The college football season is wrapping up, but elsewhere in the CFB world, a blazing 2025 roster is prepping. The run inside the gridiron is fast, but the run outside the gridiron is even faster, with the teams looking to hit their best recruitment potential for the upcoming year. Miami Hurricanes, from that ground, are on a roll right now. The latest under their watch is Kendre Harrison, a highly sought-after tight end from Reidsville. The leading prospect from North Carolina has become one of the hottest sensations among the CFB giants. Thanks to his Prodigious numbers in his sophomore year. 17 passes for 263 yards, five touchdowns on the offensive line, 92 tackles, nine sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, and three pass breakups on the defense added some serious value to flaunt on his card. There was no way that Mario Cristobal could miss out on this incredible talent bomb.

Harrison garnered a slew of offers (nearly 40) for both basketball and football collegiate grounds. However, after micro-judging his options, the kid narrowed down to a few nearly perfect fits, including Penn State, Florida, North Carolina, Miami, Tennessee, and Oregon. However, as ON3 recruiting head Josh Newberg sees, the Hurricanes have an edge over the others. ”I think the Hurricanes are setting the tone in his recruitment right now and the number one tight end in the country, Kendry Harrison, was also at Miami. It was his second time visiting the Hurricanes as well. He loves where Miami is at the direction of the program. The high-powered offense could see him in Coral Gables, so Miami, I think, is becoming one of the front-runners. Miami is moving the needle with maybe the best high school football player in the junior class ”

During the last weekend, the 6-foot-7, 243-pounder witnessed an impressive win over the Hurricanes. Spending a whole day near the campus, the top 2026 prospect, once again, reassured of his interest, saying, ‘They’re definitely one of my top schools’.

Georgia and Tennessee have also been on Harrison’s radar. He had a fruitful visit to the Bulldogs’ camp last year and developed some strong ties with the coaches, including Todd Hartley. He also had enough interactions with the Tennessee coaching staff, visiting the campus thrice so far. But then Cristobal and his recruitment obsession is a definite thing to watch out for.

Mario Cristobal is unstoppable in his recruitment race

Miami Hurricanes showcase their roster strength throughout the season. After the latest statement win over FSU, the head coach had his drop-the-mic moment, addressing the recruits to see how the other programs can’t come close to the trajectory Miami had built.

Well, he was not exaggerating, though. After their high-flying Florida beat down, two-time NFL Pro Bowler Clinton Portis right away committed to the programs as the third one in Cristóbal’s 2026 dynasty.

You might scratch your head wondering what the sweet mystery behind Mario Cristobal’s magnetizing all the recruits to his program is, but it is not rocket science. It’s just that the veteran coach has honed his skills through the years to build a strong roster and looks for the right thing in the potential recruits. Now, in year three in Miami, it has become a recurring theme for him.

During an appearance on Always College Football, Mario Cristobal explained to Greg McElroy what he sees as the critical factors that he uses to recruit new players to Miami. Beyond sheer professionalism, the coach values the team spirit and the importance of fitting well into the culture, as it can help foster a better output in the field.

Pinpointing the critical factor, the former Oregon HC noted, ”they have to be a great locker room fit, right? The mentality has got to be on point. They can’t be an agenda-driven, independent contractors…it’s got to be that way.”

With a rousing reshuffle in the roster, we can see a lot of other top talents flock to the table in the days to come.

What’s your take on the Miami Hurricanes reportedly getting closer to landing Kendre Harrison? Let us know in the comments.