Sack master commits to Miami’s Mario Cristobal, Jason Taylor, as UM’s newest ‘24 pledge
The Miami Hurricanes continue their recruiting onslaught for the signing class of 2024.
The newest future Cane to pledge his allegiance to the University of Miami is Tampa Wharton High four-star edge rusher Booker Pickett Jr., who also happens to be the son of former Cane defensive end Booker Pickett, who played at UM from 1993 through 1996.
“1000% COMMITTED!” pickett posted on social media, accompanied by orange and green heart emojis.
Picketts’ commitment on Thursday night lifted UM to 247Sports’ No. 10 recruiting class and On3.com’s No. 15 class for 2024. He joins four-star Chicago Kenwood Academy’s Marquise Lightfoot and four-star Cincinnati Taft’s Elias Rudolph as blue chip commits in that class.
#GoCanes 1000% COMMITTED! @canesfootball @coach_cristobal@jasontaylor @coach_addae @dtrain2901 @Coach_Baham @DrPickettPhD pic.twitter.com/UhfnrPsINb
— Booker “ B9 ” Pickett jr. (@pickett_booker) October 19, 2023
Pickett, 6-3 and 205 pounds, is a senior at Wharton, where he racked up, according to Max Preps, an astounding 30 sacks last season as a junior. Through seven games of his fourth high school season, Pickett has 70 sacks.
He is rated by the On3 industry ranking as the No. 19 edge and the nation’s 221 overall prospect — and 31st best player, regardless of position, in Florida. The 247Sports ratings have him as the No. 240 overall prospect and also the nation’s No. 19 edge rusher (26th best player in Florida).
Pickett is the Hurricanes’ 24th member of the 2024 recruiting class, and credited UM co-defensive line coach Jason Taylor, a former Miami Dolphin and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “We are similar players,’’ Pickett told On3’s Chad Simmons. “He looked a lot like me at one time and I really feel he could help develop me.’’
Pickett told On3 in early August that the Hurricanes were in his top five finalists, along with Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State and South Carolina.
