COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 08: Tate Martell #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes breaks free on a 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 52-3. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Surge ’19 Miami football recruiting class is ranked 33rd in the nation. When you add committed and potential transfers Surge’19 launches into the top 20 and potentially the top five in the 2019 recruiting classes nationally.

Before former Miami football Coach Mark Richt suddenly retired on December 30, the Hurricanes 2019 recruiting class was uninspiring. Based on high school Seniors, the nation’s 33rd ranking still is. But new Miami Football Coach Manny Diaz has wasted no time in adding an infusion of talent to the Hurricanes roster.

The addition of Graduate Transfer wide receiver K.J. Osborn from Buffalo, Rising Sophomore Safety Bubba Bolden from USC and former Ohio State quarterback Tate Martell would vault Miami from 33rd to 17th nationally in the 247 composite recruiting rankings based on the three transfers’ scores in high school.

Before Mark Richt announced his retirement, the Hurricanes added two transfers. Tommy Kennedy comes to Coral Gables from Butler. Kennedy is expected start at left tackle in 2019. Running back Asa Martin comes to Miami from Auburn. He was the Alabama High School Player of the Year in 2017.

Kennedy did not rank in the High School Class of 2016. Martin was a four-star running back with a score of 14.87 in the Class of 2018. He still might have to sit out the 2019 season before gaining eligibility. Martin still has a redshirt season left to use.

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Bolden had the highest mark at 24.85 in the Class of 2017, Martell an 18.45 also in 2017 and Osborn scored a 6.81 in the Class of 2015. The accumulative number between Martin and those three is a 64.98. That would take the Miami football Surge ’19 Class from a 201.94 cumulative score for Surge ’19 to a 266.92.

That would take Miami from the nation’s 33rd ranked class in 2019 all the way up to 10th. The Hurricanes are not done spending time in the transfer portal. They are also actively pursuing former UCLA defensive linemen Jaelan Phillips and Chigozie Nnoruka and former Virginia Tech Defensive End Trevon Hill.

Phillips was the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2017 and Hill was highly regarded coming out of high school. Nnoruka was not ranked as a Junior College transfer to UCLA in 2016. Hill had a score of 14.14 in the Class of 2015 and Phillips 29.89 as part of the Bruins 2017 signing class.

If Miami only signed Hill, that would place Surge ’19 as the nation’s fourth-best recruiting class with 281.06 points. If they only signed Phillips, Miami’s Surge ’19 Class would theoretically be ranked third nationally behind Alabama and Georgia.

Phillips addition without Hill would give the Hurricanes the ACC’s best recruiting class. If Miami can add both Hill and Phillips they would have the nation’s second-best recruiting class only behind Alabama.

In the last two weeks, Diaz and his Miami football staff have significantly upgraded their roster by adding Bolden, Martell and Osborn. The potential addition of Hill, Nnoruka and Phillips or some combination thereof could be the greatest addition of talent through transfers in one class.

Diaz has backed up the words in his introductory press conference to replace Richt as the next Miami football Head Coach. The offseason should continue to be intriguing for the Miami football program a little over the next eight months.