Miami Predicted to Land Blue-Chip Recruit After Florida Decommitment

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt De Lima | Last updated Feb 15, 2025 3:21 PM ET

On Saturday, the Florida Gators' 2026 recruiting class took a small step back with an announcement from cornerback Jaelen Waters that he was decommitting.

However, one team's loss is another college football program's gain, as On3's Steve Wiltfong predicts Waters will commit to the Miami Hurricanes.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound corner is rated as a 2026 four-star recruit and 122nd-ranked prospect by On3. He's received dozens of offers from schools, including big-time programs like Florida State, Oregon, USC, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, Penn State, Texas and more.

Hailing from Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida, Waters collected 20 total tackles, two interceptions, three passes defended and a fumble recovery in his junior season last year.

On3's @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for Miami to land 4-star CB Jaelen Waters

Waters decommitted from Florida earlier today.

Read: https://t.co/CeXNtrhlNR pic.twitter.com/HQ8iAF35pQ
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 15, 2025

In June 2024, Waters committed to the Florida Gators. Since then, he has planned official visits to Florida in May and Miami in June.

It's still early in the 2026 recruiting year; however, the Hurricanes have three commitments, highlighted by linebacker Jordan Campbell. He is a four-star player from Miami Gardens, Florida, and ranked 82nd in On3's recruit rankings.

The Hurricanes are coming off a 10-3 season that fell apart toward the end of the year. Miami lost three of its last four games, including a 42-41 loss to Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

With the departure of quarterback Cam Ward, who is likely to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft , the Hurricanes have secured the services via the transfer portal of former Georgia signal-caller Carson Beck next season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: