For the past few months, Miami Hurricanes recruiting seemed to be very silent. Miami saw a few commitments here or there, but none of the commits made headlines. However, today hometown safety Zaquan Patterson made headlines.
The stud at safety picked Miami one instate rival Florida State. Patterson stands at 6ft 185 pounds with room to grow. A physical safety that has played close to the line like a linebacker and deep in coverage.
Patterson has shown the ability to take the right angles to make the tackle on tough runners. Not to mention, Patterson has a very quick first step. As a senior, you wouldn’t expect to see him on the kickoff team, but he is. On most clips, Patterson is the first person making contact on the returners.
Zaquan Patterson at Miami
Miami got a beast with this commitment. Patterson will play a huge role in the future of Miami’s secondary. As expected, Miami will lose both starting safeties Kam Kitchens and James Williams to the draft. Patterson will have the opportunity ti start in year 1.
Ultimately, the message Head Coach Mario Cristobal is sending to recruits is that they will have a chance to play. In todays game, recruits want the chance to play day 1; especially if they’re the best at the position.
Needless to say, Patterson has the size and speed to play early. It’s going to be nice to see how well he adjust to the next level.