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Nearly a month after Westgate senior Jaboree Antoine announced his decommitment from LSU, Louisiana’s No. 2-ranked defensive back has decided to take his talents to Miami.

In January, Antoine announced that he would be joining fellow New Iberia native Corey Raymond at LSU, a sign that both Raymond and head coach Brian Kelly were making serious moves to recruit top-level Louisiana talent to Death Valley.

In June, Antoine shocked the recruiting world, and the LSU football faithful, by announcing that he was decommitting from the program but still keeping the Tigers on his Top 3 list.

Now a senior, Antoine has received offers from dozens of programs across the country, narrowing his choice down to just three schools: LSU, Miami and Florida State.

Westgate head coach Ryan Antoine said that Jaboree’s skills extend beyond the football field, praising both his work ethic and his focus on achieving his goals.

“Jaboree has always been a special kid and I think the thing that separates him from a lot of the other top guys is his football IQ,” Antoine said. “He’s a kid that can go on the field and play quarterback and then turn around and be a top cornerback, you don’t really see that a lot in high school sports. To do it at the level that he does it is special. Whoever gets him is getting a hell of a football player and an even better kid who works hard and doesn’t let anything get to him. He’s very humble and stable and he always focuses on the main thing.”

Antoine is the latest in a long line of top recruiting prospects to pass through the halls of Westgate, following behind former teammates Derek Williams, now at the University of Texas, and Danny Lewis, now at the University of Alabama.

While talent plays a large role in getting a high school athlete committed to playing at the next level, having a strong network of mentors and coaches who have been there before is also key.

“It’s just about understanding that it can be taken away at the drop of a hat,” Ryan Antoine explained. “It helps to have guys like Tyrunn Walker and Gerald Hawkins on the staff, guys who have done it before and gotten to the highest level. We have guys like Kayshon Boutte and Diontae Spencer come by and talk to them about being focused and it becomes real. A lot of times, a coach can say those clichés and you hope the kids get it, but now they know that these people are talking facts and they’ve actually done it themselves.”

In a live streamed announcement on Saturday, Antoine revealed that he intends to join the ’Canes next season.

Miami went 7-6 (3-5 in ACC) last season, finishing the season with a 31-24 loss to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Antoine, who was sidelined due to injury for most of the 2023 season, racked up an impressive 32 tackles, 11 pass breakups and 5 interceptions on defense, completing 105 of 186 pass attempts for 1,650 yards and 12 TD on offense as a sophomore.

Westgate will look to improve on last season’s 6-4 record, kicking off the 2024 campaign with a home contest against Lake Charles College Prep on Sept. 6.