Miami priority LB target who already took Hurricanes OV breaks down where things stand in midst of other visits

Miami (Fla.) Central three-star linebacker Ezekiel Marcelin is still in the middle of taking official visits before announcing a commitment later this summer, but as the weeks go by, he’s getting a better idea of where the Hurricanes sit.

The No. 453 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and one of Miami’s top linebacker targets in the 2025 cycle spoke highly of the Hurricanes after his May 31 official visit but took an official visit to Pittsburgh last week and will take an official visit to Stanford next week before making a decision in July or August.

Miami, which has been the strong favorite for Marcelin for much of the spring according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, appeared to generate momentum for the 5-foot-11, 210-pound linebacker following his visit but has continued to face strong pushes from other programs including Penn State and Louisville. But the Hurricanes haven’t let up.

“All of (the schools) are competing for me right now, and I like that about all of them,” Marcelin said. “I’d say they’re all at the same level right now. I’d say they’re all equal. But heading into my commitment, I’d say I think Miami is doing a pretty good job and Pittsburgh is doing a pretty good job as well.”

Pittsburgh made a big impression on Marcelin during his visit and has pushed as hard as the Hurricanes, Marcelin said. The Panthers’ staff also watched him compete at the FIU 7-on-7 competition earlier this month, which he said made him feel ultra-prioritized by the program, although the Hurricanes set a standard on his first official visit that has been hard to match.

“I feel like they set the bar pretty high with that first visit,” Marcelin said. “Basically with me it’s a ‘love who loves you type of thing.’ So whoever is pushing for me the most and where I’m needed at, that’s where I’ll be going. (The Miami visit) was pretty cool, pretty nice. We had a police escort and everything like that, so it was pretty awesome.”

He’s also set up in-season official visits with Penn State and Louisville, where he visited this spring, and plans to continue visiting other programs after he commits. But it’ll be difficult for a program to flip him.

CaneSport’s Take

I wrote last week that I liked where Miami sits for Marcelin and was standing by my RPM prediction for the Hurricanes to land him, and I’ll continue to double down until he commits. Pittsburgh’s efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed and have caught his attention, but his ties to Miami and the Hurricanes’ standing as the hometown school both help the Canes’ chances in a major way. Obviously a recruitment isn’t over until it’s over, but I feel very confident he’ll end up in Coral Gables.

The post Miami priority LB target who already took Hurricanes OV breaks down where things stand in midst of other visits appeared first on On3.