Mario Cristobal says to expect 'some good news' for Miami Hurricanes on early signing day

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal told WQAM’s Joe Rose on Monday to expect “some good news” when the early signing period starts on Wednesday.

Cristobal had been on the road since his introduction at the University of Miami last Tuesday, recruiting both locally in South Florida and nationally. He joked to Rose that he told his wife, kids and family he would not be around the house until Christmas.

“There’s no time for cafecito and croquetas,” Cristobal said. “We gotta roll.”

Cristobal was hired as the Miami Hurricanes' coach last week, leaving Pac-10 powerhouse Oregon to return to his alma mater for a 10-year, $80 million deal with the promise of unprecedented resources for recruiting and support staff.

The Hurricanes' recruitment strategy is not to sign a fully-loaded class, but to start with 10 to 12 high school recruits with room for transfers when the transfer portal opens in February.

Fans are optimistic about the team Cristobal can build at UM, given how well he recruited for the Oregon Ducks with a much weaker backyard pipeline and his deep, “almost spiritual connection” to South Florida.

Mario Cristobal is the son of Cuban exiles who settled in Miami, and a UM alum who was on two national championship teams, in 1989 and 1991, as an offensive tackle for the Hurricanes. He and his brother Lou played baseball growing up, but their exceptional physiques helped them switch to football in high school. Then-Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson made a scholarship offer to Mario in the Cristobal family living room, which he immediately accepted.

The so-called dead period began Monday, where recruiters can no longer meet face-to-face with prospective recruits as they make their decisions. That period will end on Jan. 14, 2022.