Eli LedermanMar 5, 2026, 10:06 PM ET

CloseEli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.

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Miami secured the commitment of a top in-state target Thursday night with a pledge from four-star wide receiver Nick Lennear, ESPN’s No. 26 overall prospect in the 2027 cycle.

The 6-foot, 170-pound playmaker from Miami, Florida, is the fifth-ranked wide receiver in the SC Next 300. Lennear, who counted Florida State, LSU, Syracuse and Texas A&M among his finalists, announced his commitment to the hometown Hurricanes during a “305 Day” visit with the program.

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Lennear lands as the top-ranked pledge in Miami’s 2027 class and marks the most significant addition yet in a strong run of local recruiting for the reigning national runner-ups. As things stand, all five of the Hurricanes’ commits in the 2027 cycle come from the state of Florida, including athlete Demarcus Deroche (No. 284) and wide receiver Ah’Mari Stevens (No. 298).

An all-around big-play threat with sharp route running ability, Lennear was credited with 42 receptions for 778 yards and 12 touchdowns while helping Miami Northwestern High School to a 3A state championship in a breakout sophomore season in 2024. As a junior this past fall, Lennear was instrumental in leading Miami Northwestern back to the state title game, where he hauled in six passes for 135 yards and a receiving score. Lennear will play his senior season this fall at Miami Carol City High School following an offseason transfer late last year.

Lennear’s commitment arrived Thursday with a number of Miami’s blue-chip 2027 targets on campus for one the premier dates on the program’s recruiting calendar. That group included five-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews (No. 10 overall), No. 1 outside linebacker Kaden Henderson and top 35 athlete Myson Johnson-Cook. The Hurricanes are also engaged with multiple quarterbacks in the 2027 class with Israel Abrams (No. 116), Will Mencl (No. 237) and in-state passer Davin Davidson (No. 175) among the program’s top targets.