ICYMI: 5-Star OL Confirms commits to Miami Hurricanes over Michigan, Nebraska
The University of Miami landed a major commitment on Friday from S.J. Alofaituli, one of the top interior offensive linemen in the 2025 recruiting class.
According to ESPN’s Eli Lederman, Alofaituli chose the Hurricanes over Michigan and Nebraska.
A 4-star recruit according to 247Sports, Alofaituli is ranked as the No. 77 overall player and the No. 3 interior offensive lineman in his class. ESPN rates him even higher, ranking him as a 5-star prospect and the No. 10 overall recruit in the ESPN 300 for 2025.
In explaining his decision to commit to Miami, Alofaituli told Lederman, “The vibe and the people in the building that really make the program possible is really what stuck out to me. [Head] Coach [Mario] Cristobal, [offensive line] Coach [Alex] Mirabal, and [graduate assistant] Reggie Bain were overall just great people and they know how to develop offensive linemen there.”
Standing 6’3″ and weighing 280 pounds, Alofaituli is a standout at the prestigious Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas and attracted significant interest during his recruitment. In addition to Miami, Michigan, and Nebraska, Alofaituli received scholarship offers from top programs such as Alabama, USC, Washington, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Penn State.
Lederman also highlighted that Miami has been on a recruiting hot streak, with Alofaituli becoming head coach Mario Cristobal’s 10th commitment since June 18. With this latest addition, the Hurricanes now rank eighth in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class.
Miami, once a powerhouse in college football, has struggled to return to its former glory. The Hurricanes have not won 10 or more games in a season since 2017 and have only achieved that milestone once in the past 20 years. After a disappointing 5-7 record in Cristobal’s first season as head coach in 2022, Miami improved slightly to 7-6 last season. However, with Cristobal building strong recruiting classes, there is renewed hope that the Hurricanes could soon re-enter the ACC title race and potentially the College Football Playoff conversation.