Miami Edges Florida For Malik Bryant Commitment, With Help From Edge

After needing some time to think it over, Mallik Bryant committed to the Miami Hurricanes Wednesday afternoon. Bryant is the third linebacker to make his pledge to the 2023 class along with Raul Aguirre and Bobby Washington. This was a close battle with Florida but Miami was able to close the deal after days of speculation.

Bryant out of Jones High School in Orlando is the highest-rated outside linebacker in the country and Miami adds its tenth blue-chip prospect (Five/Four-Star) with his pledge Wednesday.

Miami again won the battle over an SEC school in recruiting. Bryant chose Miami over Alabama, Florida, and Maryland.

Four-star Aguirre (Alabama, Florida, Georgia), four-star Francis Mauigoa (Alabama, Florida, Tennessee), four-star Robert Stafford (Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky), Five-star Jayden Wayne (Alabama, Georgia, LSU), and four-star Riley Williams (Alabama) all picked Miami within the last month.

Georgia was also highly involved in Bryant’s recruiting process, but as he came closer to a decision, the Bulldogs fell off of his top schools' list.

Bryant took his last official visit to Miami and has been trending toward joining the class since then. He also took officials to Alabama, Florida, and Maryland in June.

The 6'3" 225-pound linebacker seems to already be infused in Miami culture and he uses “the crib” to describe the Hurricanes. Hall of famer and Miami alum Edgerrin James, who is not biologically Malik’s uncle, had some influence on his decision to commit to ‘The U.’

“There is something different about Miami,” Bryant said.

“I just love the atmosphere there as well. My uncle, he is kind of big on Miami as well, too. When my Dad passed, Edgerrin James kind of took me under his wing. He has always been ‘Miami Miami man’ but he is like I don’t care where you go I am always going to support you but I at least want you to check out Miami. When I did, it was everything like he was telling me about Miami. I was like ‘Wow I’m glad I got to finally see it all for myself’ with that.”

James has been a family friend on his father’s side dating back to when he was five or six years old. His father Herman Bryant was lost to gun violence in 2013 and Bryant uses this as motivation.

“That drives me each and every day,” he said. “Because of course, no one knows when they are going to pass with dying so it is like I kind of live my life based on that. I have to maximize my opportunities and the situations I am put in. I have to put in the work to fulfill those days to the fullest extent.” (DawgNation)

Bryant is a U.S. Army All-American and accepted the invite to play in the national all-star game in San Antonio, TX.

Bryant is a game-changing type of linebacker. The former IMG Academy star closes in on his opponents with detonating speed and aggressiveness. He is very effective in containing the rush on the edge and rushing the passer. Possess the ability to cover slot receivers on short underneath routes and can certainly keep up with a speedy running back popping out of the backfield. Bryant projects to be a late first-rounder in the NFL draft pick.