Miami Football Recruiting Class 2017
| Commitments: | 24 | ACC Rank: | 2 | National Rank: | 13 | ||||
| Commitments | |||||||||
| PLAYER | POS | HT | WT | SCHOOL | ST | RANK | NAT | STATE | NOTES |
| Trajan Bandy | DB | 5-10 | 180 | Miami Columbus | FL | **** | Top 250 | Top 40 | Committed to Miami following early August visit to Coral Gables; played high school ball with one-time Miami commitment Christopher Henderson |
| Robert Burns | RB | 5-11 | 210 | Gulliver Prep | FL | **** | Top 300 | Top 45 | Former prep teammate of Miami incoming freshman WR Dionte Mullins; made a midsummer appearance at “The Opening” in Oregon |
| Amari Carter | DB | 6-2 | 190 | Palm Beach Gardens | FL | *** | Top 550 | Top 80 | January enrollee; Likely a safety at the college level; Chose Canes over Notre Dame, where he officially visited, and where two former high school teammates play; |
| Deejay Dallas | WR | 5-11 | 190 | Glynn Academy | GA | **** | Top 250 | Top 25 | Has played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and kick/punt returner at Glynn Academy; has been helping recruit fellow prep players to Miami |
| Jhavonte Dean | DB | 6-2 | 180 | Blinn College | TX | **** | Top 15 (JUCO) | Top 5 (JUCO) | Signed with Cincinnati in 2015 class but failed to qualify academically; recruiting stature exploded during time at Blinn Community College in Texas, resulting in commitment to Alabama in the summer of 2016. Dean, however, backed away from pledge to Crimson Tide in late January, and pledged to Miami the day before National Signing Day |
| Navaughn Donaldson | OL | 6-6 | 335 | Miami Central | FL | **** | Top 100 | Top 25 | Initially committed to Al Golden’s staff; has continued to take visits but says he’s solid with Miami pledge |
| Zach Dykstra | OL | 6-6 | 290 | Spirit Lake | IA | *** | Top 700 | Top 10 | First Iowa native since Matt Pipho (class of 2005) to sign with Miami; earned first-team All-State honors in 2015, leading Spirit Lake High School to undefeated state championship |
| Zach Feagles | P | 6-2 | 210 | Ridgewood | NJ | *** | Top 1,900 | Top 45 | Feagles’ father, Jeff Feagles, starred at Miami in late ‘80s under Jimmy Johnson; his older brother, Chris, punted at UNC |
| Jonathan Ford | DT | 6-5 | 275 | Dillard | FL | *** | Top 350 | Top 50 | Recorded 78 tackles up front as a prep junior; among the first waves of Miami pledges following hire of Mark Richt |
| Jonathan Garvin | DE | 6-4 | 225 | Lake Worth | FL | *** | Top 650 | Top 90 | Chose Miami over ACC rivals Clemson and Florida State; recorded 93 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, and nine sacks in 2015 |
| Corey Gaynor | OL | 6-4 | 285 | Marjory Stoneman Douglas | FL | *** | Top 1,275 | Top 180 | Initially committed to Minnesota; received scholarship offer from Miami on Nov. 26 when he visited Coral Gables for regular season finale against Duke; committed to Canes three days later to become Miami's fourth offensive line pledge in 2017 class |
| Mike Harley | WR | 5-9 | 155 | St. Thomas Aquinas | FL | **** | Top 325 | Top 40 | Backed away from West Virginia commitment in late January, and took a visit to Miami the week before National Signing Day; important late pickup from longtime local powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas; one of four projected WRs in Miami's signing class |
| Kai-Leon Herbert | OL | 6-5 | 285 | American Heritage | FL | **** | Top 275 | Top 40 | An early October visit to Coral Gables placed Miami on Herbert's radar; initially committed to Michigan, but decommitted from Wolverines in late January and recommitted to Miami three days later; joins with Navaughn Donaldson to give Canes two top 300 offensive line signees in '17 class from South Florida |
| Zalontae Hillery | OL | 6-6 | 280 | Glynn Academy | GA | *** | Top 500 | Top 55 | Prep teammate of fellow class of 2017 Miami pledge Deejay Dallas; committed at Mark Richt’s “Paradise Camp; projected offensive tackle |
| Bradley Jennings | LB | 6-2 | 220 | Sandalwood | FL | *** | Top 650 | Top 90 | Decommitted from Florida State August 1, re-pledged to the Canes less than a week later; Jennings' father, Bradley Jennings, Sr., was an All-ACC linebacker at Florida State in 2001 |
| Deonte "D.J." Johnson | DE | 6-5 | 240 | Luther Burbank | CA | **** | Top 100 | Top 15 | Selected to play in 2017 Under Armour All-American Game; produced 87 tackles and 14.5 sacks as a prep junior; had dominant performance at Miami's Paradise Camp |
| Evidence Njoku | WR | 6-4 | 200 | Wayne Hills | NJ | *** | Top 600 | Top 15 | Younger brother of current Miami tight end David Njoku; recorded nearly 700 all-purpose yards as a prep junior |
| N'Kosi Perry | QB | 6-3 | 170 | Vanguard | FL | **** | Top 200 | Top 30 | Committed early to the Canes just after National Signing Day in 2016, and then decommitted before rejoining Miami's class in March; tall, athletic quarterback in the mold of current Miami signal-caller Brad Kaaya |
| Brian Polendey | TE | 6-5 | 230 | Guyer | TX | *** | Top 500 | Top 65 | Lanky, athletic tight end in the mold of a Jimmy Graham and/or Clive Walford; became first non-Floridian to join Miami’s 2017 class |
| Derrick Smith | DB | 6-3 | 190 | Trinity Christian Academy | FL | *** | Top 900 | Top 125 | Projected safety helped lead Trinity Christian Academy to Florida's Class 3-A state title in 2016; recorded 52 tackles and three interceptions as a prep senior; third projected safety in '17 class to commit to Miami |
| Waynmon Steed | LB | 6-1 | 220 | Miami Central | FL | *** | Top 600 | Top 85 | Missed most of the 2015 season with a shoulder injury; has remained strong in Miami commitment despite overtures from SEC schools |
| Jeff Thomas | WR | 5-10 | 175 | East St. Louis | IL | **** | Top 50 | No. 2 | Became Miami's highest-ranked commitment with his pledge and letter of intent on National Signing Day; playmaking wideout who should figure immediately into Miami's 2017 offensive plans |
| Cade Weldon | QB | 6-3 | 205 | Jefferson | FL | *** | Top 950 | Top 150 | Weldon’s father, Casey Weldon, was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1991 at Florida State, coached by new Canes head coach Mark Richt |
| De'Andre Wilder | LB | 6-2 | 200 | Miami Carol City | FL | *** | Top 400 | Top 55 | Local product who grew up rooting for the Hurricanes; third projected linebacker to join Miami's 2017 class |
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