FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — After months of speculation that the Miami Hurricanes could flip star California quarterback recruit Jake Garcia when he was committed to Southern Cal and his Dec. 3 decision to back off that pledge, ramping up the possibility, the move was finally completed on Wednesday night.
Garcia, a four-star prospect who played his senior season at Grayson High in Georgia after transferring twice from his previous Los Angeles-area school, announced his decision to sign with UM on the first day of college football’s Early Signing Period.
Arkansas and Florida State were also involved late in Garcia’s recruitment since his decommitment from the Trojans, but Miami was viewed as the favorite to land him.
Garcia was highly recruited by Miami in the summer of 2019, ahead of his junior season, but committed to USC that September. In June, another top quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, Miller Moss, also pledged with Southern Cal.
It gave USC two quarterback commits while UM’s impressive class remained without one. That reignited the idea that Garcia could reconsider, especially given how much current recruits in the class and Miami fans on social media have pushed for Garcia to join the Hurricanes.
The Trojans still ended up landing a second quarterback on Wednesday with Utah pro-style passer Jaxson Dart also joining their class.
A California quarterback trekking across the country to play at Miami is nothing new — albeit, in Garcia’s case, he had a pit stop for a high school senior season in Georgia. Some notable examples include 1992 Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta, 2001 national champion Ken Dorsey, Brad Kaaya and Kyle Wright.
Under an odd Georgia high school transfer rule, Garcia’s parents had to legally separate to grant him immediate eligibility in the state after his mother couldn’t move with him and his father due to work obligations.
Garcia is the nation’s No. 5-ranked pro-style quarterback prospect in the 2021 class, according to Rivals and the 247 Sports composite rankings.
Miami’s recruiting class got the quarterback it was missing after inking 20 other prospects earlier Wednesday, including five-star prospects in safety James Williams and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, from American Heritage and Miami Palmetto, respectively.
