Brian Smith joins host Alex Donno to scout new Miami Hurricanes verbal commit Timothy Merritt. What will the Parker HS (Birmingham, AL) standout bring to The U?
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00:00You have watched Parker High School before in Birmingham.
00:03That's the high school of Timothy Merritt.
00:05So Miami's new cornerback commit who loved his official visit so much.
00:10He locked things in verbally with Miami last night, Brian.
00:13What can you tell the folks out there about this six foot 280 pound cornerback?
00:18When I first walked out to the spring game, when I went and saw Parker,
00:22they had three DBs that were power five guys, so they've got players.
00:26And I was like, okay, who's this, who's this, who's this?
00:28I was figuring out who's who, and just like the look of him,
00:31Merritt looks like the guy that's gonna play in the NFL.
00:33Just like the physique, the length, and all that.
00:36So I get why he had a bunch of offers.
00:38Then I saw the way he played, the way he ran.
00:40The only thing with him is just finalizing technique,
00:42which most high school kids need.
00:44But the physical tools are as good as any player in the country at his spot.
00:49How well he develops will be up to him and the staff at Miami.
00:51But great kid, loves football, plays hard, physical,
00:56has the length and speed you're looking for.
00:59This is the kind of guy that you can set your DB board around and be happy with.
01:02Wow, I love that.
01:04So Brian, something that people will notice about a lot of the commitments
01:08Miami's been getting, a lot of players that are visiting,
01:10a lot of guys out of places like Georgia and Alabama.
01:14And of course, in the state of Alabama, Chavis Jackson,
01:17the DB's coach who was Timothy Merritt's primary recruiter, he's from that state.
01:22And you spent a lot of time, you live in Alabama now, Brian.
01:25Is it interesting to see how many of the top kids in that?
01:28And obviously, Auburn and Alabama are gonna get most of these guys.
01:32But just how many of the top players in the state Miami is in it for?
01:36I think it's a bit unique, but there is the caveat that a few of the guys on
01:40the staff have coached in that state or like Chavis are from this state.
01:44Remember, Mario spent time with Nick in Tuscaloosa.
01:47So you have to remember that and you also have to think about it this way.
01:51When he went to Oregon, they always recruited Alabama.
01:53They always get like one Alabama kid every year.
01:56He likes that state.
01:57It's a priority for the Hurricanes.
01:59And as long as Chris DeBall is the head coach for Miami,
02:01that's probably gonna be a state they get at least one guy.
02:03The kids they got last year, by the way, are really, really good at Alabama.
02:07Yeah, so in terms of Merritt,
02:09the other schools that were considered to be trending for him.
02:12The Tennessee Volunteers, Arkansas, Alabama, and Auburn in the mix.
02:17You could probably speak to the Auburn and Alabama interest, Brian.
02:21Like how interested do you think that they were in Merritt?
02:23I know he has offers from both.
02:25When I talked to Timothy at the spring game,
02:28I talked to him towards the end of the contest on the sidelines.
02:31I asked him, okay, what about these schools, this school, and all this?
02:33And he, at the time, had no idea where he was gonna go.
02:36It's only a few weeks back.
02:37But he mentioned that he was gonna visit Auburn and
02:39Alabama probably during the season, but they were in the mix.
02:42And then about Tennessee and Miami and all this, we're gonna be really,
02:45really soon, and that was it.
02:48But Auburn was a school that I was told liked him a lot.
02:50Alabama wasn't as sure about him.
02:53Auburn's a threat because they've got a lot of NIL money, too.
02:56It's closer to home, all of that.
02:59But for him to commit right after Miami,
03:00they must have really struck a chord with him.
03:03Cuz he's been to Auburn and other places before, and
03:05he didn't get to this level.
03:08Miami did something, so I'm not sure it matters as much.
03:11I don't think Alabama is after him, after him.
03:14So they may not have much of a shot anyway.
03:18I think this will stick, to be honest with you.