Miami Hurricanes 2024 Recruiting Notebook: DL Armondo Blount

In this installment of The Hiring Notebook, we satisfy a skilled protector who brings elite talent to the Miami protective line: Miami FL) Central 5-star DL Armondo Blount.  BioIn the initiative to add elite defensive line talent to the roster, the Miami Hurricanes transformed their focus to and hiring effort to Miami FL) Main DL Armondo Blount.  A vibrant 6'4" 250lb defender, Blount has the size that teams around the country covet, and the pedigree that solidifies him as a P5 prospect.  While Blount played his 2023 HSFB at Miami Central, he started his profession at another widely known South Florida college: Ft.  Lauderdale FL) Dillard HS.  There, he teamed with several Miami devotes and targets-- players like DB Antione Jackson, DE Nyjalik Kelly, and RB Chris Johnson-- on the Panthers lineup.  It was at Dillard that Blount first revealed himself as an elite prospect.  Dillard is a fascinating school, because 8th can in fact highlight with the HS university group.  Blount did simply that in 2020, setting the phase for him to play a larger duty in 2021.  As a freshman in 2021, Blount had 13 sacks working opposite of Miami signee Nyjalik Kelly.  Blount was called a MaxPreps Fresher All-American complying with the season.  The on-field success really did not quit there for Blount, nevertheless.  As a student in 2022, the gifted protector had 16 sacks and 30 TFLs for a Dillard team that showed up in the FHSAA playoffs.  Below's where things obtain enjoyable.  Following his sophomore period, Blount made the relocate to move from Dillard to Miami Central.  HSFB transfer period in South Florida is as insane as, if not crazier than, university transfer season.  This step with Blount is a point on that graph.  Through his fresher and student years and after), Blount's deal checklist understandably grew fairly huge.  Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and USC all expanded scholarships to Blount through those seasons.  Not just existed offers from institutions, yet Blount likewise took visits to colleges.  Miami, the initial college to supply him back in 2021 as he, once again, was colleagues with several other Miami commits and targets, along with Florida, Florida State, and Alabama all got brows through from Blount as he started to drop the course toward determining his university destination.  Blount finally made an action early in 2023.  Following an unofficial see to Hard Rock Arena for Miami's non-conference win over Texas A&M, Blount dedicated to the home town Hurricanes on September 14th.  I desire the tale ended there, but it really did not.  After his dedication to Miami, reports started swirling that Blount was really not set in his path, and was taking into consideration flipping his commitment from Miami to a rival school: Florida State.  Those whispers expanded louder gradually, and when Blount reserved an unofficial browse through to Tallahassee in October, points were pretty well set and cleared up.  On that particular check out to FSU, Blount undoubtedly flipped his dedication from the Canes to the Noles.  Around this moment something else occurred with Blount: he reclassified from 2025 to 2024, making him a current-year hire unexpectedly.  If you were focusing previously, he was a fresher in HS in 2021, however like other players that went to Dillard his first HS), the opportunity/thought of reclassifying up a year was something that got on the table.  Several various other gamers-- including 2023 Miami signee Antione Jackson before Jackson requested for and was provided a release from his NLI with Miami)-- had gone the reclassification course, and that was something that interested Blount.  So, he did it.  After reclassifying approximately 2024, points were silent for some time.  However, as the calendar ticked to December, there were rumors once more that Blount was reevaluating his commitment once more, with Miami returning right into emphasis.  As the Very early Signing Period grew closer, Blount made a final relocation: he took a main check out to Miami over the December 15th weekend break.  That see confirmed to be the crucial one for the skilled lineman.  He turned his dedication from FSU back to Miami, the first string to supply him a scholarship, the first string he was dedicated to, on the first day of the Very early Signing Duration.  If you're questioning if Blount is worth all this buzz and to and fro activity, yeah, a 5-star lineman with multi-position capacity deserves it.  But, given that you like numbers, I'll provide you some: 58 tackles, 19 TFL, 11 sacks, 4 FF and 2 FR for Blount as he assisted Miami Central make it to the regional finals of the playoffs for their category.  Hiring RankingOn the 247sports composite, Blount is a 5-star prospect, the # 4 DL across the country, # 5 in the State of Florida, and # 22 player generally in this course.  Elite, elite, elite.  Blount flipped his dedication back to Miami from formerly being vowed to Florida State and Miami prior to that), and he chose Miami over a listing of 30 scholarship uses from around the A PlayerA 6'4" 250lb electrician, Blount has the size to play at the highest degrees of college football.  