Miami gets commitment from 5-star OL Alofaituli

Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff WriterJul 5, 2024, 12:48 PM ET
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Miami continued its scorching run on the recruiting trail Friday afternoon when the Hurricanes beat Michigan and Nebraska to a commitment from top interior offensive lineman S.J. Alofaituli.

The five-star offensive guard from Nevada’s Bishop Gorman High School is the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2025 ESPN 300. Alofaituli’s decision comes after the 6-foot-3, 285-pound blocker took official visits to each of Miami, Michigan and Nebraska last month, and he joins the Hurricanes 2025 class as the highest-ranked prospect committed to the program in this cycle.

In Alofaituli, coach Mario Cristobal has his 10th commitment since June 18 in a group headlined by former USC commit Hylton Stubbs — who gave his pledged to the Hurricanes on July 4 — along with inside linebacker Gavin Nix (No. 191 in the 2025 ESPN 300), defensive end Herbert Scroggins (No. 262) and cornerback Chris Ewald (No. 274). Four-star inside linebacker Elijah Melendez, who has been committed to Miami since December, remains the Hurricanes’ top-ranked defender in the 2025 class.

Alofaituli, one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the 2025 class, held a lengthy list of offers with interest across the SEC and Big Ten. The pull of Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal and the program’s track record for molding top offensive line talent are part of what drew Alofaituli to Coral Gables.

“The vibe and the people in the building that really make the program possible is really what stuck out to me,” he told ESPN. “Coach Cristobal, Coach Mirabal, and [graduate assistant] Reggie Bain were overall just great people and they know how to develop offensive linemen there.”

Originally from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Alofaituli is a stalwart along the offensive line at national power Bishop Gorman and will close his high school career as a four-year starter. A versatile blocker across the line for a program that finished 12-0 on its way to the Nevada 5A Division I state title last fall, Alofaituli is expected to play as a guard or center at the next level.

Upon his commitment, Alofaituli intends to shut down his recruitment.

“For now, it would be closed,” he said. “But if anything happens then I’d be willing to take visits.”

Miami began the month outside ESPN’s top-25 rankings in the 2025 class. With Alofaituli’s pledge on the end of a hot run for Cristobal & Co., the Hurricanes are trending upward as July heats up on the recruiting trail.