walker (a top-100 defensive back in the 2023 class) was the exception, not the rule. Further successes from Miami and Florida will slow the exodus, but not stop it.

Florida’s talent drain has piqued the interest of everyone, including the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis. But the idea of ​​containing the state’s top candidates isn’t feasible in a time of national recruiting, social media and inaction. I can’t imagine the exodus ever ceasing to be a problem. — Baker

Can Alex Golesh have the top G5 recruiting class in the country again this year at USF? —TK

USF has already lost 10 players from this class to the P4. Is this a sign that Golesh has a nose for talent or is it a cause for concern? – David W.

The Bulls are likely to remain in the conversation for the top spot in Group 5. With On3 they are only in second place behind Memphis. They rank second behind Georgia State in the 247Sports Composite. Rivals sits in third place behind Florida Atlantic (which is dealing with coaching turnover) and Washington State (assuming we call the Cougars a G5 program).

When it comes to Power 4 poaching, there are a few factors worth mentioning. The good initial reviews from Golesh and his staff are encouraging, David; An eye for talent is a valuable skill. It’s also good to have the willingness and ability to compete with power programs for recruits, such as four-star tight end Jonathan Echols last cycle.

But there are also some potential concerns that need to be considered. Realistically, USF isn’t going to win many recruiting battles against a program like Ole Miss (which has two of those previous commitments) or Notre Dame (which traded four-star cornerback Antavious Richardson). At what point does a staff waste resources on battles it is unlikely to win? This has to be balanced, because any call that goes to a lost cause cannot go to another, more accessible player.

We also need to note which Power 4 schools are receiving former commitments. USF expects to compete with lower-level P4 programs, so losing recruits to Minnesota, Wake Forest or Boston College is more concerning than losing to Ole Miss. The Bulls have stated that they plan to spend at the highest allowable levels in future revenues. Exchange with athletes. Depending on the details, this may negate some of the Power 4’s advantages. Is it? I have no idea. But it’s something to keep an eye on as USF looks to combat Power 4 prestige. — Baker

Who does FIU need to hire to capture the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA? Lots of talent from South Florida. —Alex S.

Mike MacIntyre, who was released on Sunday, signed with the conference’s No. 3 recruiting class in 2024 and the No. 2 recruiting class in 2023. So it won’t really take much for whoever gets hired next to move up to #1. 1 in a conference where the top class finishes somewhere in the 80s of the national rankings.

What FIU needs more than anything is someone to start putting serious money into their NIL efforts so that the good players they sign and develop don’t walk out the door for more money a year or two later. I think the program needs several energetic coaches who can raise money and get the community watching games. The average home attendance for FIU games in 2024 was 14,706 fans (62.58 percent of capacity).

Tim Harris Jr., UCF’s offensive coordinator and University of Miami graduate with deep roots in South Florida, is the ideal candidate to replace MacIntyre, in part because he is affordable (he made $600,000 at UCF). But I would encourage FIU to consider hiring some assistants with name recognition and recruiting appeal. I brought former 2 Live Crew rapper and later Miami Edison High football coach Luther Campbell onto the staff to help keep some quality local kids at home. — Navarro

Two years ago, FAU secured what most considered to be the best hire in the AAC with the hiring of Tom Herman. Now he’s gone. What happened? Can FAU turn things around and become competitive in the AAC? What will it take for this to happen? —David W.

Like FIU, FAU needs money to flow along, otherwise the Owls will always be a second-tier program in a Group of 5 conference. It’s all about money these days, and most G5 programs simply won’t be able to retain good coaches and players for long. Money Talks.

I thought the next hire would have to be someone like Lane Kiffin – with name recognition, quarterback coaching skills and a high-scoring offensive philosophy. That’s why I like the hire the Owls are reportedly making for Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. He’s 33 years old and a protégé of Kliff Kingsbury, who helped develop Patrick Mahomes and did a good job at every stop as offensive coordinator. — Navarro

(Top photos of Mario Cristobal, Billy Napier: Brett Davis, Klement Neitzel / Imagin Images)