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who I think could make a huge leap from last year, make a significant impact after a redshirt year or develop into an All American and/or a 1st round draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
1. DE Hayden Lowe 6'5" 255 RS Fr Obviously, Lowe didn't play last season because of a shoulder injury. He took a redshirt but before he got hurt in the Fall, he had earned the right to play and play a lot. Lowe will compete to be a starter.
2. CB Jaboree Antoine 6'1" 190 Soph Antoine worked his way back from the ACL tear he sustained his senior year in high school to carve out a role as the #5 CB as a true freshman last season. He played sparingly at first then began to come on more in practice every week. He was thrust into action during the playoff game vs Ole Miss when Xavier Lucas was ejected after a bogus targeting call. He played great and held his own vs the #1 offense. This Spring Antoine will be coming for someone's job.
3. LB Kellen Wiley 6'4" 240 Soph Wiley played a small role in 2025 as he used last season to learn Corey Hetherman's defense and to adjust to P4 college football. With Wesley Bissainthe now gone to the NFL Wiley has the starting Will LB position squarely in his sights. Wiley at 6'4" 240 is an explosive athlete with both lateral quickness and straight line speed. Wiley is an extremely physical player and a natural blitzer with a high football IQ and playmaking instincts.
4. LB Kamal Bonner 6'2" 220 RS Soph Bonner to a redshirt last season after transferring over from NC State. He started the last 7 games of the 2024 season for the Wolfpack tallying 56 tackles 7 TFL and 1 Sack. He will likely compete for the Will LB position with Kellen Wiley and true freshmen JJ Edwards and Jordan Campbell.
5. DE Herbert Scroggins 6'3" 250 Soph
The fact that Scroggins even got on the field last season as a true freshman with Bain, Mesidor, Blount and Lightfoot all in front of him and all playing well says a ton about the young man. When a head coach like Mario Cristobal who is known for keeping his cards to himself says to watch out for Herbert Scroggins that says a ton more.
6. S Bryce Fitzgerald 6'1" 190 Soph
A rare combination of freak athleticism, instincts and next level ball skills, Fitzgerald was able to snag 6 interceptions as a true freshman playing in mostly pasing situations. It was over the course of a 16 game season but quite an accomplishment for a true freshman nonetheless. He still needs to gain more core strength and improve in other aspects of his game but his talent is undeniable. Fitzgerald is a potential superstar at Free Safety.
7. DL Armando Blount 6'4" 270 Junior
Blount had a very good season in 2025 playing both inside and outside. There are those who think Blount should move to DT full-time and let his body put the weight on. Other believe he should stay at DE and there are those like myself who think that he should keep being a swing man or utility player on the Defensive Line moving around wherever he can help the most depending on the situation. With Bain, Mesidor and David Blay all moving on to the BainNFL, Blount is poised to put it all together and have his best season.
8. DE Marquise Lightfoot 6'5" 235 Junior
Marquise Lightfoot announced himself last season. At 6'5" 230 lbs last year, many were unsure if his long and slender build would prevent him from having an impact vs the run or if he could hold up over the course of a long season. After last season nobody is wondering or unsure anymore. DC Corey Hetherman used Lightfoot in a variety of ways. As a traditional DE, as a stand up DE, as an outside LB and Hetherman even lined him up inside on obvious passing downs. Lightfoot was used to spy the QB, to cover RBs out of the backfield, to drop into the flats and to blitz. He played fast and aggressive but what really caught everyone's attention was that he played much bigger than his listed weight.
9. DT Justin Scott 6'4" 310 Junior
Scott announced himself in 2025 under new DT coach Damione Lewis. Going into 2026 Scott will look to take the next step by becoming a more consistently dominant starter playing next to All American candidate Ahmad Moten.
10 CB Xavier Lucas 6'2" 200 Junior
Lucas had a very solid 2025 for Miami racking up 45 tackles in becoming one of the best run support CBs in the ACC and the nation. Lucas is a solidly built zone CB with great length(pause). He is aggressive in run support only missing one tackle all year. He excels in zone where he keeps things in front of him and is very physical and effective in contested catch situations and 50/50 balls. Lucas is faster than quick and can struggle vs smaller shifty WR. Lucas improved his man coverage skills towards the end of the season and going into 2026 will look to focus on that aspect of his game. His size and skill set could translate very well to the Nickel position where he could excel.
