Calculus, finance and football: 21 Miami Hurricanes early enrollees arrive this weekend

Freshman tight end Jackson Carver likely won’t be piloting any airplanes in his home state of Minnesota the next few months, but he will catching footballs, attending calculus class in the coming week and discussing the University of Miami playbook with his soon-to-be Hurricanes roommate Emory Williams.

Williams, UM’s newest quarterback, won’t be seeing his six brothers as much back home in the Florida panhandle, but he will be studying Latin American history and appreciating his new Lakeside Village student apartment that overlooks what he described as “a beautiful campus.’’

“It’s got everything you need,’’ Carver agreed. “It’s not too cramped and not too big. Lots of green.”

And Rueben Bain, the top-ranked recruit in Miami-Dade County and among the finest defensive ends in the nation, won’t be helping his former Miami Central High Rockets strive for a fifth consecutive state championship, but he will be setting his alarm clock extra early to be on time for whatever awaits.

Carver, Williams and Bain are three of 15 recently graduated Miami Hurricanes, who, along with six transfers, started arriving in Coral Gables as early as Thursday to move in, attend orientations and prepare for Tuesday’s first day of classes as early enrollees.

“It’s a new chance to start a new chapter in life,’’ Bain said Wednesday. “I did everything I could on the high school level, so now I’m just trying to rewrite my story on the collegiate level.’’

Arriving early

The Hurricanes had 25 incoming high school graduates sign letters of intent last month during the three-day early signing period, but some won’t begin college until later in the spring, around May. The second signing period begins Feb. 1, when others will join the highly ranked class.

The expected early enrollees who will join Bain, Carver and Williams: Miami Palmetto wide receiver Robby Washington and his twin brother Bobby, a linebacker; Miami Edison slot receiver Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph; Orlando Jones linebacker (and Bain roommate) Malik Bryant; IMG Academy defensive lineman Jayden Wayne; IMG tight end Riley Williams; IMG offensive lineman Antonio Tripp; IMG offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa; Gloucester, Virginia, Life Christian Academy defensive back Kaleb Spencer; Brockton, Massachusetts, Thayer Academy offensive lineman Samson Okunlola; Rancho Santa Margarita, California, defensive lineman Collins Acheampong and punter Dylan Joyce of Kyabram, Australia.

The early enrollees also are expected to include the following transfers: defensive back Davante Brown from UCF; offensive lineman Javion Cohen from Alabama; defensive lineman Thomas Gore from Georgia State; linebacker Francisco Mauigoa from Washington State; defensive tackle Branson Deen from Purdue; and offensive lineman Matt Lee from UCF.

The advantage of arriving early is having more time to navigate college life academically and otherwise while also getting a head start on the offseason weightlifting and conditioning programs, practicing informally with future teammates and spending time with coaches according to NCAA-mandated rules. Then comes spring practice in March, which gives the early participants a huge edge for the 2023 season.

Hockey, lacrosse star

“I’m very excited and have been looking forward to this for a long time,’’ said Carver, a 6-6, 220-pound elite lacrosse and hockey player in Woodbury, Minnesota. He previously had committed to play lacrosse for Notre Dame, and would have begun his career there last fall, but played football for the first time ever at Culver Academy the fall of 2021. Carver fell in love with the sport at Culver, a military boarding school in Indiana, and immediately excelled, catching 27 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He transferred to the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, for a post-graduate year so he could play another season of football, but sustained a knee injury before the ‘22 season and couldn’t participate.

“No surgery,’’ Carver told the Miami Herald regarding the injury. “It’s all good now. Nothing to worry about.’’

Why football?

“It’s just my favorite,’’ Carver, 18, said. “Hockey and lacrosse are physical sports, but I was penalized for being overly physical. In football I can let loose and have fun with it and play as hard as I can without getting penalized.

“I love football. You get to go and hit people. What’s more fun than that?”

Carver said he will major in finance and is mostly taking business classes next semester. “I want to learn how to manage money and do it on a broader scale, managing other people’s money, maybe get into hedge funds one day post-football.’’ He said he chose UM because it has “the best coaching staff in the country” and provides “a great opportunity” to learn from some of the former tight ends, such as Jimmy Graham, who have played there.

Is he nervous about anything? “No, ma’am,’’ he said. “I don’t get nervous. I’ve been away from home the past two years, so it’s not going to be that much of an adjustment anyway.’’

As for his fascination with flying, Carver said he has been working toward getting his private pilot’s license for “about two months now.’’ He said he “definitely’’ plans on getting that license, but it might take a bit longer than it normally would because of “the challenge of balancing flying with football and school.’’

He has flown solo “quite a few times,’’ he said. “It’s very therapeutic. When you’re up there the views are awesome and it’s pretty relaxing.’’

UM coach Mario Cristobal quipped on early signing day that Carver “could fly his own plane over here if he wanted to.’’ Added the coach: “Jackson went from playing lacrosse and knocking people out sideways to making the jump to football. The rest has been history. He was recruited by everyone in the country.’’

Williams: ‘15 out of 10’

Emory Williams, who hit it off immediately with Carver, said he plans on majoring in international studies and rated the Lakeside student housing “an easy 15 out of 10.’’

“I’m very excited,’’ said the 6-5, 205-pound quarterback, who added that he’s thrilled the other quarterbacks chose to stay with the Hurricanes rather than transfer. “Great kids and they all can sling it.’’ This Tuesday, Williams said, “is when they do an overall fitness test to see where everyone is and then we’re in full swing.’’

Williams, 18, said his courses include “French, Germany 1815 to present, topics in geography and Latin American history.”

“I love it!’’ he said. “College, I must say, is a lot more selective. I find the class selection pretty cool.’’

But what Williams said he’s “most excited’’ about in college is building relationships with his future teammates. “I know some of the kids and they’re really good people and great athletes.”

Bain ‘can’t procrastinate’

Local star Bain told the Herald he will be studying “creative arts in photography” but doesn’t know his class schedule yet. He moves in Sunday and said he’s rooming with linebacker Bryant, but still has to get to know him better.

What is he most nervous about?

“School — just being on time because I’m always a ‘I’ll-wait-to-the-next-day-to-do-it’ kind of person. I know I can’t procrastinate. There’s too much stuff to do on the next level.’’

Bain sounded a bit apprehensive about getting to work with UM’s popular, but tough, strength and conditioning coordinator Aaron Feld.

“Weight room wise, I know I’m good,’’ Bain said. “I’ve just been hearing about this fourth-quarter program, and it ain’t sounding too good. It sounds like a lot of sweating and a lot of water drinking. That’s all I’ve heard. They just keep telling me to hydrate.’’