Top-50 linebacker names Miami in top 10, says Hurricanes are among teams standing out

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine may list Florida as the heavy favorite to land top-50 2025 linebacker Tarvos “TJ” Alford, the No. 46 overall prospect in the On300, but the 6-foot-2, 204-pound prospect says Miami is high in his picture, too.

Alford, the No. 8 linebacker recruit in next year’s cycle from Vero Beach (Fla.), listed Miami in his top 10 along with Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee and UCF in his first cut after taking two fall game-day visits to South Florida this fall and numerous trips over the spring and summer. He told CaneSport Miami, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Ohio State and Louisville are the programs separating themselves the most.

“Miami, they were one of my earlier offers,” Alford said. “I’ve always been the guy type of guy to lean more toward who believed more in me in the beginning. That was a big reason, and then my dad’s a huge fan. He lives in Miami, so I’m always down there. Every time I’m around the program I feel like family around them.”

Alford cited his relationship with linebackers coach Derek Nicholson as a strong reason for his interest in the Hurricanes and thinks Miami has put itself in an excellent position early.

“They’re in a great position,” Alford said. “I feel like they’re a top contender. I really enjoy (being around) the program. I love how they use their linebackers coming off the edge, playing in the box, playing in space.”

Alford attended Miami’s Sept. 9 win over Texas A&M and the Hurricanes’ Oct. 7 loss to Georgia Tech, but he remained high on Miami despite its ups and downs. He said his decision to name Miami as one of his top schools came down to a mixture of positive experiences on game-day visits and relationships he’s built with the coaching staff.

“I was already familiar with the coaching staff, so we’d already built that connection,” Alford said. “The game-day visits were a plus, seeing how they use their linebackers, being with my father and all of that.”

Alford doesn’t plan to commit until after he takes his official visits next summer but doesn’t have specific dates in mind for what he’d like his timeline to look like otherwise. He said player development and his family’s comfortability will play the biggest factors in his final decision.

CaneSport’s Take

There’s a strong chance Alford ultimately commits somewhere in the state of Florida given how much he likes his home state and the impressions Florida State, Miami and Florida have made early on. He likes the idea of being able to stay close to his family and his family being able to attend his home games, but he added he won’t have a problem committing to an out-of-state school if he feels it offers the best opportunity.

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