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Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami Hurricanes add another standout veteran linebacker. UM greats lobby Cantwell
The Miami Hurricanes continued an active post-spring portal cycle on Friday by adding Mohamed Toure, a former Rutgers linebacker who missed two of the past three seasons with separate ACL injuries but was very good in the one season that he played. Toure picked UM over Penn State, Indiana and North Carolina. He visited all four schools. Toure had 93 tackles (10 for loss) and five sacks in 2023, playing on a unit coached by new UM defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman. In Rutgers' bowl win against UM that year, he had eight tackles (two for loss) and a sack. But he tore his ACL in an August 2024 practice, his second torn ACL in three years. At 6-2 and 236 pounds, he's a natural weak-side or middle linebacker and was one of the most accomplished defenders remaining in the portal. Toure has 23 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in 37 games at Rutgers, having played in four seasons and missing two others with the ACL injuries. UM added North Carolina State linebacker Kamal Bonner a week ago, but Toure is the front-runner to start opposite Wesley Bissainthe. Adding Toure gives UM a very good and deep linebacker room; Raul Aguirre, Jaylin Alderman, Chase Smith and Bobby Pruitt all had good moments during spring practice. Toure is UM's eighth portal addition since spring practice ended, joining receivers Keelan Marion (BYU) and Tony Johnson (Cincinnati), Bonner, Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas, Auburn cornerback/safety Keionte Scott (who spent the past four months with Houston), North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown and ex-Texas kicker Bert Auburn. In the months before spring practice, UM plundered the portal to add quarterback Carson Beck, ex-LSU receiver CJ Daniels, ex-Tulane tight end Alex Bauman; UAB tight end Jack Nickel; center James Brockermeyer; Louisiana Tech defensive tackle David Blay; cornerbacks Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) and Ethan O'Connor (Washington State) and Charles Brantley (Michigan State); cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (the Arizona transfer then left UM in April); former Jacksonville State safety Poyser; ex-Charlotte long snapper Adam Booker and erstwhile FAU kicker Carter Davis. Lobbying of Cantwell Former Miami Hurricanes star offensive tackles Bryant McKinnie and Vernon Carey this week lobbied offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prep prospect in the 2026 class, to pick UM when he selects a school on Tuesday. Miami, Georgia and Oregon are the top contenders. 'Hey @jcantwell24, choosing the University of Miami was the best decision I've ever made—it fulfilled a lifelong dream,' former Miami offensive tackle and NFL first-round draft pick Bryant McKinnie posted on X. 'I came to The U with big goals, and I left having achieved even more.' Carey, also on X, said: 'From one No. 1 offensive lineman to another — The U is the move,' Carey Sr. wrote on X. 'Something special is brewing in Coral Gables, and we need you, @Jcantwell2499!' The 6-7, 300-pound Cantwell, who attends high school in Nixa, Missouri, visited UM in the spring and will visit Georgia on Saturday. says UM has told Cantwell it can pay him $2 million as a freshman as part of an NIL deal, though another recruiting web site said that figure is inaccurate and being floated by another school to hurt UM's chances.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
News, notes, thoughts, fallout from UM's post-spring portal cycle. And announcement coming
University of Miami News, notes, thoughts, fallout from UM's post-spring portal cycle. And announcement coming A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes as the football transfer portal activity begins to slow (players can still be signed, but nobody new can enter the portal): ▪ Unlike last spring, the Canes did not land every portal player that visited campus in April and early May. Miami, in particular, would have loved to acquire All-Big 12 safety AJ Haulcy (who picked LSU despite being wined and dined by the Canes) and defensive tackle Braxton Feely, who opted to stay at Boise State. Since spring ended, the Canes did not add an elite starting safety, a veteran defensive tackle or a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver (Syracuse slot player Trebor Pena, who was arguably the best receiver in the portal, visited Miami but opted for Penn State). It would have made a very good offseason an extraordinary one if a second top safety (besides Zechariah Poyser) or No. 1 receiver had been added. But in UM's defense, second portal cycle options at those positions were very limited; the Canes landed a pretty good safety in Jakoby Thomas and two solid receivers in Keelan Marion and Tony Johnson. And overall, this group of seven post-spring additions is a very good one, filling needs at receiver, linebacker, kicker and the defensive backfield. ranks UM among eight winners in the post-spring portal cycle after adding receivers Marion (BYU) and Johnson (Cincinnati), North Carolina State linebacker Kamal Bonner, Tennessee safety Thomas, Houston cornerback/safety Keionte Scott, North Dakota State running back CharMar Brown and kicker Bert Auburn. Auburn gives the Canes a generally reliable kicker who was very good in 2023 and not quite as good last year, but still the best possible option to replace NFL-bound Andres Borregales. Marion and Scott give UM accomplished returners who once led their conferences in kickoff and punt return averages, respectively. Here's how assessed UM's portal efforts: 'Similar to a year ago with Cam Ward, Miami focused much of its winter portal efforts on a quarterback. The Hurricanes pulled off a stunner in January, landing Carson Beck, who passed on the NFL draft for the portal. Miami has worked this spring on surrounding Beck with talent, bringing in two new wide receivers in Marion and Johnson. Marion was a second-team All-Big 12 pick as a kick returner after taking back 18 kicks for 472 yards and two touchdowns last season, too. 