Where UM stands in ’25 recruiting, with promising pursuits but cautionary tale. And notes

A fresh pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:

▪ The Miami Hurricanes 2025 recruiting class moved up to 17th in the 247 Sports rankings after the Canes snagged a non-binding commitment from four-star Ohio-based tight end Luka Gilbert on Monday.

UM has six commitments so far: Gilbert (the No. 12 tight end and 247 Sports’ No. 254 player overall in the 2025 class), four-star Seffner running back Girard Pringle Jr. (the No. 13 running back and No. 220 prospect), four-star Palm Beach Central receiver Waden Charles, three-star Osceola High linebacker Elijah Menendez, Georgia-based three-star quarterback Luke Nickel and three-star Gadsden County offensive tackle Lamar Williams.

One concern with this group: Menendez reportedly plans to visit Michigan this week and again on June 7.

▪ Meanwhile, UM remains very much in the mix for several top 2025 prospects.

Among those on offense: Running backs Ousmane Kromah (a four-star Georgia based back/No. 142 overall prospect, per 247 Sports); Alvin Henderson (will choose among UM, Penn State, FSU and Auburn on Thursday; Miami is an underdog) and Plantation American Heritage’s Byron Louis (247 Sports’ No. 227 prospect).

Also in the mix for UM: Tight ends Chase Loftin, Hollis Davidson and Andrew Olish; all are visiting UM this week, per 247. UM also is pursuing Elyiss Williams (the No. 1 tight end in the class) and No. 2 tight end Brock Schott.

The Canes also are pursuing more than a handful of receivers, including Class of 2025 four-star prospects Dallas Wilson (Tampa Bay Tech; the No. 64 overall prospect), Vernell Brown III (the Orlando-based prospect is No. 169 overall on the 247 Sports list) and Jacksonville-based Jamie Ffrench, 247 Sports’ No. 30 overall prospect.

UM also is in play for a slew of Class of 2025 offensive linemen, including several four-star prospects: Georgia-based Cortez Smith, Jacksonville-based Solomon Thomas and Riverview, Florida-based Ziyare Addison, among others.

On the portal front, UM is expected to pursue a running back and receiver.

Oregon State running back Damien Martinez has emerged as a target; he averaged 6.1 yards per carry and rushes for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns last season. He will be highly coveted in the portal, but Canesport.com predicts he will pick UM.

Among top Class of 2025 prospects that the Canes are in the mix for on defense: five-star defensive lineman Elijah Griffin (the Savannah, Georgia-based prospect is the No. 7 prospect in the 2025 class); five-star linebacker Zayden Walker (the Georgia-based player is the 98th best player); Daryus Dixson (247 Sports’ No. 9 cornerback); Oklahoma-based Trystan Haynes (the four-star cornerback is visiting in May); Alabama-based four-star defensive lineman Malik Autrey (an Auburn commit who’s visiting UM this week, per 247); IMG Academy’s Gavin Nix (the No. 11 linebacker) and four-star defensive lineman Nathaniel Marshall, from Oak Park, Illinois.

In the portal, UM is expected to add a defensive lineman, a safety and at least one cornerback.

One veteran cornerback target in the weeks ahead could be Dyoni Hill, who is entering the portal. He played for new UM cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson at Marshall and had an interception and forced fumble last season.

▪ This week’s departure of defensive end Nyjalik Kelly is a reminder that any exciting news about a team’s recruiting class should be met with somewhat subdued optimism.

Of UM’s top six recruits in the 2022 class (Mario Cristobal’s first with UM), it’s unclear if any of the top seven will ever help them.

The top four — Cyrus Moss, Kelly, tight end Jaleel Skinner and cornerback Chris Graves — have all transferred, with UM hardly objecting to Moss and Kelly moving on.

All except Kelly appear to have been overrated by evaluators and many schools, unless they start playing like top players at their new schools. (Graves is at Mississippi, Skinner at Louisville.) Moss apparently hasn’t committed to a new school.

UM’s No. 5 recruit that year (per the 247 rankings) — running back TreVonte Citizen Jr. — is still working his way back from a serious August 2022 knee injury and his future remains cloudy. UM’s No. 6 recruit that year, cornerback Khamauri Rogers, transferred to Mississippi State, where he didn’t play last year.

That’s all six top 200 UM recruits from the 2022 class. And the only one left who might be able to help is Citizen, health permitting.

▪ The three most impressive early enrollees at UM? A case could be made for receiver JoJo Trader, tight end Elija Lofton and linebacker Cam Pruitt, with edge player Cole McConathy also turning heads.

Pruitt, who is 6-3 and 195, has taken reps at middle linebacker and weakside linebacker this spring. Alabama, LSU and Notre Dame were among Pruitt’s other offers out of Theodore High in Alabama.

“I’ve learned to have energy, be yourself and play and compete like it’s your last play,” Pruitt said, adding that new linebackers coach Derek Nicholson “has taught me a lot – my reads, better stance, better fits. He’s improved me to be a better player and get to the goals I want. My mentality is I don’t care who you are; I’m still going to hit you.

“I don’t watch anything but football film, watch daily. I don’t like sitting out and watching something that I know I can do. My goal is to play. I put extra work in, extra film time with my brothers.”

Pruitt has packed on 20 pounds since arriving at UM.

As for Lofton, he’s already emerging into a multi-purpose weapon as a tight end, H-back, receiver and (at times) running back.

▪ UM must get something impactful this season from second-year cornerback Robert Stafford, who picked UM over Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State and others but didn’t play a defensive snap last season.

“In high school I lived off athleticism,” he said. “When I got here it was crazy to me to read offenses, the personnel. Being here taught me a lot. These coaches here, they are elite.”

Stafford said when the defense plays against UM’s Cam Ward in practice, “we basically are playing an NFL quarterback — you don’t see an NFL quarterback every day.”

▪ One positive with new UM basketball transfer Brandon Johnson is that he improved every year at East Carolina, in nearly every measurable way. The 6-8 forward’s three-point shooting jumped from 33.3 percent in his second seasons (47 for 141) to 36.5 last season (65 for 178).

That’s important, because the player he likely will be paired alongside in UM’s power rotation — 6-10 Lynn Kidd — never attempted a three-pointer in one year at Clemson and then three years at Virginia Tech. Kidd was exceptionally efficient on two-pointers, shooting 66.8 percent from the field last season.

Johnson can help UM space the floor because of his ability to hit threes.