​The Miami Hurricanes are the No. 1 team in the country for the first time since 2002, but they’ve been recruiting at the highest level for years now.The Oct. 17 double-overtime thriller over Florida State reaffirmed the ‘Canes status as top dog in the Sunshine State, where many of the top recruits in the country call home.Miami packed Hard Rock Stadium with dozens of elite prospects for the rivalry bout. Gameday visits at Miami have always been unique, but the FSU game had extra juice that Mario Cristobal and his staff wanted recruits front-and-center for it.TOM D’ANGELO: Miami No. 1 after chaotic weekend, but what do we know about college football?”Certainly all the recruits here got a chance to see Hard Rock in full force,” Cristobal said after the game. The visitor’s list was stuffed with some of the most elite players in the country, and the environment at Hard Rock has pushed the ‘Canes towards the top of players’ boards (if they weren’t already there before.) Miami visitors list a flex of it’s own The in-state recruit list for the ‘Canes was impressive. With most of their 2027 class sitting well-protected and in attendance, the focus has been on recruits in the class of 2028.Miami has made considerable progress in the recruitments of five-stars Brysen Wright (Mandarin wide receiver) and Asher Ghioto (Bolles EDGE), both of which were at the game. Also at Hard Rock was Ghioto’s teammates at Bolles, running back Xander Edwards and tight end J.C. Wessell.Both Edwards and Wessell are premier four-star prospects. The ‘Canes are battling Florida and Ohio State for Edwards, while Wessell has taken a gameday visit to Georgia this year.Miami is also laying the groundwork on elite local prospects that they’ve already identified. Ben McFadden Jr. is an edge rusher at Carol City that Florida State offered while on an unofficial visit in September. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound sophomore has reeled in offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Ole Miss this year, and Miami is putting in the work early.Gabriel Ellis (6-4, 250 pounds) is having a monster sophomore season at Gulliver Prep, and Miami is the first big-time program to extend an offer. The 2029 class member’s other three offers are from Troy, FIU and Kentucky.HEAD OF THE CLASS: Florida football recruiting Top 100 for 2026 midseason updateFlorida State offered Sumner offensive line George Selvie III the spring of his sophomore year, and he is high up on the board for the ‘Noles 2028 class. Selvie, son of USF great and NFL vet George Selvie, was in attendance for the game and continues to get interest from elite programs like Miami and Ohio State.It’s not just the Seminoles that Miami is working to beat for recruits. Chaminade-Madonna’s Peter Pierre and Cape Coral defensive lineman Kymani Nicholas are both elite sophomores that are high on Florida’s board. Both visited the Swamp when the Gators downed Ole Miss in electric fashion, and both were in the stands for the double-overtime thriller