Published Mar 5, 2024
Miami Targets Have Top Performances at Miami Under Armour Camp
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Frank Tucker  •  CanesCounty
Recruiting Analyst
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This off-season, the first major local showcase in South Florida occurred on Sunday at Ives Estates Park at the Under Armour Camp. The Miami stop of UA's 2024 tour brought out dozens of division one prospects, including several Hurricane targets who put together strong performances.

Here are the Miami prospects that made the most noise on Sunday.

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Quarterbacks

The quarterback group was not nearly as star-studded as spots like wide receiver or defensive back, but two young South Florida stars were on point for most of the event.

Bell was the most consistent passer throughout the morning. He showed accuracy on multiple levels of the field and made some tough throws in tight coverage. His downfield touch on vertical throws was next level—especially for a prospect considered a dual threat. His top schools will be coming around springtime, and Miami will make the cut.

The new starter at national power Chaminade-Madonna, Zachary Katz, was poised to be one of the youngest quarterbacks in attendance. The chemistry between him and former teammate, 2026 wide receiver Jasen Lopez, was apparent, and they were on-point when going together in the one-on-one settings. He has solid arm strength that continues to develop, and his frame is rapidly improving in the Chaminade weight training program. Katz grew up a Miami fan, and with a parental connection to the school, it is easy to see the local Hurricanes as a very early leader.

Running Backs

A 2026 heavy group was excellent overall, especially from the Miami target perspective.

Recent Palm Beach Atlantic transfer Deandre Desinor continues to prove he is one of the more explosive offensive weapons in the 2025 class and was uncoverable on anything pushing past 15 yards. The speed is there, but so is the short area quickness and natural hands that make him one of the top three all-purpose backs in the country. Teams like North Carolina and West Virginia likely have an edge, but Miami has offered and could jump back in the race if they made a push.

The local combo of Javian Mallory and Derrek Cooper might end up being two of the best players in the country, regardless of position. Mallory is a trimmed 200-pound now and fits the physical mold of a Mark Fletcher. He is a natural bruiser but showed some chops as a pass catcher against elite linebackers during one-on-ones.

He may not end up at running back, but Cooper will be one of the most sought-after prospects in the country for 2026. He was the most physically impressive prospect in attendance, and he backed it up with speed, route-running ability, and a skill set that projects him out at whatever position he wants to play at the next level. Georgia, Florida State, and others have already tapped in—do not be surprised to see Miami join the fray soon.

Wide Receivers

Florida always has elite wide receiver talent, but the group on Sunday was next-level and deep.

Miami already has Malachi Toney locked in for 2026, but two other outside compliment potentials are Denairius Gray and Calvin Russell III - both of which are top 100 prospects. The length of both prospects has them at 6'2"+ and were plus route runners for their size. Gray won every rep and showed some competitive juice, taking rep after rep. He is in for a tremendous season, stepping in the shoes of Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader.

Russell is a massive player who eats up ground with ease and has soft hands. He has been more of an athlete during his career but is expected to be a true WR1 in 2024. Auburn has Gray, but Miami is still involved, and Russell is a legacy in multiple ways. He is also a close friend of Toney.

Miami's lone wide receiver commit in 2025, Waden Charles, had a solid showing and is physically what you want at the position. He is more of a balanced receiver who is solid in most categories and proved that with an expanded route tree and good hands. The three alpha receivers of the event were Jayvan Boggs, Cortez Mills, and Naeshaun Montgomery. All three have different games and body types.

Boggs is a bigger version of Brandon Inniss. He was the best route runner and did not drop a single pass, which led to a virtual perfect afternoon. He wowed everyone with a one-handed grab for a score against perfect coverage. Boggs was named MVP for good reason. He is locked in with Ohio State right now, but he committed early in the process and will be a top target for many, including Miami as a slot option.

Miami's two most realistic options among the top receivers in the country will be Mills and Montgomery. Both have the Hurricanes high on their list and are precisely what Miami needs as outside options to complement Charles. Mills has elite high-point ability and an expanding ability to lose defenders on short-area routes. Montgomery is smooth with a 6'2" frame. Once he gets corners on their heels, he has the savvy to stack and quickly get vertical.

The sleeper of the event was Dwayne Wimbley. He is all of his listed 6'5" size and did not look out of place despite playing just one season of high school football. Realistically, Wimbley could also be a high-potential project at the tight-end position. He is a Miami kid through and through, so if Miami made an offer here, I would predict a swift lock-in from the two-sport star.

Defensive Linemen

Miami Central represented well in the trenches. Rivals100 defensive lineman Randy Adirika is blossoming physically into the ideal three-technique defensive tackle with the athleticism to jump outside a little if needed. He was solid and did not lose reps against an underwhelming offensive line group. I love where Miami is with Adirika.

The MVP was Floyd Boucard, who recently moved from Alabama to South Florida. He may have earned himself a blue-chip boost in the rankings because he was so good. His hands, counters, hips, and footwork were all so strong. Add in the fact that he is a beefed-up 280-plus pounds, which helped him push around interior linemen when he was not showcasing an impressive finesse pass rush.

Linebackers

Linebackers' one-on-one settings are always a challenge, but Ezekiel Marcelin and Adam Balogoun-Ali were really good despite the uncommon drill.

Marcelin had several pass breakups and ran with backs vertically consistently. He looks closer to 210 pounds, and while Miami has recruited taller linebackers in the last couple of classes, he has the film and now proven coverage skills to fit the mold of what this staff is looking for. The Miami Central pipeline, plus his likely coming to five-plus spring practices, has things looking like a Miami lock.

The star of the linebackers group was Benjamin product Balogoun-Ali. He is the prototype physically, runs well, and has the athletic profile of a two-sport athlete who projects out as an elite defender in 2026. Like Marcelin, he got his hands on multiple passes and showed the ability to stay step for step on wheel routes and throws outside the numbers. Head coach Mario Cristobal has already put his stamp on this recruitment early, and one should expect the 6'2", 215-pound linebacker to be a focus for Miami.

Defensive Backs

The defensive back group had it all - elite times, size, turnovers, and off-season physical growth.

Georgia native Tae Harris traveled to Miami for the camp and ran a 4.38 40-yard time—one of the best in the camp's history. He has a compact, 185-pound frame that screams college-ready. He was able to stay in the hip pockets of multiple top receivers, proving his day was not just a combine time. He recently parted ways with Georgia and will likely make recruiting waves with his performance. Miami was his fifth offer and could be a school he looks deeper into.

The South Florida cornerback duo of Chris Ewald Jr. and Ben Hanks Jr. was neck and neck for the top guy. Ewald earned himself an Under Armour All-American Game invite thanks to a near-perfect day. He has added weight and is looking closer to 175 pounds on top of his near 6'1" size. He will be the top cornerback target for Miami in this class.

Hanks was really good despite being forced to play mostly off-coverage. His length, patience, and ball skills were apparent. He is similar in size to Ewald, and both have a technically sound skill set that makes them early play-time candidates in what could be a depleted Miami cornerback room in 2025. Miami cut for his recent top 10 and will receive an official from the Florida legacy.

Miami Central safety Amari Wallace earned himself some money on Sunday for just how he looked. He is much closer to six feet now and has pushed past the 170-pound size mark. He is filling out and looks like a safety rather than a nickel corner. He is more of a gamer who combines strong tackling with timely turnovers, but he was able to show some man coverage skills against a really good wide receiver group. This is another Miami Central product ending up in green and orange.

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