11. CB OJ Frederique 6' 190 Junior
Frederique has been one of the best CBs in both the ACC and the nation. Frederique shows elite coverage instincts and IQ while showing aggression and physicality in run support. He likes to use his long arms to squeeze WRs to the sideline. OJ's specialty as a CB isn't necessarily in his ball hawk ability but his shutdown ability. He has been elite his first 2 seasons in his abilty to deny explosive plays. So much so that his average allowed per coverage snap is .45 yards, the lowest in the nation for all CBs. To compare to other elite CBs Avione Terrell Clemson was .82 yards and D'Angelo Ponds Indiana was .78 yards. Frederique will look to improve his jam/press technique in 2026 instead of just turning and running. He also needs to improve his ability to turn PDs into INTs and his ability to break on the ball in zone coverages.
12. DT Ahmad Moten 6'3" 300 RS SR
Moten really broke out in 2025. He became one of the best DTs in the ACC. He was excellent vs the run and as the season went on he got better and better as a pass rusher. Moten did his best work in the playoffs. Moten came back for 2 reasons. One is for him to take the next step and become an All American and a 1st round draft pick. Two is to take care of last season's unfinished business and win a national championship.
13. S Zechariah Poyser 6'2" 200 RS Junior
Poyser started the 2025 season a bit slowly as the jump from Jacksonville State to Miami is rather steep. However it didn't take Poyser long to get into his groove. Poyser played most of the season at what his coaches say was an All American level. His positional versatility is a huge asset to DC Corey Hetherman as he played Free Safety, Strong Safety and Nickel. Poyser has veteran leadership and communication skills and will be relied upon to make defensive checks and align the defense from the secondary. While Poyser was very consistent in 2025, he will look to "take the next step" by continuing to improve his already consistent play by getting better as a blitzer and in run support while also focusing on creating more turnovers. Poyser could use 2026 to position himself as a potential day 1 pick in the 2027 NFL draft.
14. DE Damon Wilson 6'4" 250 Senior
Wilson transferred from Missouri a few months ago when he was awarded 2nd team ALL SEC. Wilson is an elite pass rusher on the P4 level who will basically be taking the same role played by Akheem Mesidor last season. Wilson came to Miami for for a few reasons not the least of which is to play under DE coach and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and to develop into a 1st round pick in the 2027 NFL draft. This should be fun to watch as Wilson already possesses a plethora of pass rush moves and techniques. What Wilson needs to accomplish here at Miami basically three things. First is to refine and improve upon his already formidable pass rush. Second is to improve his core strength which will make him a better defender vs the run. Lastly is to develop techniques necessary for him to be able to consistently set a hard edge against the run.
15. S/Nickel Omar Thornton 5'11" 200
Thornton was an elite ACC strong safety and was known for being a thumper who specialized in stuffing the run and creating turnovers. He is considered a high impact blitzer and he had 82 tackles 8 TFL and 2 sacks. I'm not sure if Thorton is taking the role played by Jakobe Thomas last year or the role of Nickel played by Keionte Scott last year. The one flaw in his game is the tendency to give up TDs in coverage in the red zone. He allowed 6 last year where Scott allowed only 2 IIRC. The good news is he will have elite coaching with Harris/Hetherman and the talent surrounding him will be night and day compared to what he had at BC.
Other notable players who I didn't include on the above list are....
LB Mo Toure 6'2" 235 7th year Senior/Grad Student. who is experienced in Hetherman's scheme has suffered season ending injuries multiple times. Is a tough and relentless yet reliable middle linebacker who came on late last year as his knee continued to heal. The value of his return cannot be overstated.
LB Chase Smith 6'2" 240 6th Year Senior
Was an explosive athlete coming out of high school then got sidetracked by multiple injuries. Like Toure has really started to come on the healthier he gets. Backup to Toure at middle linebacker.
Safety Cam Pruitt 6'2" 210 RS Soph Moved to Safety from Linebacker. Will compete at Safety and Nickel
Safety Dylan Day. 6'2" 195 Junior
Talented player will compete at Safety and Nickel.
CB Ethan O’Connor 6'1" 185 RS Junior Provided quality depth at CB and was very solid for the entire season yet many remember him struggling mightily against Charlie Becker and the back shoulder throws Mendoza was firing at him on 4th down in the National Championship Game. O'Conner is a good CB and a good kid who will rebound.
CB Damari Brown 6'2" 195 RS Junior
Big CB with length(Pause) who is aggressive in run support and loves to attempt to blow up WR screens. Excels in man coverage when he is able to physically smother the receiver or force him to the sideline. Lacks elite recovery speed and has a tendency to get handsy. Injury prone.
S Conrad Hussey 6' 200 RS Junior Will provide depth at Safety.
There may be some who feel that I just listed everyone on defense. Yes and no. The fact that my list includes so many starters and significant role players is exactly why I believe our defense will be top 10 in the nation and maybe top 5. Not only is there a ton of talent but just look at that list and imagine everyone on it making a developmental improvement from last season to 2026. That's the entire point. Offense will come out tomorrow.
