Hurricanes get commitment from prospect

Since the Hurricanes wrapped up the regular season with a 41-20 win over Duke on Nov. 26, Miami’s coaches have spent plenty of time focusing on their recruiting efforts.

The Hurricanes have hosted several top-notch prospects on campus for official visits while coaches have visited other recruits across the campus ahead of the start of bowl season. And on Tuesday, those efforts paid off again with Miami securing a verbal commitment from Trinity Christian safety/receiver Derrick Smith.

Smith, who hails from Orange Park in the Jacksonville area, announced his commitment on Twitter, writing, “First off, I want to thank God for the opportunity to be able to play at the next level. After talking it over with my family and coaches, as of right now, I will be shutting down my recruitment an [sic] I will be committing to the University of Miami. #CaneGang.”

Smith’s announcement comes days after he and his teammates won the Class 3A state championship with a 24-13 victory over Chaminade-Madonna. In that game, Smith had an interception and forced a fumble. He finished the year with 52 tackles and three interceptions. He also had a pair of receiving touchdowns.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound three-star prospect was a Jacksonville Times-Union Super 11 pick this season.

He received interest from several major programs including Cincinnati, North Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi State, North Carolina State and USC, to name a few.

With Smith’s pledge, the Hurricanes now have 22 verbal commitments ahead of February’s National Signing Day.