2023 edge rusher Jayden Wayne commits to Miami

Jayden Wayne, a heavily coveted edge rusher in the class of 2023, has committed to the Hurricanes.

Ranked as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, Wayne chose Miami over other fierce programs, including Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Oregon.

The Tacoma, Wash. native had been recruited by Miami head coach Mario Cristobal while he was the head coach at Oregon. Cristobal and his staff were still persistent in recruiting Wayne, and it has paid off with his commitment.

“Me and Mario Cristobal’s relationship, I’ve known him since 8th grade We have that bond,” Wayne told 247Sports after his pledge to the Hurricanes.

In his junior season at Lincoln (Wash.) High School, Wayne dominated opposing offenses, tallying 44 tackles (16 of them for a loss) and nine sacks in nine games. He will attend highly regarded IMG (Fla.) Academy for his senior season.

At 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, Wayne demonstrates a plethora of power and speed off the line of scrimmage. His ability to go around offensive tackles swiftly creates immediate pressure in the backfield.

“You guys are getting a beast, a coachable player, willing to learn, not afraid of anything,” Wayne said in a message to Miami fans.

Not only is Wayne a standout as an edge rusher, but he has played a decent bit of offense, as well. In his same junior season, he recorded 18 catches for 269 yards and five touchdowns as a tight end/wide receiver. Most of these catches were from bubble screens that got the rising senior the ball in the open field.

Wayne is another prime addition to an already stacked 2023 recruiting class for Miami. He is the sixth four-star recruit for the Hurricanes in a class that was ranked 11th in the nation before his commitment, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.