Buzz on five key defensive battles heading into Miami Hurricanes spring practice

Miami Herald

25-02-2025

Exploring five percolating battles and storylines to watch on defense when Miami Hurricanes spring practice begins next Monday:
▪ Starting cornerbacks: The Canes have upgraded significantly at the position, turning a weakness into what should be a strength.
The competition for two starting boundary cornerbacks should be spirited and highly competitive. among O.J. Frederique and transfers Charles Brantley, Xavier Lucas, Emmanuel Karnley and Ethan O'Connor.
Brantley is expected to be sidelined this spring while recovering from a leg injury sustained late last season at Michigan State.
Frederique, coming off a freshman All American season, should be considered a front-runner for one of the jobs after allowing just a 61.8 passer rating in his coverage area last season, with 13 completions in 33 targets for 153 yards, an interceptions and two touchdowns. He struggled in the Syracuse game, as most Canes defenders did, but was elite virtually every other game.
Brantley, if healthy, could be a favorite for the other job: Quarterbacks had a puny 16.6 passer rating when targeting Brantley: 14 receptions in 37 targets for 149 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns permitted. That 16.6 was the best passer rating against in the country against all FBS cornerbacks targeted at least 20 times.
But don't discount the 6-2 Lucas (70.1 passer rating against in his freshman season at Wisconsin); O'Connor (who had four interceptions and a sterling 62.7 passer rating in his coverage area as a Washington State freshman last season, but also three TDs allowed) and Karnley, whose skill set is tantalizing, though his metrics weren't very good for Arizona last season (103.6 passer rating against).
Damari Brown, who missed most of last season with an injury, figures to get first crack at the slot/nickel job, with Jadais Richard challenging when he returns from his late-season knee injury.
▪ One starting defensive tackle job:
Louisiana Tech transfer David Blay Jr. is the heavy favorite for one of the starting spots.
Ahmad Moten and Justin Scott look like the top candidates for the other spot, if Akheem Mesidor plays defensive end instead of tackle as expected.
Another transfer could be added if neither Moten nor Scott make a big impression on new coordinator Corey Hetherman and new defensive tackles coach Damione Lewis.
Blay's pickup was critical.
'He's what you look for in an interior defensive lineman,' coach Mario Cristobal said. 'Tough, tough, tough, explosive, strong. A guy that really disrupts the pocket in the passing game and makes it really difficult to move in the running game.'
PFF rated Scott and Moten 16th and 17th, respectively, among all 43 players who logged defensive snaps for UM last season. Moten played 254 snaps, Scott 101. Moten had a higher grade as a run defender.
Cristobal made a point to publicly thank Mesidor for playing defensive tackle last season when the team needed him to fill that role. It sounds like he's moving back almost exclusively to end, with Cristobal speaking recently of 'being able to keep him outside, and let him do what he does. He's a special person. He's a special talent. He's as explosive and as strong as you can have for an edge-setter.'
▪ One or two starting safety jobs:
Zechariah Poyser, an All American at Jacksonville State, seems a clear-front runner at one position, and Zaquan Patterson looks like a front-runner at the other. But don't rule out Dylan Day or Markeith Williams or, quite possibly, another transfer.
There's also the option of using Wisconsin transfer Lucas at safety if he doesn't win a top-three cornerback rotation job, or using Richard at safety once he's back from his knee injury.
Isaiah Taylor and freshmen Bryce Fitzgerald and Amari Wallace are the other scholarship safeties. Fitzgerald is the only 2025 class member who hasn't enrolled and won't be available for spring practice.
Poyer was highly coveted in the transfer portal, but he must show that he can adapt to the enormous step up in competition.
▪ Middle linebacker starter:
This is essentially a competition between Raul Aguirre, Jaylin Alderman and every middle linebacker who is or plans to consider entering the transfer portal.
Aguirre made a strong case to be Francisco Mauigoa's successor last season. Among 43 players who logged snaps on defense last season, Aguirre was rated fourth best by PFF, and best among anyone who played at least 100 snaps. (He logged 125 defensive snaps.)
Alderman started the opener at the Gators and two other games and played 215 defensive snaps, but his playing time sometimes varied widely game to game. He was a solid starter for Louisville in 2023, closing with 62 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks that year. He had a game-winning pick-six in the final seconds of a win against in 2021.
The hope is that Aguirre or Alderman -- or both -- will seize the job and this doesn't need to be addressed in the portal.
▪ The battle for the No. 3 through 5 edge/backup defensive end jobs behind Rueben Bain and Mesidor:
Malik Bryant (who was productive in 147 snaps last season) will have every chance to be the first defensive end off the bench and there's no shortage of talented younger players competing – Armondo Blount (47 defensive snaps last season), Booker Pickett (26 snaps), Cole McConathy (55), Marquise Lightfoot (5 snaps), Elias Rudolph (4) and freshmen Hayden Lowe, Herbert Scroggins and Mykah Newton.
Pickett had three pressures in 18 pass rush snaps last season and Bryant had 10 in just 67.
Blount, a second-year player, is a 'young guy [who] reclassed and now his body is really catching up,' Cristobal said. 'He's going to have a monster spring.'
Here's my look at five Hurricanes storylines and battles on offense.