'Miami was also able to land Brown, who appeared set to land at Cal until the Hurricanes made a final-hour move to land the Jerry Rice Award winner. The North Dakota State running back closed out 2024 with 1,183 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Reshaping the secondary was a priority for new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.' If you include the prespring portal additions, this transfer class deserves an A or A-, on paper. That group includes Beck, ex-LSU receiver CJ Daniels, ex-Tulane tight end Alex Bauman; UAB tight end Jack Nickel; center James Brockermeyer; Louisiana Tech defensive tackle David Blay; cornerbacks Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin) and Ethan O'Connor (Washington State) and Charles Brantley (Michigan State); cornerback Emmanuel Karnley (the Arizona transfer then left UM in April); former Jacksonville State safety Poyser; ex-Charlotte long snapper Adam Booker and erstwhile FAU kicker Carter Davis. Finding an accomplished starting quarterback and several good defensive backs in the portal - plus a starting center and starting defensive lineman — makes this a successful Canes offseason by any measure. ▪ Because there simply wasn't an elite No. 1 boundary receiver in the portal, there's as much uncertainty about who will earn a top-four receiver spots as any offseason I can remember. Jojo Trader, who was injured late in spring practice, is a likely starter if he's healthy. Daniels (LSU's No. 4 receiver) and Marion (24 catches, 346 yards, TD last season have a legitimate chance to win the other boundary job, with Ny Carr, Joshua Moore and Dylan Upshaw competing. Johnson (48 receptions), 449 yards and six TDs last season is the front-runner in the slot, but explosive freshman Malachi Toney needs to play — inside or outside — and Ray Ray Joseph had a solid spring. ▪ UM's inability to find a veteran tackle from a weak crop of postspring portal options (Blay stayed at Boise; UCF's Bernard Gooden picked LSU) creates a big opportunity for freshman Donta Simpson and Daylen Russell to earn snaps as a No. 4 tackle. Probably the more likely scenario is one of the top ends (Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, Armondo Blount) moving inside on passing downs and UM giving more edge snaps to Blount or Malik Bryant or to young players Hayden Lowe, Marquise Lightfoot, Booker Pickett or Cole McConathy. ▪ Bonner, who was productive in seven starts for North Carolina State, becomes the front-runner to start opposite Wesley Bissainthe, but I wouldn't discount Raul Aguirre or Jaylin Alderman. Alderman was a productive starter for Louisville in 2023 and Aguirre repeatedly flashes. Chase Smith and Bobby Pruitt could become factors. UM also is awaiting a decision from Rutgers linebacker Mohamed Toure, who was exceptional in 2023 (94 tackles, 9.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks) but missed 2022 and 2024 with separate ACL tears. North Carolina, Penn State and Indiana also have been pursuing Toure. ▪ Beyond Feely and Pena, UM's other spring portal visitors who ended up elsewhere were defensive backs — Haulcy, UF's Gregory Smith (picked North Carolina), Colorado cornerback Colton Hood (chose Tennessee), UCF cornerback Brent Austin (chose Cal), Kansas State's Noah King (picked Colorado). Though Haulcy was a priority, some of the others weren't high priorities after UM made inroads with Thomas and Scott. Thomas will battle Markeith Williams and Dylan Day to start opposite Poyser. Scott, who was a productive slot corner for Auburn two years ago, will compete with Damari Brown and Brantley for snaps in nickel packages. He can also play safety and boundary cornerback, but is best in the slot. ▪ Offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 1 prep prospect in the 2026 class, is expected to pick his school on Tuesday, and Miami, Georgia and Oregon are the top contenders. The 6-7, 300-pound Cantwell, who attends high school in Nixa, Missouri, visited UM in the spring and will visit Georgia on Saturday.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn lands ex-Tulane CB Rayshawn Pleasant. Why did he choose the Tigers?
Auburn lands ex-Tulane CB Rayshawn Pleasant. Why did he choose the Tigers? Pleasant logged 35 tackles last season while posting 449 kick return yards at Tulane. Auburn football lost a series of defensive backs to the transfer portal after spring practice, and has found a way to replenish the unit's depth by adding a talented, experienced transfer cornerback. Rayshawn Pleasant, formerly of Tulane, announced Wednesday that he is transferring to Auburn. He visited campus on Monday, according to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, and made his commitment two days later. Shared the three key reasons why he chose Auburn over USC in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover. "Just because of the opportunity they have, the winning," Pleasant said. "The opportunity it is to play in the SEC. Being in a great city, great college town. Being around some great coaches who just care about you more than football." Auburn's addition of Pleasant is quite impactful. Hugh Freeze lost two depth pieces at cornerback, JC Hart and Tyler Scott, to the transfer portal, and made up for the deficit by adding a two-year player in Pleasant, who started 12 games for the Green Wave last season. He notched 35 tackles last season at Tulane with one interception... that he returned for a touchdown. According to PFF, he finished the season with a 65.1 overall grade, with his strong suit being coverage, where he graded 69.9. He missed nine tackles all season, and receivers caught 19-of-37 passes when covered by Pleasant. Not only does he pair well with fellow Auburn corners Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, and Raion Strader, but Pleasant is also a threat in the kick return game. He returned 13 kicks for a 34.5-yard return average with two touchdowns last season at Tulane. The potential of pairing him with Jeremiah Cobb, who returned 19 kicks for a 23.4-yard average last season, will be lethal to opposing kick coverage. Pleasant is the fourth player to join Auburn's roster from the spring transfer portal window, joining fellow defensive athletes James Ash (Florida A&M), Caleb Wheatland (Maryland), and Jay Hardy (Liberty). Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
