Mario Cristobal referred to his 2026 recruiting class as the deepest he has ever had, and it is evident in the 30 commitments. Still, even with a “really, really good football team,” Cristobal knows the work never stops. That’s why, when an SEC-tested LB from Auburn discreetly joined the portal, Miami’s name quickly came up, especially with a Hurricanes assistant on staff who knew the player well and recruited him long before.

On December 24, Chris Hummer broke the news, reporting that Auburn’s all-SEC LB Robert Woodyard plans to enter the portal. He had 67 tackles, seven TFLs, and two sacks this year. According to PFF, Robert Woodyard ranks as the second-highest graded LB in the SEC. But then came the Miami connection. According to Miami insider Gaby Urrutia, Woodyard is a quality linebacker option who was recruited to Auburn by Miami DB coach Zac Etheridge.

The backstory makes it even more interesting. Before switching to Auburn in 2022, Robert Woodyard, the four-star, Top-175 national prospect from Mobile, had already committed to Alabama. The decision followed the development of real connections, which were established by Zac Etheridge, one of the main recruiters who helped pull him away from the Tide.

Etheridge brought in significant credibility from his Auburn days to Coral Gables in his debut season as Miami’s defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. He is a proven developer and a persistent recruiter.

And that’s where the Miami angle starts to feel more than speculative. Cristobal has stressed that they are looking for players who match the culture and have a strong sense of character. This linebacker possesses leadership experience, SEC toughness, and a recruiter on staff who is fully aware of his unique qualities.

If Miami’s vision resonates the way it has with others lately, Woodyard could be one portal pursuit that moves fast. His combination of culture and SEC-tested experience is exactly the type of player Cristobal targets to complement the foundation he’s already building in Coral Gables.

Mario Cristobal’s recruiting machine rolls on

Mario Cristobal feels most comfortable during recruiting season, and Miami once again appeared to be an evolving team. National Signing Day came and went with the Hurricanes stacking talent in waves.

“We have a really, really good football team and we felt like today we added our deepest and most talented group to date,” Cristobal said. “By that I mean a class that is full of size, speed, length, power, explosiveness and guys that have an extremely high work ethic and show toughness, resilience, and high character guys that want to be Miami Hurricanes. There are 30 total commitments, with 14 on offense and 16 on defense. It is very well balanced.”

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What stands out most is how wide Miami cast the net. Indeed, Florida continued to serve as the foundation, but this class included players across Missouri, California, Illinois, Ohio, and even Delaware. The Hurricanes stacked every position group, from defensive backs to linebackers to quarterbacks and linemen, and signed the best players in Missouri and Illinois.

And there was an army behind it all. Miami’s recruiting effort was a collective one, with Cristobal leading the way. It was a team effort involving evaluators, analysts, NIL coordinators, and personnel staff. A few made flips that seemed impossible just months ago, while others stabilized recruits through injuries or late pushes, and some created pipelines in the Midwest.