On Sunday evening, Miami added its first defensive back to the 2025 class, with four-star Timothy Merritt committing to the Hurricanes. The 6'2", 180-pound cornerback officially visited Miami over the weekend and felt the setting was right as soon as he touched down in South Florida.

"Ever since I got out of the airport, I felt like this is where I can see myself playing," Merritt said shortly after his official visit to Miami concluded. "My family enjoyed it, and that's big for me in this process."

Miami offered Merritt in mid-March of this year, but his relationship with Defensive Backs Coach Chevis Jackson started long before both arrived in Coral Gables. Jackson established a relationship with Merritt while he was at Marshall and followed through on his word shortly after taking the job with the Hurricanes earlier this calendar year.

"In my tenth-grade year, I blew up. Before I blew up, he was at Marshall and told me, when I can get you, I'm coming, and he kept his word. A year and a half later, he came and told me he wanted me. I remember what he told me. Miami jumped on the train late, but Coach Jackson is out here, so I knew it had to be a good place for me."

During the visit, Miami exceeded Merritt's expectations, and those around him also loved the experience, which is a critical factor in his recruiting process.

"It checked more boxes than I expected: the city itself and the coaching staff. My brother and mother, they loved it. My coach loved it. Everybody loved it, and I really enjoyed the vibe that I got this weekend from the coaches from the place. It's really somewhere I can see myself playing."

Miami sees Merritt playing cornerback but also communicated that he could be a versatile piece for the future of its defense and play any position in the defensive backfield.

"They want me at the corner, but they said they can see me everywhere in the secondary, and I know I can because I do it at my school now. I know I can do it at an elite level."

The official visit confirmed for Merritt that Miami provides a unique opportunity, which prompted him to commit to "The U."

"Everything about Miami is special. From the time I walked into the facility, it's somewhere I can see myself playing. It was amazing; I really enjoyed myself. It didn't feel like a visit; it felt like a vacation. Anytime you feel like that, at a place you are supposed to be working at, you are in a good situation."

Merritt, at this point, still intends to visit Tennessee next weekend, followed by Arkansas and Michigan as official visits are scheduled.

The addition of Merrit to the 2025 class makes it seven pledges for the Hurricanes: four-star QB Luke Nickel, four-star LB Elijah Melendez, four-star RB Girard Pringle, four-star TE Luka Gilbert, four-star TE Brock Schott, and three-star OL Taykaylen Muex.

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