Mario Cristobal’s recruiting machine is at it again. After building his 2025 title contender by flipping top talent like Keshawn Stancil and DeAnthony Lafayette in 2026, he’s now setting his sights on a five-star prospect who seemed all but locked up by Texas A&M.

Notably, Miami has now offered 2027 offensive line recruit Albert Simien, who has a 66% chance (per ON3) of landing in College Station. “After a great conversation with Coach Mirabal (Miami’s O-line coach), I am blessed to receive an offer from @CanesFootball. Thank you for the opportunity,” wrote Albert on his X account, posting a Canes logo.

Simien’s recruiting began to gain momentum in late 2024, with LSU the first program to offer him a scholarship. As a Lake Charles native, the team connected well with Simien, leading to offers from other top programs, including Alabama, in March 2025 after Simien’s visit. Over time, all major Power 4 teams offered him, and he ranked No. 1 in the 2027 OL rankings.

However, Texas A&M began to leave an impression after the 6’3″ and 275 lbs interior offensive lineman visited during fall camp. “Texas A&M makes me and my family feel special. The coaches make us feel comfortable,” Simien said about the Aggies. “I visited once on my dad’s birthday, and the whole staff knew it without us telling them.

That showed us a lot. Coach Elko, Coach Cushing – the whole staff – they recruit me hard, they know me well, and that family feeling always stands out.”

Oklahoma was another program aggressively recruiting Albert. He visited Norman around July 2025, and ON3 was even “taken aback” by the level of great treatment the Louisiana native received there. “Visiting Norman was a good experience,” Simien told On3.

Still, Texas A&M stood its ground, and he kept LSU, Nebraska, and the Aggies in his top-3 schools. One of the main factors for Simien’s interest was Texas A&M’s elite O-line, which allowed just 14 sacks in 2024. But Miami is still a top dog in that area, as they showed it in the 2025 season.

Miami’s dominant play at the line of scrimmage was the difference-maker in their playoff win over Texas A&M. Miami had 7 sacks on Texas A&M’s O-line, and the Aggies had no answer to Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor’s prowess. Aggies, in turn, recorded just two sacks and lost 10-3.

With Miami, a national finalist, now in the mix, the entire dynamic of Simien’s recruitment could be on the verge of a major shift.

Miami’s late 2027 cycle push can land Albert Simien away from the Aggies

Since Miami offered very late, the program isn’t yet Albert’s top priority. However, the Canes’ O-line allowed just 16 sacks over 16 games in the 2025 season. Moreover, given Mario Cristobal’s aggressive push to recruit and leverage NIL, it will not take long to match Texas A&M’s recruitment of Simien.

At Miami, Mario Cristobal has a strong record of late-cycle flips, with staff like Dennis Smith and Trip Carrico promoting Miami’s energy before signing day. In 2026, Miami secured at least 8 flips, including WR Milan Paris from Iowa State, DB JJ Dunnigan from Kansas, and DL/LB Karsten Busch from Louisville.

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Due to Cristobal’s recruiting prowess, he landed an 8th-ranked national class with 65% blue-chip recruits. OT Jackson Cantwell headlined the class, and he got a whopping $2.5 million per year NIL deal. The move alone explained Miami’s NIL capabilities and raised eyebrows. But Cristobal didn’t budge, ultimately landing Cantwell even with Georgia and Kirby Smart personally leading his recruitment.

Based on recent trends, Albert Simien might commit to Miami in a similar way to Jackson Cantwell. This could be unfavorable for Mike Elko, who aims to strengthen his 2027 recruiting class, currently ranked 7th.