Four-star edge rusher DeAnthony Lafayette made headlines when he decommitted from LSU following the firing of head coach Brian Kelly. Lafayette was the No. 41 edge rusher in the class, but the No. 5 ranked edge in the state of Florida.
Despite showing considerable enthusiasm for the Bayou Tigers when he committed, Lafayette is returning home to Florida. When he reopened his recruitment, he was believed to have his newest recruiting decision down to Florida State and Miami. Lafayette ultimately chose to join the Miami Hurricanes and Mario Cristobal.
In Lafayette’s junior season, he racked up 73 tackes, 40 quarterback hurries, and over 17 sacks. Like LSU, Miami has done a decent job recruiting under Cristobal. However, there is a Rueben Bain Jr sized elephant in the room. Bain is being projected by many NFL draft analysts to be the first edge rusher off the board in the next NFL draft. Miami will likely need to lean on other recruits to fill that void in 2026.
According to Yahoo Sports, Lafayette has confirmed the switch to Miami. Per the Yahoo Sports report, Miami quickly ascended Lafayette’s list of possible choices.
“I was back there this weekend, and I’ve known I was going to Miami for a little bit now,” Lafayette told Rivals. “I chose Miami over Florida State after the change at LSU.”
Lafayette cited the defensive coaches as being a big part of his flip. “Coach (Jason) Taylor was a big part of my decision. He’s one of the best coaches in the country. Look at what he’s doing with players at Miami,” Lafayette said. “He’s a great coach who can really develop players.”
He also credited Defensive Coordinator Hetherman as a significant part of his decision. “Coach Hetherman is a great defensive coordinator,” Lafayette added. “I like his scheme and he was part of my decision. He further explained “they stayed consistent” throughout the process. Continuing to recruit him even when it seemed unlikely. He said they “kept recruiting me and kept making me feel important.”
Lafayette admitted that he knew before his recent visit last week to Miami that he was going to choose Miami. With this most recent iteration of his commitment, Lafayette plans to sign with Miami in December during the early signing period.
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