It's a telling sign for the direction of our program when our third and fourth defensive tackles might be better than a decent chunk of the ACC's starters. That's genuinely how deep our tackle room is.
The known commodities
Ahmad Moten Sr. and Justin Scott are the floor here, and that floor is the best D-tackle duo in the nation.
Both started slow last year before finding their identity as the season wore on, and both were arguably the two best players Miami had on the field in the championship game.
Moten, in particular, kept climbing as the year went on. Scott spent the year passing people on the depth chart and turned into the kind of pro Miami wants at the position: quiet, business-like, no wasted motion.
Nothing in camp changed the evaluation on either guy.
Former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards, put it simply: "I've heard nothing negative. I've only heard positives, and what I've seen is they looked locked in."
That's what you want from your two best defensive tackles two weeks out, no surprises.
The Wild Card
Here's where it gets fun.
Jarquez Carter came out of Newberry, Fla. and we tried to get him out of high school. He ended up at Ohio State instead, then decided he wanted to come home and has been one of the best surprises of camp.
Carter looked good in spring, but he looked like something else entirely in that first scrimmage at Hard Rock.
Ahmmon didn't hold back on the ceiling here: "If you look at these ACC teams ... he's probably the best player on maybe all of them in terms of the defensive tackle room. To have that guy as your third, fourth defensive tackle is a blessing."
From the double teams he's been blowing up to the consistent pressure he collapses in the pocket, a guy like that doesn't normally fall into your lap. Miami got a gift here, he'd start basically anywhere else in this conference.
The freak from Nebraska
Then there's Keona Davis, the guy is built like a comic book character.
Anybody who's shaken his hand at practice has the same reaction. He came to Miami from Nebraska, where he played a thankless 4i technique — brawling with tackles, occupying space, not accumulating stats that jump off a page.
He's got real length, real strength, and a motor that doesn't quit.
What's different now is what Miami's coaching staff is doing with him. Damione Lewis is molding Davis into more of a complete football player instead of just an athlete running around chasing the ball. He's interchangeable with Armondo Blount in a lot of ways: similar frame, similar high-motor style, both capable of kicking outside to defensive end in certain packages.
If you want a Miami-specific comp, think Allen Bailey: a guy who came in as a tweener, grew into a true defensive tackle, and turned into a decade-long NFL pro doing exactly this kind of work in the trenches.
Rising Depth Pieces
Behind that group of four, it's a genuine competition.
Logan Nagle is an athletic freshman out of New Jersey who's more twitchy than his size suggests and can already get into the backfield. Mykah Newton has added real weight — he's up around 280 now — and is getting first- and second-team reps. Keshawn Stancil might have the highest ceiling of the three; he's dealt with some minor nicks but flashes the most on tape, with quick hands and an early feel for finesse moves that are rare for a true freshman on the defensive line.
None of the three has separated yet, camp isn't supposed to settle everything, and the staff wants to see who can be consistent before anyone locks down that fifth or sixth spot in the rotation. What matters is the shape of the room: four proven, disruptive interior players, and three more freshmen with real traits pushing from behind.
The portal context matters here too.
Oregon's entire backup defensive tackle room got poached this offseason by teams like Alabama and Notre Dame — that's how valuable proven depth at this position has become across the country. Miami not only kept two established starters, we also added impactful depth on top of them. Nobody's doing that.
Full breakdown below:
The known commodities
Ahmad Moten Sr. and Justin Scott are the floor here, and that floor is the best D-tackle duo in the nation.
Both started slow last year before finding their identity as the season wore on, and both were arguably the two best players Miami had on the field in the championship game.
Moten, in particular, kept climbing as the year went on. Scott spent the year passing people on the depth chart and turned into the kind of pro Miami wants at the position: quiet, business-like, no wasted motion.
Nothing in camp changed the evaluation on either guy.
Former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards, put it simply: "I've heard nothing negative. I've only heard positives, and what I've seen is they looked locked in."
That's what you want from your two best defensive tackles two weeks out, no surprises.
The Wild Card
Here's where it gets fun.
Jarquez Carter came out of Newberry, Fla. and we tried to get him out of high school. He ended up at Ohio State instead, then decided he wanted to come home and has been one of the best surprises of camp.
Carter looked good in spring, but he looked like something else entirely in that first scrimmage at Hard Rock.
Ahmmon didn't hold back on the ceiling here: "If you look at these ACC teams ... he's probably the best player on maybe all of them in terms of the defensive tackle room. To have that guy as your third, fourth defensive tackle is a blessing."
From the double teams he's been blowing up to the consistent pressure he collapses in the pocket, a guy like that doesn't normally fall into your lap. Miami got a gift here, he'd start basically anywhere else in this conference.
The freak from Nebraska
Then there's Keona Davis, the guy is built like a comic book character.
Anybody who's shaken his hand at practice has the same reaction. He came to Miami from Nebraska, where he played a thankless 4i technique — brawling with tackles, occupying space, not accumulating stats that jump off a page.
He's got real length, real strength, and a motor that doesn't quit.
What's different now is what Miami's coaching staff is doing with him. Damione Lewis is molding Davis into more of a complete football player instead of just an athlete running around chasing the ball. He's interchangeable with Armondo Blount in a lot of ways: similar frame, similar high-motor style, both capable of kicking outside to defensive end in certain packages.
If you want a Miami-specific comp, think Allen Bailey: a guy who came in as a tweener, grew into a true defensive tackle, and turned into a decade-long NFL pro doing exactly this kind of work in the trenches.
Rising Depth Pieces
Behind that group of four, it's a genuine competition.
Logan Nagle is an athletic freshman out of New Jersey who's more twitchy than his size suggests and can already get into the backfield. Mykah Newton has added real weight — he's up around 280 now — and is getting first- and second-team reps. Keshawn Stancil might have the highest ceiling of the three; he's dealt with some minor nicks but flashes the most on tape, with quick hands and an early feel for finesse moves that are rare for a true freshman on the defensive line.
None of the three has separated yet, camp isn't supposed to settle everything, and the staff wants to see who can be consistent before anyone locks down that fifth or sixth spot in the rotation. What matters is the shape of the room: four proven, disruptive interior players, and three more freshmen with real traits pushing from behind.
The portal context matters here too.
Oregon's entire backup defensive tackle room got poached this offseason by teams like Alabama and Notre Dame — that's how valuable proven depth at this position has become across the country. Miami not only kept two established starters, we also added impactful depth on top of them. Nobody's doing that.
Full breakdown below:
