Five Hurricanes prospects who may be underrated after signing Wednesday

The Hurricanes signed the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class on Wednesday, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

The list of Miami signees includes five-star prospects like Armondo Blount and Justin Scott, as well as numerous four-star prospects like Joshisa Trader, Zaquan Patterson, Ny Carr and more.

But the Hurricanes’ class also has 11 three-star prospects who have flown somewhat under the radar.

“There’s at least five All-American selections in our class, five Under Armour All-Americans in our class, nine ESPN 300 players, eight players in the 247 top 247 list,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. “But in the words of Jimmy Johnson, I’m more concerned about how they play than how they are ranked.”

Here are five players in the class who may prove to be hidden gems when their college careers are over:

Judd Anderson

Anderson, a quarterback, was the first skill position player to join the Hurricanes’ 2024 class, committing on April 7. He never wavered from that commitment. Anderson completed 74 percent of his passes for 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions with 2,917 yards in 13 games for Warner Robins (Georgia) High. He is listed as the No. 58 quarterback and No. 920 player in the class.

“Judd Anderson impressed us from Day 1 with a couple different things,” Cristobal said. “No. 1, his leadership skills. We saw him play basketball, as well. His ability to move, make people miss, balance, body control, to be able to twist, bend, get out of really difficult body positions was just really impressive.

“And then he was relatively new at quarterback at a particular high school before he moved to another one, and before long, you saw, statistically, what he did. It’s hard to do that.”

Dylan Day

Day was a standout at Southern Lab (La.) High who made highlight-reel plays as a senior defensive back. He is listed as the No. 76 safety and No. 695 player in the class.

Cristobal touted Day as a versatile defensive back who can play all over the secondary.

“What a year he’s had,” Cristobal said. “He played it all. He plays the middle of the field. He plays down in the box. He plays out as a nickel, the field corner, the boundary corner, does it all. He’s like a rolling 10.7 100-meter guy. He can fly. He’s got a ton of flexibility.”

Cole McConathy II

Miami flipped McConathy from Louisville in November, and the edge rusher from Spanish Fort (Alabama) has some of the best high school stats in the Hurricanes’ class.

McConathy led the state with 24.5 sacks, according to MaxPreps. He also had 111 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and three blocked field goals. McConathy is rated the No. 49 edge rusher and No. 723 player in the class.

“Another guy that we identified on film as a guy that really fits our DNA, really fits what we do defensively in that edge position,” Cristobal said. “Our edges come in the form of defensive ends and Jack linebackers. They’re interchangeable, depending on what the offense is showing us.

“Explosive, tough, physical, tremendous growth potential.”

Deryc Plazz

Plazz, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman from Jacksonville Mandarin High, is listed as the No. 52 interior lineman in the class, though he can also play tackle. He is the No. 715 player in the class.

Plazz helped Mandarin reach a state title game, and Cristobal cited the lineman’s room for growth as a reason for optimism for Plazz’s development.

“Super athletic, long, lean guy, 285-290 pounds with growth potential. He’ll be 320-plus,” Cristobal said. “Smart, tough, just top to bottom exactly what you want.”

Daylen Russell

Russell, a South Florida star from Miami Columbus, racked up stats on the Explorers’ defensive line, beating Plazz’s Mandarin team for a state championship. He had at least 49 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks this season. Russell is rated the No. 129 defensive lineman and No. 1,228 player in the class.

“One of the best players in Dade County, one of the best defensive players in the state of Florida, for that matter, that led that team to a state title,” Cristobal said. “Mother is a University of Miami alum. Awesome people, awesome family.”