Miami is still alive for one of the biggest bodies and biggest names in the 2028 recruiting cycle. Five-star offensive tackle Antijuan ‘Shaq’ Wilkes Jr. included the Hurricanes in his Top 12.
Wilkes’ top group includes Miami, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, LSU, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Missouri. That is not a soft list. It is pretty much an up-and-down list of the programs that recruit offensive linemen at the highest level. If Miami wants to live in that neighborhood, it has to keep showing up in recruitments like this one.
Wilkes is the No. 6 overall player and No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2028 Rivals300. His On3/Rivals profile lists him as a Detroit prospect with a five-star Rivals rating and a No. 1 position ranking. Wilkes plays for Detroit powerhouse Cass Tech and is listed by Rivals as the top offensive tackle in the class.
The Hurricanes are in the mix for a national offensive line prize from Michigan. Michigan and Michigan State will push the in-state angle. Ohio State has obvious Big Ten pull. The SEC programs can sell trench prestige. Oregon has become a national line-recruiting player. Miami has to beat a lot of real pitches here.
On3/Rivals’ scouting summary describes Wilkes as a high-upside tackle with elite length, movement ability, reactive quickness and room to keep adding strength. That is the type of early-cycle profile that usually gets more expensive as the process moves along. Long, athletic tackles do not stay quiet. The more he develops, the more crowded this recruitment will get.
Miami fans should also be realistic about what a top 12 means. It is not a commitment forecast. It isn’t really a finalist list. It is a survival point, but survival matters when the player is this highly rated and the competition is this loaded. Miami stayed on the board while a lot of other programs did not.
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