Recruiting insider reveals Mario Cristobal's strong push to flip four-star Florida State safety commit to Miami

Four-star safety Tedarius Hughes has been committed to Florida State's 2026 class since July, but his recruitment is heating up as Miami makes a serious push to sign him. According to Chad Simmons of On3, Mario Cristobal and numerous Hurricanes staff members checked in on Hughes in January.

Miami’s defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman and secondary coaches Zac Etheridge and Will Harris, are all actively recruiting Hughes. The standout from Northwestern High School (Florida) is also set to take an official visit to the Hurricanes from May 30 to June 1.

Florida State isn’t backing down, as coach Mike Norvell and defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr. visited Hughes in February. However, his decision to take official visits elsewhere signals that he remains open to other programs.

Meanwhile, another four-star safety in the 2026 class, Cortez Redding, released his top eight schools this week, which include both Florida State and Miami, along with Florida, LSU, Indiana, Auburn, Ole Miss and NC State. This sets up another intense recruiting battle between the Seminoles and Hurricanes.

If Miami is unsuccessful in flipping Hughes, they could shift their focus to Redding. However, if Hughes flips to the Hurricanes, Florida State may ramp up its pursuit of Redding, who has held an offer from the Seminoles for over a year.

What will Tedarius Hughes' potential flip mean to Miami?

Tedarius Hughes' potential flip from Florida State to Miami is still a longshot but it isn’t unsurprising as well. If he does make the switch, he will become the first safety commit in the Hurricanes' 2026 class.

Over two seasons in high school, Hughes has tallied 49 tackles (four for loss), six interceptions and six pass breakups. This week, he was recognized as a top performer at a 7-on-7 event, where Cody Bellaire of On3 spoke about his impact.

"The amount of sheer area that he is able to cover with his absurd length makes him nearly impossible to complete passes against," Bellaire said.

Throughout the event, Hughes racked up multiple interceptions and several pass breakups downfield. Rivals described him as a ball-hawking presence in coverage. A player of his caliber would be a major addition to Miami's 2026 class, which has five commits so far.