Rivals Camp Series Miami: Five programs that should be pleased
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith explores the teams that should be pleased after the Rivals Camp Series stop in South Florida on Sunday.
FLORIDA
With the lineman taking center stage during the camp it was hard to overlook how many of the top players mentioned Florida. The team is involved with a lot of them like four-star edge defenders Jake Kreul and Asharri Charles. Charles was wearing a Florida beanie during the camp.
Four-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and four-star offensive tackle Canon Pickett are heavily considering Florida. Three-star offensive tackle Alejandro Schmitt has long mentioned the Gators as a preferred team. Rising 2027 offensive tackle Mark Matthews was recently on campus as well.
As coach Billy Napier continues turning things around at Florida they are emerging as a threat once again in recruiting.
ILLINOIS
Coach Bret Bielema and his staff have done a fantastic job making inroads with South Florida prospects. The team has four-star quarterback Michael Clayton committed to the program. Three-star defensive end Kingston Shaw is also committed. Shaw turned heads at camp with his burst off the line and motor.
Four-star linebacker Tony Williams, three-star cornerback Leonzay Merzius and four-star running back Javari Barnett are just a few of the prospects strongly considering the Illini. The staff’s reputation of developing players into future pros has made its way down to Florida.
LOUISVILLE
Louisville has always been a team that’s quietly done good work down in Florida. Class of 2026 edge defender Kevontay Hugan has been committed to the team for a few weeks. Another Florida edge defender Asharri Charles is strongly considering the program too. Safety prospect Tyren Wortham is another player the Cardinals are monitoring closely.
MIAMI
It makes sense that the Hurricanes would be one of the teams on this list. They were seemingly in the mix for every elite player we spoke too. Offensive linemen Breck Kolojay, Ryan Miret and Canon Pickett are high on Miami. Even players that didn’t participate in the camp but were hanging out, like four-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe has the ‘Canes high on his list. Perhaps the best player at the camp, four-star linebacker Jordan Campbell is still committed to Miami.
Coach Mario Cristobal and his staff have done a great job with the local talent.
SYRACUSE
When talking to prospects during the Rivals Camp Series, Syracuse was a program that came up repeatedly. Coach Fran Brown wants to plant his team’s flag in Florida and they are doing a great job so far of getting on prospects’ radar. A pair of offensive tackles, four-star Javeion Cooper and three-star Steven Pickard are already committed to the program. So is 2026 defensive back EShawn Sutton.
Many of the 2027 prospects we spoke with have the Orange on their early top lists, too. If the program puts together another good season they could become a real pain for the in-state schools on the recruiting trail.
