When blue-chip pass rusher Elias Rudolph committed to Michigan early in July, Miami made a heavy push to change the mind of the Ohio native.
It took a little over a month, but that pursuit ultimately paid off when the Rivals250 defensive end flipped to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Rudolph - a 6'4," 215-pound edge rusher who fits the role of the JACK in Miami's new defensive scheme - is one of the top 15 weakside defensive ends in the 2024 class. He held nearly 30 total offers from Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida State outside of Miami and Michigan.
Rudolph adds to a loaded defensive line class for Miami that already includes top-100 defensive end Marquise Lightfoot, future blue-chip defensive tackle Artavius Jones and local stud Daylen Russell.
"It was great in person; I loved it down there," told Rivals about the impression Miami made on him during an official visit. "Just how much I interacted with the coaches and the information about the program. The whole staff was like, 'We need you.'
Overall, the energy of the Miami defense and the coaching duo of Jason Taylor and Joe Salave'a made him comfortable with the idea of making South Florida his college home.
"The D-line staff has a really impressive way of coaching, and they share a bond with the players. It's really a blessing to be able to share the same room with Jason Taylor and coach Joe along with the other coaches on staff at Miami. [Coach Taylor] says I resemble him; a lot of coaches say I resemble him. He said he liked me from the jump and that I would love the culture."
Rudolph is an exceptional athlete on the edge. On top of picking up 92 tackles and 19 sacks last season, he scored four touchdowns as a tight end on offense and spent time on the basketball court. He earned first-team All-State and CMAC co-defensive player of the year honors in Ohio.
The addition of Rudolph moves Miami from the 19th-ranked class in 2024 to the 15th, jumping Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Stanford. Eight of Miami's 20 commits are now four or five-star ranked prospects.
With elite targets like wide receiver Ryan Wingo, defensive end Kamarion Franklin, defensive tackles Aydin Breland and David Stone, plus several others still on the board, a push into the top 10 is becoming more and more likely for Miami once again.
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