Richards in no rush to commit

Richt lands 6 commits after Paradise Camp

CORAL GABLES — There’s always a family vibe at Paradise Camp, Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt’s marquee recruiting event which just finished its third installment Saturday night, as recruits are linked with legends of the past and current players and coaches.

Miami netted six commitments over the weekend with three South Dade 2020 prospects pledging on Friday night, Miami Booker T. Washington 2021 defensive end Donell Harris committing on Saturday night and Sunday bringing two more in Palm Beach Central 2020 wideout Bryan Robinson and Buford (Georgia) senior defensive tackle Jalar Holley.

Others came away with rave reviews of the experience too. Wellington four-star athlete Mark-Antony Richards, who truly is family with the program as the younger brother of current UM receiver Ahmmon Richards, is no stranger to it, having participated last year.

Mark-Antony Richards responded to ChaminadeMadonna safety and UM commit Keontra Smith telling the Sun Sentinel earlier on Saturday “just give him some time” on an imminent Richards commit-

ment.

“We’ll see what happens in the next few months. We’ll see what goes down,” Richards said. “He was telling me, ‘Go ahead and commit.’ I explained to him my reasoning and stuff like that. He understands where I’m coming from, and he understands I’m just going to take my time.”

What is that reasoning for Richards?

“I just want to make sure that this is the school that fits me,” he said.

Committing to Miami would likely mean a full-on transition to defense in college.

“I want to make sure that’s where I fit because I grew up playing offense,” Richards said. “I’m new to defense still, so I’m trying to get better at it. I plan on kind of slowing things down my senior year and really just focusing on getting better at it.”

He also touched on the role Ahmmon Richards has played in his recruitment, noting he has given him space.

“He’s not in my ear at all,” Mark-Antony Richards said. “There’s nothing more I can ask for — just giving me all the positive advice, he shows me the dos and the don’ts.”

Richards wants to narrow his list down in the next month ahead of his senior season and eyes a decision anywhere between November and February. He continues to consider Auburn, Georgia, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ohio State, among others.

“It’s quite a few, quite a few more,” he said. “That’s why I want to take my time and make sure it’s the right school for me.”

Richt had private conversations with a number of prospects following Paradise on Saturday night. Two of them were with St. Thomas Aquinas four-star defensive end Braylen Ingraham and Georgia-based defensive end Andy Boykin, an Auburn commit.

University School sophomore Marcus Tate already appears to be on a fast track to being one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the Class of 2021 and said at Paradise that UM is the school showing him the most attention.