New Miami commit Malik Bryant is already doing his best to hype up the fan base.

Hours after he committed on Wednesday, Bryant made a bold claim: Miami will have the No. 1 overall recruiting class for the 2023 cycle.

Bryant’s commitment did a lot to help that cause. The 4-star linebacker moved Miami from No. 11 to No. 8 overall in the national rankings, per 247Sports Composite rankings

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While being at No. 8 is a far cry from the top spot, there’s a path for the Canes to be real contenders for No. 1 in this class. Miami is still waiting to hear from 5-star offensive lineman Samson Okunlola, 3-star offensive lineman Tommy Kinsler and several other elite prospects.

If Miami does land Okunlola and Kinsler, it would move above Alabama and into the top-5 of the national rankings, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Coach M

ario Cristobal has done a lot of work already to improve Miami’s image in the state of Florida. So far, 10 of the 15 commitments in Miami’s 2023 class are from the Sunshine State.

And while Miami still has a lot of work to do to catch Notre Dame and Ohio State in the national rankings, the Canes are reportedly in good shape for a number of blue-chip in-state players. Miami is still pursuing 5-star receiver Hykeem Williams, 5-star EDGE Samuel M’Pemba, 4-star defensive lineman Rueben Bain and numerous others.

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