Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
‘I plan on coming back’: Recruits recap Junior Day
If the Hurricanes’ coaches and recruiting staff did not have enough on their plate with the team’s first spring practice on Saturday, they ensured their schedules were filled with recruiting.
Miami welcomed more than 100 high school recruits and their guests to campus over the weekend for the program’s Junior Day, and they earned positive reviews from prospects who attended.
“The 305 seems to be on the way back,” 2026 quarterback Dereon Coleman said, referring to Miami-Dade County’s area code. “The visit was great. Loved the atmosphere.”
The Junior Day was an opportunity for Miami’s staff to make a big impression on members of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes. The Hurricanes currently have one player committed in the 2024 class — kicker Abram Murray — and none among the younger classes.
Recruits had a chance to watch Miami practice, take a tour of campus, speak to coaches and do photo shoots. Some stayed for the Hurricanes’ basketball game against Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
“Most people like to do the cool stuff like the photo shoot, but the coolest thing to me was watching the team [practice],” 2025 running back Zackariah Simmons said. “The coaches not holding back on their players and just coaching them up.”
Coleman said he also enjoyed the look at Miami’s first practice of the year.
“I enjoyed the tempo of the offense,” Coleman said. “The offensive line looked, was working hard. The competition ... was great to see. Skill guys and backs everywhere.”
Coleman, a rising sophomore at Orlando
Jones High, has three years left in his high school career before he will choose what college to attend, but the Hurricanes’ Junior Day provided a good, early look at Miami. He met new Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and had a chance to see how he could fit into Miami’s offense in the future. He also had time to meet with a former teammate, UM freshman linebacker Malik Bryant.
Jowhar Franklin, a defensive tackle rated a three-star prospect by On3Sports, left Miami’s campus with more than just some good memories. After speaking with head coach Mario Cristobal and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a, the New Orleans native left with an offer from the Hurricanes.
“I had a lot of fun,” Franklin said. “It was a nice experience.”
Franklin gave Miami’s coaches credit for making his guests — including 2025 running back Amari Major — feel at home. He said the Hurricanes are among his top five favorite programs and he plans to take an official visit to Coral Gables later this year.
This weekend’s trip was Simmons’ second visit to Miami but the first chance for the Phenix City, Alabama, native to meet new Hurricanes running backs coach Tim Harris Jr.
“We talked when I first got there,” Simmons said. “He was ... just introducing himself and then how much the coaching staff was talking about me, that he liked my film and that he’s going to come see me in the spring.”
The trip to Coral Gables left a strong impression on Simmons, and he plans to be back down in South Florida soon.
“They are very high [in my recruitment],” Simmons said. “This was my second time coming down there, and I loved it, and I plan on coming back.”