
The Miami Hurricanes football 2025 recruiting class just got a little bit better in the eyes of scouts as several players saw their rankings increase in the most recent 247 recruiting rankings.
Most notably, Hayden Lowe, the edge rusher out of California that Miami flipped from USC, was one of 10 new five-star recruits in the final rankings. Lowe finished as the number 2 rated edge rusher in the class after dominating the Navy All-American bowl, earning the honor as an “Alpha Dog” for his work in the practices. The 16th ranked prospect in this class, Lowe is the Canes’ highest rated recruit in the 2025 class. Lowe, who 247 likens to Kayvon Thibodeaux, dominated his senior season with 16 sacks and 59 total tackles, 18 of which were for a loss. His combination of burst and power at 6-5, 250 pounds could make him a high-level contributor for Miami. After landing five-star and third-rated defensive lineman Justin Scott in last year’s class, the Canes’ again land a big name in the defensive trenches.
He wasn’t the only notable name to get a boost in the final rankings. One of high school’s most prolific passers, Luke Nickel, will finish as a four-star. The quarterback out of Alpharetta, Georgia, posted 44 touchdowns to seven interceptions and a QBR of 139.4 his senior year, earning the designation as a MaxPreps First-Team All-America on his way to a state championship in 2024. Nickel is expected to succeed Carson Beck as Miami’s starting QB in 2026. He draws some similarities to Beck as a great field general who can pick apart defense when on schedule and in rhythm. Joining Nickel will be his brother, tight end Jack Nickel, who is transferring in from UAB. With Carson Beck’s status for the spring game up in the air, it will be interesting to see how much Nickel will play.
Kellen Wiley, a linebacker out of Seffner, Florida, also moved up to be a four-star. Wiley, with the physicality and instincts to make run fits while also being able to drop into coverage, has the potential to be both an off-ball and on-ball linebacker. His senior year he totaled 75 tackles, 13 for loss, with seven sacks as well.
Miami at the end of the recruiting season finishes with the best class in the ACC for the third straight year and the 12th best class in the nation. Their 23 four-star recruits rank fourth in the nation and are five more than anyone else in the ACC. With the fifth-best transfer class on top of this and the spring window still yet to come, the Canes’ could climb even higher in the coming months. As for now, though, they have a promising future to build on the success of last year into something potentially more.