The Miami Hurricanes football program faced a setback with the recent de-commitment of four-star linebacker Elijah Melendez, which has temporarily affected their pursuit of a top 10 recruiting class for 2025.
With Melendez’s decision to reopen his recruitment, Miami’s 2025 class has dropped to 12th in the 247Sports composite rankings. Despite this loss, the Hurricanes still have commitments from four-star linebacker Gavin Nix and three-star linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin for the 2025 class.
As the Hurricanes look ahead, the linebacker position remains a crucial area of focus. Francisco Mauigoa is the only senior linebacker on Miami’s 2024 roster, while Jaylin Alderman, Wesley Bissainthe, and Chase Smith are all eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. Alderman and Bissainthe are expected to play key roles for Miami in 2024, with Smith contributing primarily on special teams.
In June, Miami hosted several linebackers for official visits, including Marcelin, Melendez, Nix, and Auburn commit Eric Winters. Other notable visitors included Ohio State commit Tarvos Alford and USC commit Jadon Perlotte. With Melendez’s departure, Miami’s coaching staff will need to reassess their recruiting strategy, especially as none of the uncommitted linebackers currently seem to be strongly considering Miami, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
This marks the third de-commitment in Miami’s 2025 class, following the losses of three-star wide receiver Waden Charles, who committed to Central Florida, and three-star offensive tackle Lamar Williams, who joined Maryland’s class.
Despite these challenges, Miami still has options. The Hurricanes could pursue another linebacker for the 2025 class or look to the transfer portal for reinforcements. The program has had success with transfer linebackers in the past, such as Jaylin Alderman, who transferred to Miami in 2024, and K.J. Cloyd, who joined from Louisville in 2023. Alderman, with two years of eligibility remaining, could step into a larger role as Miami’s middle linebacker in 2025.
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Looking ahead, the Hurricanes are optimistic about their linebacker depth. Raul Aguirre, Cam Pruitt, and Adarius Hayes are all promising players with bright futures at Miami. Gavin Nix, in particular, is highly regarded and could compete for significant playing time as a freshman in 2025. Meanwhile, Pruitt is also expected to make an impact as a true freshman, and Bissainthe showed his potential by leading Miami’s linebackers with four tackles in the season-opening win over Florida on Saturday.
As Miami continues to build its roster for the future, Head Coach Mario Cristobal remains focused on finding the right pieces to ensure the program’s success, even in the face of unexpected challenges like Melendez’s de-commitment.
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