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2022 IMG Academy (FL) 4-star WR Samuel Mbake earned an offer from the Miami Hurricanes this spring after new WR coach Rob Likens was impressed with his film.
“Coach Likens had called me and said he loved my tape and that the offensive coordinator thinks I’d really fit into the offense,” Mbake said. “He said they really like my body type being a bigger kid at only 16 years old, they like how I can stretch the field. They like the different type of versatility I bring for a 2022 prospect as only a sophomore.”
Likens isn’t the only UM coach that has gotten in touch with Mbake, though. Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz has also spoken with Mbake over the phone, something that is rare for a 2022 prospect that is not local to South Florida (Mbake is originally from Kennesaw, Georgia).
“He stressed to me that I’m one of their top priorities at receiver for 2022 and they see me as the #1 receiver in Florida,” Mbake said. “He just kept wanting to build a relationship with me and when they do allow visits, he really wanted me to get down there, especially for the FSU game. I’ll be at the FSU game if they allow visitors.”
With a new offense heading to Coral Gables in the form of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s spread offense, Mbake is aware of the opportunities available for receivers on UM’s attack unit.
“What really has me attracted to the program is that I know they have a tendency to throw the ball a lot, so me being a receiver, that’s a big thing for me,” Mbake said. “And it’s the ‘305’, who wouldn’t want to be in the crib? There’s varying factors, but I think [Miami] is just perfect.”
The 6-3 205 pound prospect has also been keeping tabs on UM’s recruiting efforts so far in the 2021 class, and Mbake says he is friendly with some of Miami’s current commitments.
“I know Miami has a great receivers class so far in 2021 - Romello Brinson, Jacolby George,” Mbake said. “We know each other a bit from Instagram, we follow each other. I could see us teaming up, Miami’s definitely one of my top schools right now.”
As of now, Mbake is taking his time with the recruiting process and doesn’t plan on making any decisions until the end of his senior season. Other programs that have offered Mbake so far include Florida, FSU, Penn State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin among others.
“I’m only going to be a junior, so I’m taking it as easy as possible,” Mbake said of recruiting. “I do have schools that I like a lot, but I don’t say too much about it because I want to keep my recruitment fully open until my senior year. I’ll be committing December 11th, 2021, that’s my 18th birthday next year. But Miami is most definitely one of those schools I like a lot, just because of the way the program is, I like how the coaches are, I just like all of it.”
Like many other recruits, Mbake’s spring and summer visit schedule was put on hold due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Still, the star receiver was able to make one visit this spring, which was a junior day event in early March at Maryland.
“I like coach (Mike) Locksley, he was real cool,” Mbake said. “I like the facilities, it’s really nice, they have a good thing going right there. I got a chance to talk to Rakim Jarrett, he liked my game a lot too. He thinks I should come there and told me ‘Why not just be different?’ He was arguably the #1 receiver in the 2020 class, but he picked Maryland because he saw a change. Not just because it’s his hometown, but he saw that he could make an effort to change it. He could’ve easily went to LSU, Bama, any school, but he decided to go to Maryland.”
While Mbake’s plan for his junior season involved playing at IMG Academy, he says he is actually currently in the process of transferring back somewhere closer to home in Georgia for the 2020 year. He previously attended North Cobb High in Georgia for his first two years of high school.
“I actually am transferring within the next week,” Mbake said. “Because of all the COVID complications, my mom really doesn’t want me there, so it’s best for me to leave and be closer to home this year. I’ll probably end up at Grayson or Brookwood, I don’t know yet.”
How does Mbake describe his game?
“I’m like a Julio Jones type – If you throw me a deep ball, you already know what’s going to happen, but if you throw me a short ball, I can take it to the crib too. So really like a DK (Metcalf) and a Julio.”
Ultimately, the program that will win out for Mbake will have demonstrated that they can develop him both on the field and in the classroom.
“Of course my goal is to go to college and get to the league, but really I’m looking for a school that I can go to and make a 40 year decision, not just a 4 year decision. With me picking a school, I want to pick somewhere I can do good grade-wise, because you know there’s always life after football.”
