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Mario Cristobal and the University of Miami continued its hot streak of recruiting the South Florida area Thursday as the Hurricanes landed a commitment from five-star defensive lineman Armondo Blount, according to 247 Sports' Gaby Urrutia.
Blount, a junior at powerhouse Miami Central High School, is the top-rated player in the state of Florida and No. 5 player in the country for the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to 247 Sports Composite.
He chose Miami over other programs like Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, and Ohio State.
"Their culture as a team and the bond they have as a team. They have a major bond and their players play with aggression and they're keeping South Florida kids," Blount told InsideTheU before his practice on Wednesday.
Prior to transferring to Miami Central, Blount was a defensive menace at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale for three years after making the varsity squad as an eighth grader. He racked up 29 sacks for the Panthers and was twice named a MaxPreps All-American in his classification.
He was in attendance for UM's recent upset of Texas A&M at Hard Rock Stadium and was really impressed by the team's defensive unit and the culture surrounding the program.
"The defense was dominant. I'm mainly focusing on the defense when I'm watching, but the culture of the team, when the offense or defense makes plays, the whole team gets excited. I seen a lot of that," Blount said of the performance
With the commitment, Blount now becomes Miami's first five-star commitment for 2025 and the Hurricanes now have the sixth-rated recruiting class in the nation.
He joins a class that includes four-star wide receiver Waden Charles and three-star quarterback Luke Nickel.
