Hurricanes remain a top contender for 4-star IOL, but Georgia continues to come on strong

Georgia has remained the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine’s favorite to land Snellville (Ga.) Parkview four-star interior offensive lineman Cortez Smith for much of his recruitment, but Miami isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The Hurricanes are remaining a strong contender for Smith, a 6-foot-2.5, 270-pound prospect and the No. 157 overall recruit in the On300, and have made the No. 6 interior offensive lineman in the class feel like a real priority since the start of the year, he told CaneSport. Miami has turned up the heat on Smith and made a strong impression on his Jan. 27 visit for the Hurricanes’ junior day, and he feels Miami will have a strong chance to receive one of his official visits.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal have both impressed Smith and have kept the Hurricanes firmly in the race. Smith said they have some form of communication “almost every day” and constantly emphasize player development, although his interest in Miami climbed significantly after their visit to his school in January.

However, Smith noted Georgia has remained very consistent in his recruitment and has continued to prioritize him as well. Smith has visited Georgia more than twice as much as any other program and lives within a few hours of Athens. He last visited Georgia Jan. 13 after taking several game-day visits to Athens last fall.

Smith hasn’t yet scheduled any spring visits or locked anything into his calendar, saying he instead plans to see what pops up in the coming months. However, he tentatively plans to commit sometime in July after his official visits but before the start of his senior season.

CaneSport’s Take

Georgia has been viewed as the frontrunner for Smith for some time, and while it still feels like the Bulldogs are likely in the best position, Miami will continue to pose a threat as long as the Hurricanes continue bringing the four-star prospect to campus. There’s a good chance Smith makes a trip south to Coral Gables at some point this spring before his official visits, but Georgia obviously has the advantage of being within driving distance for Smith.

The post Hurricanes remain a top contender for 4-star IOL, but Georgia continues to come on strong appeared first on On3.