Hurricanes pick up 3-star commitment
CORAL GABLES With less than 10 days before the Early Signing Period begins, Mark Richt and the Hurricanes coaching staff have been hard at work on the recruiting trail, trying to bolster a class that has sagged in the national rankings in recent weeks.
On Monday, they added to that class and addressed an area of need with the addition of three-star offensive line prospect Jakai Clark, who announced on Twitter he was flipping his commitment from Illinois to Miami.
“Blessings have come my way in every way possible. There have been ups and downs in my recruiting and through all of this, the same people have given me advice on what to do,” Clark wrote.
“From my parents to my coaches to my teammates, they all support this decision and make me feel comfortable and confident in making this choice. Thank you to Illinois and their coaching staff and their fans for supporting from the jump, but I have to do what is best for me and my family. With that being said, I will be flipping my commitment from the University of Illinois to the University of Miami. Please respect this decision.”
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Clark — a center — is the latest addition to a recruiting class that has taken some lumps in recent weeks after the defection of several prospects including offensive linemen Michael Tarquin and Kingsley Eguakun, who decommitted last week and running back Marcus Crowley and safety Cornelius Nunn, who decommitted last month.
According to 247Sports.com, Miami offered Clark a scholarship just five days ago. He visited Coral Gables this past weekend and wasted little time after that visit in announcing he was joining the Hurricanes’ class. He becomes the 15th member of the 2019 recruiting class and is just he third offensive player to pledge to the group, joining four-star receiver Jeremiah Payton and three-star tight end Larry Hodges.
The Hurricanes, whose class is currently ranked 29th in the nation by 247Sports and 35th in the nation by Rivals, are expecting several other offensive line targets to visit Miami in the coming days.
According to Canesport.com, three-star offensive tackle Adam ElGammal, who is currently committed to Cincinnati, will be on campus this weekend, as will left tackle Tommy Kennedy, a graduate transfer from Butler that could make an immediate impact for the Hurricanes. Miami also remains in the mix for fivestar offensive tackle Evan Neal of IMG Academy, who is also considering Alabama.
If Clark’s pledge holds and the Grayson High standout from Loganville, Ga., signs, he’ll be the latest recruit from Georgia to join Miami since Richt’s arrival.