1. DE Hayden Lowe 6'5" 255 RS Fr Obviously, Lowe didn't play last season because of a shoulder injury. He took a redshirt but before he got hurt in the Fall, he had earned the right to play and play a lot. Lowe will compete to be a starter.
2. CB Jaboree Antoine 6'1" 190 Soph Antoine worked his way back from the ACL tear he sustained his senior year in high school to carve out a role as the #5 CB as a true freshman last season. He played sparingly at first then began to come on more in practice every week. He was thrust into action during the playoff game vs Ole Miss when Xavier Lucas was ejected after a bogus targeting call. He played great and held his own vs the #1 offense. This Spring Antoine will be coming for someone's job.
3. LB Kellen Wiley 6'4" 240 Soph Wiley played a small role in 2025 as he used last season to learn Corey Hetherman's defense and to adjust to P4 college football. With Wesley Bissainthe now gone to the NFL Wiley has the starting Will LB position squarely in his sights. Wiley at 6'4" 240 is an explosive athlete with both lateral quickness and straight line speed. Wiley is an extremely physical player and a natural blitzer with a high football IQ and playmaking instincts.
4. LB Kamal Bonner 6'2" 220 RS Soph Bonner to a redshirt last season after transferring over from NC State. He started the last 7 games of the 2024 season for the Wolfpack tallying 56 tackles 7 TFL and 1 Sack. He will likely compete for the Will LB position with Kellen Wiley and true freshmen JJ Edwards and Jordan Campbell.
5. DE Herbert Scroggins 6'3" 250 Soph
The fact that Scroggins even got on the field last season as a true freshman with Bain, Mesidor, Blount and Lightfoot all in front of him and all playing well says a ton about the young man. When a head coach like Mario Cristobal who is known for keeping his cards to himself says to watch out for Herbert Scroggins that says a ton more.
6. S Bryce Fitzgerald 6'1" 190 Soph
A rare combination of freak athleticism, instincts and next level ball skills, Fitzgerald was able to snag 6 interceptions as a true freshman playing in mostly pasing situations. It was over the course of a 16 game season but quite an accomplishment for a true freshman nonetheless. He still needs to gain more core strength and improve in other aspects of his game but his talent is undeniable. Fitzgerald is a potential superstar at Free Safety.
7. DL Armando Blount 6'4" 270 Junior
Blount had a very good season in 2025 playing both inside and outside. There are those who think Blount should move to DT full-time and let his body put the weight on. Other believe he should stay at DE and there are those like myself who think that he should keep being a swing man or utility player on the Defensive Line moving around wherever he can help the most depending on the situation. With Bain, Mesidor and David Blay all moving on to the BainNFL, Blount is poised to put it all together and have his best season.
8. DE Marquise Lightfoot 6'5" 235 Junior
Marquise Lightfoot announced himself last season. At 6'5" 230 lbs last year, many were unsure if his long and slender build would prevent him from having an impact vs the run or if he could hold up over the course of a long season. After last season nobody is wondering or unsure anymore. DC Corey Hetherman used Lightfoot in a variety of ways. As a traditional DE, as a stand up DE, as an outside LB and Hetherman even lined him up inside on obvious passing downs. Lightfoot was used to spy the QB, to cover RBs out of the backfield, to drop into the flats and to blitz. He played fast and aggressive but what really caught everyone's attention was that he played much bigger than his listed weight.
9. DT Justin Scott 6'4" 310 Junior
Scott announced himself in 2025 under new DT coach Damione Lewis. Going into 2026 Scott will look to take the next step by becoming a more consistently dominant starter playing next to All American candidate Ahmad Moten.
10 CB Xavier Lucas 6'2" 200 Junior
Lucas had a very solid 2025 for Miami racking up 45 tackles in becoming one of the best run support CBs in the ACC and the nation. Lucas is a solidly built zone CB with great length(pause). He is aggressive in run support only missing one tackle all year. He excels in zone where he keeps things in front of him and is very physical and effective in contested catch situations and 50/50 balls. Lucas is faster than quick and can struggle vs smaller shifty WR. Lucas improved his man coverage skills towards the end of the season and going into 2026 will look to focus on that aspect of his game. His size and skill set could translate very well to the Nickel position where he could excel.
