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Defensive players that I am looking forward to seeing this Spring

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DJMOSS said:
Slime is the most talented CB we have on the roster. I want to see him lock down a starting spot.
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Love em, but that aint happening. I’m just glad he stayed, because he will def be one of the first 11 next year after a few of those guys leave. I’m sure he knows that, or at least it will be his job to lose and the competition will be good. Plus, I’m $ure we are taking care of him.
 
htownkidd said:
Love em, but that aint happening. I’m just glad he stayed, because he will def be one of the first 11 next year after a few of those guys leave. I’m sure he knows that, or at least it will be his job to lose and the competition will be good. Plus, I’m $ure we are taking care of him.
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I don't know. That kid just looks different. I did not watch much tape on him coming out of HS. When I saw him in that Playoff game I was surprised at how big, tall and long he was. The question is can he make plays on the ball. That is something we were lacking at CB last season.
 
bobbydigius said:
We have some dudes on defense. Mario has recruited an elite DL and I don’t like throwing that word around. We need an LB to step up as well as a corner. Lucas looks really good at times but at other times looks stiff for a CB. I like OJ and O’Connor but need one more to step up.
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Jaboree Antoine is that guy. Hopefully he can stay healthy this offseason. He has the skills to be a really good one. I agree on Lucas and I don't think it's a reach to say that he may be better suited to Nickel.
 
htownkidd said:
Love em, but that aint happening. I’m just glad he stayed, because he will def be one of the first 11 next year after a few of those guys leave. I’m sure he knows that, or at least it will be his job to lose and the competition will be good. Plus, I’m $ure we are taking care of him.
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I agree with this. I see Antoine making a huge leap this year and he may in fact end up as a starting CB if Lucas gets moved to Nickel but I don't see that happening. That competition at Nickel will tell us a ton about the defense as there are quite a few players who could be a great fit there.
 
E1k said:
My guy named the entire defense lol..but id have lowe #1 too i think he may end up as our best overall edge by the end of the year

If scott takes that junior leap that would raise our ceiling on defense

DT 3 & 4 is something to watch too. I want to see what we got with carter and davis

He doesn’t fit your criteria but Dunnigan is who im thinking can start as a freshman on defense. So if he’s good enough to be at strong safety then how does nickel play out
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I absolutely agree with all your points. In an early draft I had written that the list was in no particular order but I erased that without putting it back when I began to edit lol. I concur that Lowe is a great #1 though. When I was thinking about my criteria I had decided not to include any true freshmen because they are so difficult to project/predict without seeing them on this level first so I decided not to include any freshmen until I do another similar post pre fall camp. I do agree however that JJ Dunnigan is a very intriguing prospect. You are also quite right about DT 3 and 4. That may have been a huge oversight on my part but I decided to see how they do in spring first.
 
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I didnt read yet posting before i do..

Players from last year:
Mykah Newton
Dylan Day
Ryan Mack
Kamal Bonner
Marcelin
Ewald

Freshman & Transfer 26'

Cortez Redding
Keyshawn Stancil
Edwards LB from Orlando (FR)
Jaquez transfer DT from OhSt
 
DLINKDAGR8 said:
I didnt read yet posting before i do..

Players from last year:
Mykah Newton
Dylan Day
Ryan Mack
Kamal Bonner
Marcelin
Ewald

Freshman & Transfer 26'

Cortez Redding
Keyshawn Stancil
Edwards LB from Orlando (FR)
Jaquez transfer DT from OhSt
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This is a very interesting list. It doesn't quite meet the criteria I laid out for my OP but it's an intriguing list nonetheless.

With Mykah Newton I really didn't have much of anything to go on. If he played at all last season it was barely because I don't remember ever seeing him. Also there really hasn't been any buzz about him from anyone who follows the program closely. He's still very young so I hope he begins to show something this Spring.

Ryan Mack is another very interesting player in the way that he is quite the enigma. I have no idea what to expect from him but reports were very positive on him coming into the program. I believe he sustained an injury last year and has been off the radar ever since. Would love to have Mack be a pleasant surprise this Spring.

Ezekiel Marcellin is another mystery. I haven't heard a single peep about the kid since he enrolled. Nothing last Spring. Nothing last Fall. Nothing during last season. Nothing. Not a word about the kid. Does he even fit in with what Hetherman wants at LB?

