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4-Star OT Jalen Rivers Commits to Miami over Alabama, Georgia, FSU and Florida
June 9, 2019
The Miami Hurricanes secured the commitment of 4-star offensive tackle Jalen Rivers on Sunday morning.
Rivers is the No. 18 offensive tackle in the class of 2020, the No. 21 player from the state of Florida and the No. 152 player overall, according to 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings.
Miami wasn't without competition for the 6'6" and 331-pound tackle—he was also considering Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Florida State, per Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com.
"I picked Miami because I just feel like it's for me," he told Andrew Ivins of 247Sports. "I felt it in my heart. I like the coaching staff and I love the area. I just like the overall feel of Miami. You couldn't ask for a better place."
David Lake of 247Sports broke down Rivers' game, projecting him as either a right tackle or guard:
"Rivers has the length to potentially be a right tackle, but he is going to need to improve his athleticism in order to be a consistent player at the college level there. Ideally, Rivers is a road-grading guard that can wear down an opposing defensive line during the course of a game with his combination of size and strength. Rivers is the type of offensive lineman that can open up running lanes in the second half as a defense wears down."
He's the latest addition in what has already been an impressive 2020 recruiting period for the Hurricanes. The team ranks fourth in 247Sports' composite rankings, with 5-star running back Don Chaney Jr. leading the class. Rivers is one of eight 4-star recruits for the Hurricanes in total, including wideouts Bryan Robinson and Marcus Fleming and quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
Suffice to say, the Hurricanes are building the makings of an impressive offense for the future. And new head coach Manny Diaz left an impression on Rivers.
"[Coach Diaz] just wants to build the program and make it better," he said. "As a person, I love being around him. He's great to talk to. We were in a meeting with him the last time we were down there, and it was great. That was the most I have ever talked to a head coach in a meeting."