Larry Tarver Jr. and Jamari Howard Preview Miami vs. Texas A&M Gameday Visit

An encouraging performance from Miami in its showdown against No. 23 Texas A&M is important for two main reasons. 

The more obvious one is that a win over a ranked SEC foe would create the on-field momentum that Mario Cristobal has yet to capture in his time as Miami’s head coach. The other reason, which could lead to future success, has to do with recruiting.

The Hurricanes are hosting over 90 high school prospects, including over half of Miami’s committed 2024 class, as well as many other top targets, on Saturday. LifeWallet Sports caught up with two of these visiting players, 2024 cornerbacks Jamari Howard and Larry Tarver Jr., after they helped lead Miami Norland (Fla.) to a commanding 54-6 win over Southridge (Fla.) on Friday night.

Tarver, a former FIU pledge and now Maryland commit, received his first offer from Miami back in September 2021. He noted that UM coaches “contact me every day, telling me I’m a big priority for them.”

On his gameday visit, Tarver, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Southridge, wants to see how “Cristobal runs [Miami], how the atmosphere is and just a win.”

Howard visited Miami several times during the early months of 2023 and mentioned that the Hurricanes stay in contact with him but not on a consistent basis. Ahead of his upcoming visit, Howard is eager to watch the Hurricanes’ execution against Texas A&M.

“I want to see everybody execute, make sure they know what they’re doing on the field and try to get the [win] for the crib,” Howard said.

Florida State is a school to watch out for in Howard’s recruitment, as he took an unofficial visit to Tallahassee on Aug. 3. In addition to Miami and Florida State, Howard mentioned Rutgers, Penn State and Maryland as schools that have been recruiting him recently.
Joining Tarver and Howard from Miami Norland, defensive linemen Darryll Desir and Mandrell Desir, both of whom are in the class of 2025, as well as 2027 athlete Kenton Dopson III, will also be visiting Hard Rock Stadium for Miami’s matchup with the Aggies.