Chris Ewald. Ewald is a player I'm certainly curious about because he was getting a lot of praise last fall camp at Nickel. @DMoney
really likes him at Nickel. Ewald is said to be very mature and focused for his age with a high football IQ. Again, I'm very interested in how he competes this Spring because the competition for that Nickel position will be no joke.

Dylan Day is another interesting player. He is legitimately talented and has the tools. He will get a shot at the Nickel position and he will at the very least provide quality depth at Safety and Nickel in addition to being a Special Teams standout.

Kamal Bonner. Another intriguing player who will be battling for a starting spot at Will LB. He will face stiff competition from Wiley, Marcellin and the freshmen.

DT Jaquez Carter at 6'1½" 290 is an explosive player with a quick first step. Damione Lewis has a lot to coach him on however. Carter describes himself as a pass rush first DT which is great but Lewis will instill him with the proper discipline so that he doesn't make a habit of overrunning plays. Carter must also increase his core strength in order to anchor against the run and hold up to double teams. Lastly, Carter like most young players needs work to master hand placement and overall technique. For the present however Carter will provide quality depth in the form of an explosive and quick penetrating(Pause) 3tech DT with an elite first step and surprising knock back power with a non stop motor who is relentless in pursuit.
 
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FrancisSawyer said:
This is a very interesting list. It doesn't quite meet the criteria I laid out for my OP but it's an intriguing list nonetheless.

With Mykah Newton I really didn't have much of anything to go on. If he played at all last season it was barely because I don't remember ever seeing him. Also there really hasn't been any buzz about him from anyone who follows the program closely. He's still very young so I hope he begins to show something this Spring.

Ryan Mack is another very interesting player in the way that he is quite the enigma. I have no idea what to expect from him but reports were very positive on him coming into the program. I believe he sustained an injury last year and has been off the radar ever since. Would love to have Mack be a pleasant surprise this Spring.

Ezekiel Marcellin is another mystery. I haven't heard a single peep about the kid since he enrolled. Nothing last Spring. Nothing last Fall. Nothing during last season. Nothing. Not a word about the kid. Does he even fit in with what Hetherman wants at LB?

Chris Ewald. Ewald is a player I'm certainly curious about because he was getting a lot of praise last fall camp at Nickel. @DMoney
really likes him at Nickel. Ewald is said to be very mature and focused for his age with a high football IQ. Again, I'm very interested in how he competes this Spring because the competition for that Nickel position will be no joke.

Dylan Day is another interesting player. He is legitimately talented and has the tools. He will get a shot at the Nickel position and he will at the very least provide quality depth at Safety and Nickel in addition to being a Special Teams standout.

Kamal Bonner. Another intriguing player who will be battling for a starting spot at Will LB. He will face stiff competition from Wiley, Marcellin and the freshmen.

DT Jaquez Carter at 6'1½" 290 is an explosive player with a quick first step. Damione Lewis has a lot to coach him on however. Carter describes himself as a pass rush first DT which is great but Lewis will instill him with the proper discipline so that he doesn't make a habit of overrunning plays. Carter must also increase his core strength in order to anchor against the run and hold up to double teams. Lastly, Carter like most young players needs work to master hand placement and overall technique. For the present however Carter will provide quality depth in the form of an explosive and quick penetrating(Pause) 3tech DT with an elite first step and surprising knock back power with a non stop motor who is relentless in pursuit.
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I respect your love for canes football
 
Lowe
Scroggins
Wiley

Those three dudes have a lot of production to make up for… I know Wilson was the big ticket transfer but we will need those three to take the next step and hit the ground running

Excellent players with all the potential to make the transition smooth
 
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U got This said:
Finding a key replacement for what wes did here will be huge.
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Guys like Wes are usually taken for granted until they are gone. Having said that, I think we will be ready to move forward with the kids we have(Wiley, Bonner and the freshmen). The fact that Mario never attempted to address the LBs through the portal spoke volumes to me. I took that as Mario/Hetherman really liking what they have. Can't wait to see starting next week.
 
FrancisSawyer said:
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. In no particular order....

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. Others 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 NFL, 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.
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****, listed almost entire defensive roster.
 
What this entire thread tells me is that Miami is back to recruiting elite or near elite talent at a championship level. There are guys behind guys on this roster that can legit start not just for Miami, but for anyone in the country including the most recent playoff teams. I recall after Miami won the title in '87 and came close in '86 wondering who would replace all that All American talent lost? Well, we saw the result from 88-91 and I see the same things now with this roster.
 
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