Why Miami football won the weekend in Florida recruiting

Another busy weekend of official visits resulted in several high school football players on the USA TODAY Florida Network top 100 making college decisions.

Among the top commitments were North Miami Beach safety Andre Hyppolite (No. 32, Miami), Palm Beach Lakes athlete Turmarian Moreland (No. 43, Virginia Tech) and Lakeland edge rusher Drew Sapp (No. 59, Colorado).

The UCF Knights football program landed a pair of in-state commitments, while Wake Forest and Vanderbilt both added impact players to their secondaries.

USA TODAY Florida Network recruiting reporters Jon Santucci and Nick Wilson gave their takeaways from the second weekend in June:

Who was the weekend's biggest winner?

Santucci: Miami. I absolutely love Andre Hyppolite's game. If the North Miami Beach safety was at another school in South Florida, everyone would know his name and his ability. He's long, rangy, physical and has the ability to add muscle to his 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame. This commitment wasn't a surprise as most expected Hyppolite to stay in Miami, but this still is a big win.

Wilson: Miami has been pushing hard for Hyppolite for some time, and closing on him over Florida, Georgia, and Notre Dame was yet another statement win for this 'Canes class. He's the eighth Florida Top 100 player to commit to Mario Cristobal & Co., more than any other school in the country. As good as Hyppolite is as a player, this is a big win because it's another key recruiting win for a hometown player.

What's your favorite commitment from June 12-14?

Santucci: I feel like I already answered this with Hyppolite, so I'm going to cheat a little bit and say the running backs. Arwin Jackson to Appalachian State feels like a steal to me. The Carol City back has a lot of talent and was part of Chaminade-Madonna's ridiculously deep running back room last year. UCF quickly pivoted after Connail Jackson's decommitment by landing Atlantic back Omari St. Fort. He's got good size and legitimate track speed. Also really like Pace's Makael Williams going to South Alabama. Williams has been so productive at Pace the past two seasons and has a lot of upside. It was a good weekend for the running backs. I'm going to add one more since there's really nothing to stop me. Love Stanford landing edge rusher Duke Carpneter from the Geneva school. He's been rising up the rankings the past few months and has a really high ceiling.

Wilson: I think Colorado is getting a real steal in Lakeland DE Drew Sapp (No. 59), and keeping him committed from now until signing day will a sneaky win in Florida for Deion Sanders and his staff. Vanderbilt added a strong, decorated track athlete in Riverdale S Levi McKenzie, their second speedster from the Sunshine State to join the class. UCF picked up two in-state commitments in Vero BEach EDGE Dontallis Render and St. Fort after losing out on Connail Jackson, noteworthy after the Knight's early struggles on the in-state recruiting trail.

What schools are trending in the right direction?

Santucci: Georgia Tech. The Yellowjackets keep loading up on Florida defenders. They added Niceville's Noah Renes, a physical linebacker this past weekend. They already have commitments from defensive linemen Jamar Thomspon (West Boca), Maleek Lee (Booker) and Adrian Williams (Trinity Christian). Georgia Tech now has five commits on the USA Today Florida Network top 100. Pitt deserves a nod here, too. I like the quick pivot to Miami Central quarterback James Perrone after Kevin Verpaele flipped to USF earlier in the week. Pitt always does well in Florida and this was another quality addition.

Wilson: USF has had an impressive few weeks, flipping Merritt Island QB Kevin Verpaele (No. 70) away from Pitt while landing West Boca S Larry Morgan III. UCF has significantly improved their standing in Florida in recent weeks, now up to six in-state commits including Lake Wales ATH Kaneilius Purdy (No. 31). As Jon mentions here, Georgia Tech has really nailed some pickups and has positioned themselves well in the state.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Miami Hurricanes football continues to clean up in Florida recruiting