Mario Cristobal and Miami are unstoppable this season! The Hurricanes have destroyed everything that came their way as they lead the season with an unbeaten record. Considering Miami has not been in the National Championship picture since 2001, their rise to glory surprised everyone, including a 2026, 4-star RB prospect, Derek Cooper. This youngster was awed by the program he heard about from his relatives. But it’s their upcoming Saturday game against Duke that’s going to decide their 2026 recruiting destiny. 

In a new YouTube episode on On3 Recruits on November 2, Steve Wiltfong joined Josh Newberg to give a recruiting update on Miami’s weekend. They’re currently in pursuit of three 2026 5-star recruits who are all set to visit the Hurricanes’ weekend game against the Blue Devils. Wiltfong said of 5-star, No. 1 OT Jackson Cantwell, “The way Miami is playing has made them a little more enticing… He’s excited to go see the Hurricanes for the first time. Every other school that he’s gone to for game visit this year, that’s a return visit, maybe even a return visit times two. So we’ll see if Miami can make a move here.”

Another 5-star recruit who’ll be in attendance at the Miami vs. Duke game is No. 1 TE Kendre Harrison. The Reidsville two-way player is also the No. 11 overall prospect. Wiltfong informed that the Hurricanes are “all in one him.” Still, his passion for basketball could stand in the way because of his desire to play basketball on the next level. Wiltfong added, “It’ll be interesting to see how that all shakes out but Miami’s going to get him on campus this weekend.”

Next on the topic is 5-star EDGE Anthony Jones. Considering that he’s from the state of Alabama, On3 RPM predicted a 32.1% chance of the No. 2 EDGE and No. 7 overall to commit to Alabama. But a visit to Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday could change opinions. Miami currently has three 4-star commitments retained for the 2026 class, ranking 13th in the nation as per On3. Winning the commitment of these blue-chip players would be a cherry on top of the clean season they’re enjoying. 

Miami shadows Duke in prediction

Miami’s latest victory came from Florida State whom they crushed 36-14 to advance to the No. 5 spot in the AP Poll ranking with a 8-0 record. But right now, it’s time to let the past victories hibernate. A huge game awaits, with the prospective commits’ presence, that could decide their future success. 

The Hurricanes are entering the ACC battle as a 20.5-point favorite against the Blue Devils who fell to SMU in their last game. They currently rank No. 1 in the nation in scoring production and No. 2 overall with 367 passing yards per game. While Miami holds a good chance to win, upsets aren’t impossible. We’ll see what goes down once the teams meet for the conference clash.