Miami added a big piece to their 2017 recruiting class today when 3-star DB Brian Edwards committed to the Canes.

Miami nabs one on the first day of Paradise Camp. STA DB Brian Edwards commits to Miami. #Canes — Peter Ariz (@PeterAriz) July 16, 2016

A tall and rangy 6'3" athlete, Edwards has the versatility to play both S and CB at the collegiate level. He's played both positions over the course of his HS career, so that transition should be seamless as he moves on to the next level. Edwards has added some lean muscle over the last year, but could still stand do develop physically a bit more. He should be able to do that once he hits a college campus with their weight training and nutritional plan.

Edwards is a 3-star prospect, but with his size and versatile game, he is definitely a player who could craft a good collegiate career with proper coaching and development. Edwards may see a slight bump in his recruiting ranking as this cycle progresses, but I feel that leaving him in the 3-star range, even if a bit higher in that range than he currently sits, is fair.

Edwards has been closely connected to Miami for more than a year. He received an offer from the previous staff and nearly committed on a couple different occasions. After deciding against that, Edwards took a summer visit tour with his HS team last year, and committed to Louisville. He then backed off that commitment when he started seeing his profile rise and more teams contact him. Even through all of that, Miami stayed in contact with Edwards. He recently said that no matter what, Miami would be "at the top" (translation: in his top group) all the way until he made a commitment. For Canes fans, the good news is that commitment has come, and Edwards wants to be a Cane.

Edwards recently transferred from Miramar HS to St. Thomas Aquinas for his senior year. He joins a deep and talented secondary with the Raiders. This change will help him with his physical development, as well as put Edwards together with top notch football facilities and elite coaching. While a tough pill for Miramar to swallow, losing a kid of Edwards' caliber, but this move is a big win both for Edwards and Aquinas.

A heavily recruited player, Edwards committed to Miami over 21 other offers, a list that includes from Clemson, Florida, LSU, Louisville, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Syracuse. You can see the kind of player he is in the HUDL highlights below:

Welcome to the U, Brian!