Mario Cristobal says Miami is still 1-2 years away from reaching recruiting peak

Miami coach Mario Cristobal and his staff are off to a great start in the 2023 recruiting class.

But according to Cristobal, the Canes aren’t that close to where he wants them to be on the recruiting trail. He told reporters on Tuesday that Miami is still “18-24 months” from being where they want to be.

That’s mostly due to the time it takes to build relationships with players and coaches in the area.

Regardless of the reasoning, it should be a scary thought for other teams in the region that Miami isn’t where it wants to be yet from a recruiting perspective. Even though Cristobal hasn’t coached a game yet for the Canes, Miami’s class is already solidly in the top 10 — with room to grow. Only one other program (LSU) is in the top 10 with fewer than 18 commitments.

Looking at recent history, this would be Miami’s first recruiting class in the top 10 since 2018. That class included players like DJ Scaife, Will Mallory and Nesta Jade Silvera. The class was led by 5-star running back Lorenzo Lingard, who later transferred to Florida.

Miami’s 2023 class already has 16 commitments, including a pledge from 5-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. The class ranks No. 9 nationally, according to 247Sports Composite rankings

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The Early Signing Period for the class of 2023 is in December.