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Miami Hurricanes pick up a major recruiting boost for their 2026 class without having to lift a finger

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Craig Smith | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 3:01 PM ET

The Miami Hurricanes have gotten some big help during an electric start to their 2025 season from some new and green faces, which was on display in the Canes' 28-22 win over Florida State on Saturday.

Miami's 17-year-old true freshman phenom Malachi Toney had a huge game with 7 catches for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fellow true freshman safety Bryce Fitzgerald also had a key interception in the game.

Now, Miami could be set to get some help early on from a local young player next season. 4-star commit Kenton Dopson is reclassifying from the 2027 cycle to 2026, per Rivals.

Miami Hurricanes four-star CB commit Kenton Dopson reclassifies for 2026 recruiting cycle

NEWS Elite 2027 Miami CB commit Kenton Dopson is reclassifying to the Class of 2026, @BenjaminRivals reports‼️

Read: https://t.co/0kLUwwcekG pic.twitter.com/il3kge9jXA
— Rivals (@Rivals) October 9, 2025

According to Rivals recruiting insider Marcus Benjamin, Dopson has been taking online classes to be able to reclassify and get to Coral Gables a year early.

Dopson, who plays for Miami Norland High School, is the #169 overall player, #21 cornerback, and #24 player in the state of Florida according to Rivals' industry rankings. He holds offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Penn State, South Carolina, Indiana, Colorado, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse, and USF, among others. He committed to the Hurricanes back on March 13, 2025.

Dopson joins an impressive class of defensive backs coming to Coral Gables next year and jumped to the second-highest ranked player among that group of four star commits. The list includes Jaelen Waters from Seffner, FL, Jontavius Wyman and Cortez Redding, both from Jonesboro, GA, Camdin Portis from Charlotte, NC, and Brody Jennings from Jacksonville, FL.

Miami's 2026 recruiting class currently sits at #12 in the country for 2026 after Dopson's reclassification.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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