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247 | ESPN | Rivals | hudl | Twitter Class of 2020 |
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20 For 20, Part 3: An early look at the top players in the 2020 class |
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  Tre’Von Riggins honors late grandmother with commitment to Miami Tre’Von Riggins pledged to Miami on what would have been his grandmother’s 70th birthday. 1/10/18 The new tattoo on Tre’Von Riggins‘ left forearm is extensive. The name “Chaney,” written in gold ink, spreads across the entire base of the arm and below it is a pair of dates. The first is Jan. 10, 1948 — the day Joan Chaney Riggins was born. The second — Feb. 4, 2012 — the date she died. Almost six years later, on what would have been his grandmother’s 70th birthday, Riggins decided to honor her by accepting a scholarship offer. The 4-star strongside defensive end from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., committed to Miami last Wednesday. Riggins had been pondering a commitment for a little while, and the Hurricanes have made him a priority in their Class of 2020 since the summer. This, Riggins decided, was the right time to make his decision. “Today’s my grandma’s birthday and she passed away a couple years ago, so today has been really special,” Riggins told DieHards on Wednesday after he committed. “I felt like I couldn’t wait any longer.” The sophomore’s decision, however, didn’t come on a whim. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman took his first trip to Coral Gables, Fla., in February for a junior day. Less than two months later, Miami extended a scholarship offer. Riggins returned to campus a week later. The Hurricanes beat every other major program to the punch with an offer and the early faith left an impression on the defensive end. South Florida offered about a month after the Hurricanes. Tennessee joined a few weeks later. So far, no one else has left a significant mark on the No. 65 overall prospect in 247Sports’ 2020 rankings. “Right now I don’t really have a No. 2,” Riggins told DieHards on Jan. 3, a week before he made his pledge. “Miami’s the biggest offer I have, so Miami’s No. 1 on my list right now.” Throw in the Hurricanes’ budding pipeline from IMG — particularly in the 2020 class — and Riggins’ relationship with wide receivers coach Ron Dugans, and Riggins’ commitment always seemed to be a matter of “when” rather than “if.” Riggins is already the third Ascender in the cycle to commit to Miami, a group which includes 4-star athlete Avantae Williams, the self-proclaimed leader of the nation’s top-ranked class. The Hurricanes have made a point to recruit IMG hard. The Ascenders finished the season No. 2 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, and Miami is taking advantage of the in-state program’s success. Brian Hightower, a 4-star wide receiver from IMG, joined the Hurricanes as an early enrollee this month. Miami is positioned well for a number of Class of 2019 prospects, including 4-star guard Evan Neal. The 2020 class, though, is where the pipeline may finally pay off. The Hurricanes sent coaches to Bradenton in November primarily to meet with Hightower, but also to check in with some of the underclassman targets. Ron Dugans became something of a staple among the Ascenders. Riggins’ relationship with the wide receivers coach became a major factor. “It seems like it’s just family,” Riggins said. “They just talk and the conversation’s good. They make sure you’re good, they make sure your grades [are] straight. Overall they just care about you as a person, I feel like.” While this past Wednesday was a date Riggins had pinpointed as a potential decision date for a little while, rumors around Dugans left Riggins uncertain as the day neared. Dugans, who played for Florida State, met with Willie Taggart earlier this month about joining the Seminoles staff as a wide receivers coach. The day before Riggins hoped to commit, he heard about Dugans’ future. The assistant coach was staying put. Riggins’ commitment plan came together without any worry. “They were talking about [Dugans] leaving to go to Florida State and everything, and then I saw a tweet saying that he declined the offer,” Riggins said. “That really set it off for me because at first when they were talking about him leaving to go to Florida State I was questioning, so then when he declined the offer and said he’s staying at Miami, that really set it up to make me happy.” Miami now has the #1 class in 2020.  
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 Will defensive lineman Tre’Von Riggins commit to Miami in near future? ORLANDO — Despite his place in the top 100 of 247Sports’ Class of 2020 rankings, Tre’Von Riggins is waiting on the offers to pour in. Miami got in early and right now it’s enough to make the Hurricanes the top choice for the 4-star strongside defensive end. In his own mind, Riggins doesn’t have a school which can claim to be running second. “Not really right now. I don’t really have a No. 2,” Riggins said during media day for the Future 50 at the Under Armour All-America Game. “I don’t have a lot of offers. Miami’s the biggest offer I have, so Miami’s No. 1 on my list right now.” Being alone at the top doesn’t mean the Hurricanes are taking it easy while pitching Riggins. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman is one of Miami’s early priorities in the 2020 class in part because of his versatility. With two more years to grow, the sophomore could wind up as either a defensive end or a defensive tackle. Riggins’ primary source of communication right now is wide receivers coach Ron Dugans, but defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski has obviously weighed in, as well. “They just want me to get stronger. I’m quick off the ball and I’ve got good fundamentals, footwork and all that,” Riggins told DieHards. “If I get bigger, it depends on how my body grows if I’ll be a three technique or an end, but I can move for my size.” Riggins made his only game visit of his sophomore season to Hard Rock Stadium, attending the Hurricanes’ home finale against Virginia. Riggins got a chance to talk with Dugans, Kuligowski and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz during his trip to Miami Gardens, Fla. His conversations with the coaches have been what’s impressed him most. “It seems like it’s just family,” Riggins said. “They just talk and the conversation’s good. They make sure you’re good, they make sure your grades straight. Overall they just care about you as a person, I feel like.” The biggest question around Riggins right now is whether he could be the next domino to fall in Miami’s already-loaded Class of 2020. The foundation of the group right now comes from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where Riggins just wrapped up his sophomore season. Two of Riggins’ teammates have committed to the Hurricanes since February, including 4-star athlete Avantae Williams, who said he considers himself the leader of the class. The 4-star athlete said to expect another commitment in two weeks. Could it be Riggins? The defensive end smiled when asked about whether a commitment was on the horizon, then he opted to play coy. “You’re just going to have to wait,” Riggins said. “It could be in a couple days. It could be in a year or two. It’s just a good experience to be around my dogs and just to be around people who know what they’re doing. Miami’s good for that.” |
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