“Coach Likens had called me and said he loved my tape and that the offensive coordinator thinks I’d really fit into the offense,” Mbake said. “He said they really like my body type being a bigger kid at only 16 years old, they like how I can stretch the field. They like the different type of versatility I bring for a 2022 prospect as only a sophomore.”
Likens isn’t the only UM coach that has gotten in touch with Mbake, though. Hurricanes head coach Manny Diaz has also spoken with Mbake over the phone, something that is rare for a 2022 prospect that is not local to South Florida (Mbake is originally from Kennesaw, Georgia).
“He stressed to me that I’m one of their top priorities at receiver for 2022 and they see me as the #1 receiver in Florida,” Mbake said. “He just kept wanting to build a relationship with me and when they do allow visits, he really wanted me to get down there, especially for the FSU game. I’ll be at the FSU game if they allow visitors.”
With a new offense heading to Coral Gables in the form of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s spread offense, Mbake is aware of the opportunities available for receivers on UM’s attack unit.
“What really has me attracted to the program is that I know they have a tendency to throw the ball a lot, so me being a receiver, that’s a big thing for me,” Mbake said. “And it’s the ‘305’, who wouldn’t want to be in the crib? There’s varying factors, but I think [Miami] is just perfect.”
The 6-3 205 pound prospect has also been keeping tabs on UM’s recruiting efforts so far in the 2021 class, and Mbake says he is friendly with some of Miami’s current commitments.
“I know Miami has a great receivers class so far in 2021 - Romello Brinson, Jacolby George,” Mbake said. “We know each other a bit from Instagram, we follow each other. I could see us teaming up, Miami’s definitely one of my top schools right now.”
As of now, Mbake is taking his time with the recruiting process and doesn’t plan on making any decisions until the end of his senior season. Other programs that have offered Mbake so far include Florida, FSU, Penn State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin among others.
“I’m only going to be a junior, so I’m taking it as easy as possible,” Mbake said of recruiting. “I do have schools that I like a lot, but I don’t say too much about it because I want to keep my recruitment fully open until my senior year. I’ll be committing December 11th, 2021, that’s my 18th birthday next year. But Miami is most definitely one of those schools I like a lot, just because of the way the program is, I like how the coaches are, I just like all of it.”
Like many other recruits, Mbake’s spring and summer visit schedule was put on hold due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Still, the star receiver was able to make one visit this spring, which was a junior day event in early March at Maryland.
“I like coach (Mike) Locksley, he was real cool,” Mbake said. “I like the facilities, it’s really nice, they have a good thing going right there. I got a chance to talk to Rakim Jarrett, he liked my game a lot too. He thinks I should come there and told me ‘Why not just be different?’ He was arguably the #1 receiver in the 2020 class, but he picked Maryland because he saw a change. Not just because it’s his hometown, but he saw that he could make an effort to change it. He could’ve easily went to LSU, Bama, any school, but he decided to go to Maryland.”
While Mbake’s plan for his junior season involved playing at IMG Academy, he says he is actually currently in the process of transferring back somewhere closer to home in Georgia for the 2020 year. He previously attended North Cobb High in Georgia for his first two years of high school.
“I actually am transferring within the next week,” Mbake said. “Because of all the COVID complications, my mom really doesn’t want me there, so it’s best for me to leave and be closer to home this year. I’ll probably end up at Grayson or Brookwood, I don’t know yet.”
How does Mbake describe his game?
“I’m like a Julio Jones type – If you throw me a deep ball, you already know what’s going to happen, but if you throw me a short ball, I can take it to the crib too. So really like a DK (Metcalf) and a Julio.”
Ultimately, the program that will win out for Mbake will have demonstrated that they can develop him both on the field and in the classroom.
“Of course my goal is to go to college and get to the league, but really I’m looking for a school that I can go to and make a 40 year decision, not just a 4 year decision. With me picking a school, I want to pick somewhere I can do good grade-wise, because you know there’s always life after football.”
