30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Justin Scott primed for a breakout
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes' roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal's fourth season.
Today: The No. 15 player on our list, Justin Scott.
Position: Defensive line
Hometown: Chicago
Year: Sophomore
How he got to Miami: 2024 recruiting class
Key stats: 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack in 12 games
In summary: Of all the first- and second-year defensive linemen on the Hurricanes' roster, Justin Scott is the most poised for consistent playing time — and to potentially crack the starting lineup. The former five-star prospect only played 113 snaps on defense last year while playing behind a slew of veteran defensive tackles in Simeon Barrow, C.J. Clark and Marley Cook, but flashed potential in his limited reps and has the size (6-4, 303 pounds) to make an impact on the interior. He had a sack in UM's game against Florida A&M and was credited with six quarterback hurries on the season, according to Pro Football Focus. Expect him to at a minimum be part of UM's defensive tackle rotation along with David Blay and Ahmad Moten.
'You can feel yourself getting better in a sense where I can feel myself doing things now that I struggled with last year such as not getting knocked back and getting full extension converted into a pass rush move. My footwork, I'm not taking such long strides. I definitely can feel it on the field.' - Justin Scott on why he feels he can have a breakout season
'Last year, he had some older guys in front of him, so that may discourage you with playing time and things like that, but now he's saying that it's his time to shine and his time to take the wheel of the car. He's ready to drive it. He's ready to drive it the right way. He's coming to practice every day with the right mindset, and meetings with the right mindset, making sure guys stay up, make sure they're taking their notes, making sure young guys are listening. He always says, 'You're not a freshman no more.' He's ready to play.' - Defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. on Justin Scott
'This guy's getting a lot more violent, and he's getting smarter. He's a guy who was behind older guys last year, so I feel like that makes him feel like he has a chip on his shoulder, like he kind of has to prove himself. So you can see that on the field. He's very competitive. I love watching Justin play.' - Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor on Justin Scott
No. 16: Wide receiver CJ Daniels
No. 17: Defensive lineman David Blay
No. 18: Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten
No. 19: Center James Brockermeyer
No. 20: Wide receiver Keelan Marion
No. 21: Defensive back Jakobe Thomas
No. 22: Left guard Matt McCoy
No. 23: Defensive back Keionte Scott
No. 24: Running back Jordan Lyle
No. 25: Defensive back Damari Brown
No. 26: Defensive lineman Armondo Blount
No. 27: Wide receiver Malachi Toney
No. 28: Defensive back Ethan O'Connor
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
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