Booker Pickett Jr. was signed by Miami, and Mario Cristobal and Jason Taylor were “relentless” in their pursuit of him.
Prominent high school seniors Booker Pickett Jr., Elias Rudolph, Daylen Russell, Cole McConathy, Artavius Jones, Artavius Scott, Marquise Lightfoot, and Justin Scott signed their national letters of intent in December, signaling their intent to lead the Hurricanes to dominance on the line of scrimmage for many years to come.
Pickett’s dominating efforts in two All-American games have made him a popular subject in recent weeks. Pickett combined for four sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception at the Under Armour All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl in January. In the most recent update, he moved up to number 142 from outside the Top 247 rankings. On my Locked On Canes Podcast, his father, former Miami defensive end Booker Pickett Sr., discussed Jr.’s recruitment in detail.
Regarding Jason Taylor and Mario Cristobal enlisting his son
“They don’t give up. They are operating at maximum capacity. They don’t overlook a detail. They are quite animated. Booker was the most aggressively recruited member of the coaching staff thanks to their calls, texts, and visits. Everyone is on board. Mario was dependable, gregarious, and sincere. You’ve heard everything there is to know about the Miami recruitment machine.
When Jason Taylor entered, he remained unchanged. He’s a pounder too, although he’s more restrained than Mario. According to our observations, Jason and Mario worked well together. They were the ones who persuaded Booker to support Miami.”
Was Booker Jr. always leaning toward Miami?
“To tell the truth, it wasn’t early. He had a rebellious streak. He loved Florida State, he liked Ohio State, and he liked Georgia early in the process. That is up to him and my spouse to decide. We took a relaxed approach and allowed him come to that conclusion on his own.
Dad told us that for the last four seasons in high school, Booker Jr. had put in a lot of work. “He is terrifying. On the first defensive series of his high school freshman year, he stepped onto the field and took a position from a junior. Since then, he has been playing. He’s going to be one of those men who, as a result of the criticism, has a grudge.”
“He recorded eight sacks in his first year. His total as a sophomore was 22 sacks. The next year, he promised to get thirty. He set the bar so high, so I was afraid for him, but he proved me wrong. Booker is the sort of player the Hurricanes are getting.”