11. CB OJ Frederique 6' 190 Junior
Frederique has been one of the best CBs in both the ACC and the nation. Frederique shows elite coverage instincts and IQ while showing aggression and physicality in run support. He likes to use his long arms to squeeze WRs to the sideline. OJ's specialty as a CB isn't necessarily in his ball hawk ability but his shutdown ability. He has been elite his first 2 seasons in his abilty to deny explosive plays. So much so that his average allowed per coverage snap is .45 yards, the lowest in the nation for all CBs. To compare to other elite CBs Avione Terrell Clemson was .82 yards and D'Angelo Ponds Indiana was .78 yards. Frederique will look to improve his jam/press technique in 2026 instead of just turning and running. He also needs to improve his ability to turn PDs into INTs and his ability to break on the ball in zone coverages.
12. DT Ahmad Moten 6'3" 300 RS SR
Moten really broke out in 2025. He became one of the best DTs in the ACC. He was excellent vs the run and as the season went on he got better and better as a pass rusher. Moten did his best work in the playoffs. Moten came back for 2 reasons. One is for him to take the next step and become an All American and a 1st round draft pick. Two is to take care of last season's unfinished business and win a national championship.
13. S Zechariah Poyser 6'2" 200 RS Junior
Poyser started the 2025 season a bit slowly as the jump from Jacksonville State to Miami is rather steep. However it didn't take Poyser long to get into his groove. Poyser played most of the season at what his coaches say was an All American level. His positional versatility is a huge asset to DC Corey Hetherman as he played Free Safety, Strong Safety and Nickel. Poyser has veteran leadership and communication skills and will be relied upon to make defensive checks and align the defense from the secondary. While Poyser was very consistent in 2025, he will look to "take the next step" by continuing to improve his already consistent play by getting better as a blitzer and in run support while also focusing on creating more turnovers. Poyser could use 2026 to position himself as a potential day 1 pick in the 2027 NFL draft.
14. DE Damon Wilson 6'4" 250 Senior
Wilson transferred from Missouri a few months ago when he was awarded 2nd team ALL SEC. Wilson is an elite pass rusher on the P4 level who will basically be taking the same role played by Akheem Mesidor last season. Wilson came to Miami for for a few reasons not the least of which is to play under DE coach and Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and to develop into a 1st round pick in the 2027 NFL draft. This should be fun to watch as Wilson already possesses a plethora of pass rush moves and techniques. What Wilson needs to accomplish here at Miami basically three things. First is to refine and improve upon his already formidable pass rush. Second is to improve his core strength which will make him a better defender vs the run. Lastly is to develop techniques necessary for him to be able to consistently set a hard edge against the run.
15. S/Nickel Omar Thornton 5'11" 200
Thornton was an elite ACC strong safety and was known for being a thumper who specialized in stuffing the run and creating turnovers. He is considered a high impact blitzer and he had 82 tackles 8 TFL and 2 sacks. I'm not sure if Thorton is taking the role played by Jakobe Thomas last year or the role of Nickel played by Keionte Scott last year. The one flaw in his game is the tendency to give up TDs in coverage in the red zone. He allowed 6 last year where Scott allowed only 2 IIRC. The good news is he will have elite coaching with Harris/Hetherman and the talent surrounding him will be night and day compared to what he had at BC.
Other notable players who I didn't include on the above list are....
LB Mo Toure 6'2" 235 7th year Senior/Grad Student. who is experienced in Hetherman's scheme has suffered season ending injuries multiple times. Is a tough and relentless yet reliable middle linebacker who came on late last year as his knee continued to heal. The value of his return cannot be overstated.
LB Chase Smith 6'2" 240 6th Year Senior
Was an explosive athlete coming out of high school then got sidetracked by multiple injuries. Like Toure has really started to come on the healthier he gets. Backup to Toure at middle linebacker.
Safety Cam Pruitt 6'2" 210 RS Soph Moved to Safety from Linebacker. Will compete at Safety and Nickel
Safety Dylan Day. 6'2" 195 Junior
Talented player will compete at Safety and Nickel.
CB Ethan O’Connor 6'1" 185 RS Junior Provided quality depth at CB and was very solid for the entire season yet many remember him struggling mightily against Charlie Becker and the back shoulder throws Mendoza was firing at him on 4th down in the National Championship Game. O'Conner is a good CB and a good kid who will rebound.
CB Damari Brown 6'2" 195 RS Junior
Big CB with length(Pause) who is aggressive in run support and loves to attempt to blow up WR screens. Excels in man coverage when he is able to physically smother the receiver or force him to the sideline. Lacks elite recovery speed and has a tendency to get handsy. Injury prone.
S Conrad Hussey 6' 200 RS Junior Will provide depth at Safety.
There may be some who feel that I just listed everyone on defense. Yes and no. The fact that my list includes so many starters and significant role players is exactly why I believe our defense will be top 10 in the nation and maybe top 5. Not only is there a ton of talent but just look at that list and imagine everyone on it making a developmental improvement from last season to 2026. That's the entire point. Offense will come out tomorrow.