He has SEC dimension, which is something that Mario Cristobal has been working extremely tough to contribute to this Miami lineup.  The very first point you notice after his size is Blount's quickness.  He regularly beats HS OL around the corner prior to they have an opportunity to respond.  His rate rush establishes up counters back inside when OL beginning leaning/running to attempt and extend the side to make him walk around them.  These actions and counters will just improve as he remains to create.  Blount is extremely functional, and able to play any area along the DL in senior high school.  He'll maintain several of that flexibility, and have the capability to play inside or outside in college.  Miami had success with real freshman All-American Rueben Bain-- a Miami Central alum, btw-- doing this in 2023, and Blount needs to have the ability to follow those footsteps in regards to numerous placements and projects.  We'll see if he's able to action in as a fresher and have the exact same success as Bain.  Blount reveals excellent timing on T-E stunts, and he's way much more athletic than many HS indoor linemen, so those turn into cost-free runs to the QB.  Miami loves to run twist games with the protective line, so anticipate to see Blount utilized in that method when he hits school.  Something that will certainly transform is the fact that Blount regularly lines up in a 2-point position.  While Miami protective ends do stand up once in a while, anticipate to see him in a 3-point stance even more frequently when he strikes the area in college.  For one more look at Blount, right here's an eval from 247sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins: A rosy defensive line possibility with a rare blend of shiver, power and bend.  Not just has elite tossing markers, but has actually evaluated in the top percentile for his age.  Has expanded an inch approximately because he first emerged on the recruiting scene down in South Florida and was thought to be floating appropriate around 6-foot-3. 5, 250 pounds heading right into his junior project.  Will need to invest a long time in the weight area prior to he's prepared to take place Saturdays, yet has lots of growth potential with bigger functions and validated added size in the arms.  Wins from both the inside and the outside.  Can likely play a range of different duties at the next level and already has experience developing and down the line of scrimmage.  Active, heavy hands permit him to eliminate off blockers while a flexible lower half makes it very easy for him to locate leverage.  Has a tendency to bring lots of power each breeze and isn't one that's looking to bail on a rush Panthers Store.  Does a desirable task of maintaining his eyes in the backfield and appears to understand space discipline.  Nevertheless, is most likely only going to obtain far better as a run defender when he adds even more mass.  Amounted to 13 sacks on varsity as a fresher before tallying 16 more as a student.  Much more especially, held his ground while dealing with a stout Bishop Gorman offensive line in one of the very first video games of his junior season.  Will need to keep proceeding, yet ought to be deemed among the leading total potential customers in the 2025 cycle provided his early body of work and a prospective difference-maker at the Power Five versatilityWeaknessesTechnique transforming from primarily 2 point position)Hand work Miami OutlookNote: transformed this up from simply a freshman-season expectation to a job expectation for each and every gamer a pair years back and we're continuing that design this year as brings game-ready size to the Canes roster, but it might take him a bit to find the field.  Miami has actually been piling DL for the last couple of years that's an advantage, I promise) and unless Blount gains 30+lbs and relocate to DT, he'll have plenty of competitors for snaps.  As I stated with Bain above, Blount's capability to play both inside and outside will certainly be an advantage for Miami, and Blount's having fun time when he's video game ready.  As soon as on the field, Blount needs to be able to push for all-conference honors offered enough snaps.  He's a 5-star ability; for Miami to return to the degrees of success they greatly need, Blount will need to play to the ceiling of his capacity and elite potential.  Alternatively, there have actually been several excellent DL that haven't panned out in Coral reefs Gables for whatever factor.  Hopefully Blount is extra the valued possession than what could have been" in his profession at Miami.  However, at a minimum, he must be a turning gamer for the Hurricanes, yet his views are set a lot greater than 's it for this installation of the Recruiting Note pad.  Go Canes A Lot Of Read Leading 25 Survey: Week 2 The Excellent, The Bad, and The Ugly: Florida Gators 2024 EditionMiami dominates an overmatched Florida team in the season opener AND I LIKED EVERY SECONDLY OF IT !!!! Monday Musings: A Cyclone event in Canesville Game String: Boston University vs FSU, week 1 Monday Evening Football AND the possibility to future scout a disliked competitor? Seems like a great time to me! Three Stars: Miami at Florida Well, that was amazing.