Miami offered a scholarship to Drayton Hester, a class of 2031 athlete who’s entering seventh grade next year.
Mario Cristobal connected with Hester on FaceTime last week to make the offer personally. The Miami coach’s early recruitment shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with his approach.
Drayton is the son of Miami legend Devin Hester.
“Number one, congratulations on busting your butt and doing all the things that you’ve been doing at such a young age,” Cristobal said in the video. “I know you guys have got a big game coming up, but I wanted to call you myself and let you know – face-to-face, man-to- man – that we’re offering you a scholarship to Miami and we would love you to be a Miami Hurricane one day, okay? You are that guy. I’m going to recruit you like an absolute madman and I want you to lead the class when it’s your time. Is that fair?”
Devin Hester became one of the NFL’s most electric return specialists after his Miami career ended in 2005.
He averaged 17.2 yards per punt return with three touchdowns as a sophomore for the Hurricanes in 2005. His speed and vision made him a weapon every time he touched the ball.
The elder Hester’s athleticism appears to have transferred to his son.
Drayton’s recruitment will likely intensify as he progresses through middle school and into high school. Major programs typically don’t offer scholarships this early unless they see exceptional talent.
Cristobal’s approach shows how competitive recruiting has become. Programs are identifying and building relationships with prospects years before they can officially sign.
The class of 2031 won’t graduate high school until seven years from now. But Miami wants to establish itself early in Drayton’s recruitment.
