The Early Signing Period opens in just a few hours and carries through the week, and the late movement at running back has Tennessee scrambling at the worst possible time. The Volunteers came into the week believing they had positioned themselves well for a late push at four-star running back Amari Latimer, but instead, Miami has surged to the front of the race as decision time approaches. 

“For Tennessee, they would love to add four-star running back Amari Latimer,” said Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong on the Dec 02 episode of Rivals’. “Running back remains a position of need. He’s the guy they’ve loved the entire cycle. I’d maybe lean Miami right now. I know colleague Chad Simmons feels the same way. But Tennessee is still in the conversation, so anything can happen over the last 48 hours.”

Latimer, a 4-star back committed to Wisconsin since late May, has been on Tennessee’s radar for weeks. Latimer visited Knoxville a month ago for the Oklahoma game. It was his fourth trip since 2023 and his first since pledging to the Badgers. Tennessee viewed that visit as a chance to stay in the fight, but Miami’s longstanding involvement has regained traction at the most important moment.

Miami was one of the early programs to offer Latimer back in October 2023, and the Hurricanes have remained steady in their pursuit ever since. Since then, Mario Cristobal’s Miami has been trying to land a commitment from the 4-star prospect. Ranking 10th in the 2026 recruitment class with 29 commitments, Miami has yet to fill its running back position from the class. That shared urgency between the two programs, combined with Miami’s early relationship and late-cycle momentum, has complicated the path the Volunteers hoped to take.

Moreover, the Hurricanes have shown the ability to land flips late in cycles multiple times, which strengthens their position. Wisconsin’s recent struggles and outside speculation about the direction of their program have also made Latimer’s commitment a topic of national recruiting discussion. For Latimer, a move to Miami would place him inside a major ACC program assembling a strong 2026 class, one that continues to attract high-level talent. The Hurricanes’ current trajectory, combined with their aggressive push for him throughout the cycle, gives them a clear angle as the final hours before the signing window arrive.

Tennessee remains in the conversation, as Wiltfong noted, but Miami’s late rise is now the storyline heading into the start of the Early Signing Period.

Amari Latimer’s career highlights

Amari Latimer is a multi-sport athlete who plays football, track, and basketball. As a football player, he played both running back and receiver at Sandy Greek High School. Latimer went over 5,000 yards from scrimmage for his career in the game. In the 2025 season, he carried 215 times for 2,171 yards and 44 touchdowns. He rushed for 100+ yards in 13 straight games this season, averaging 167 yards per game. Latimer led his team to the High School Football playoffs in the GHSA Class 3A with a consistent performance. This is his third consecutive 1000+ yards season, and he is the fourth-highest senior running back prospect in Georgia.

He is the younger brother of former Sandy Creek QB Geimere Latimer, who led the Patriots to a 2022 state title. Amari has 47 offers, but followed his brother’s path to join the Wisconsin Badgers in June 2025. However, some big schools are still pushing hard to land him a commitment, including Ohio State, Tennessee, Miami, Indiana, and more.