Miami Hurricanes 2025 Spring Football Preview: Defense

With a rebuilt staff and tons of new players, Miami looks to take a 180 and turn the defense around in 2025

Welcome back, Canes fam! We’re another day closer to Miami Hurricanes Spring Practice, and today, we’re going to look at the defense, a unit that needs to see a lot of development moving into the 2025 season.

If you missed yesterday’s preview of the Offense, click the link below:

There has, understandably, been plenty of turnover on the defensive side of the ball. I’ll save the list of players for each position’s blurb, but the main changes are on the sidelines. Gone are all defensive staffers, save DE coach Jason Taylor. With the ouster of DC Lance Guidry, CBs coach Chevis Jackson, LB coach Derick Nicholson, and DT coach/associate head coach Joe Salave’a, Miami brings in a whole new crew to coach and develop a Miami Hurricanes defense that desperately needs a reset.

With no further ado, let’s look at the positions on defense heading into the Spring.

Defensive Line

Miami loses several contributors from the 2-deep to graduation heading into Spring. Gone are EDGEs Elijah Alston and Tyler Baron, DTs Simeon Barrow Jr. (1st Team All-ACC in 2024), C.J. Clark, Anthony Campbell, and Marley Cook. That’s a lot of snaps departing the roster, particularly on the inside of the defensive line, but Miami should be able to withstand those graduations.

At EDGE, the key this Spring will be developing the next group of pass rushers. Leading the way are like Marquise Lightfoot, a talented sophomore with tons of potential, and Hayden Lowe, a 5-star recruit who has been favorably compared to former 1st round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux who attended the same HS as Lowe and played for Cristobal at Oregon, Other youngsters looking to move into the rotation are Malik Bryant, who split time between LB and EDGE a year ago, Booker Pickett Jr, Cole McConathy (who played in every game as a true freshman, by the way), Daylen Russell, and freshman Herbert Scroggins III.

If you’re wondering about Rueben Bain or Akheem Mesidor, I didn’t forget about them. Both of these players could (and I think they should) split time between edge and tackle. Their versatility will be a benefit for the line moving forward, as multiple personnel groups can be used in a variety of ways with Bain and/or Mesidor on the field.

At Tackle, Most Improved Player Ahmad Moten Sr. looks to continue his ascension into a full-time starter, and uber talented youngsters Armando Blount and Justin Scott look to take big steps forward heading into year 2. Artavis Jones and Joshua Horton are looking to follow in Moten Sr.’s footsteps by unlocking their potential and integrating themselves into the DT rotation this season as well. True freshmen Mykah Newberry and Donta’ Simpson will begin the process of growth and development that will hopefully see them become contributors in a year or two.

Miami has solid numbers up front, but there needs to be development from every single player this Spring. Miami’s defensive line, though incredibly talented, lacked the impact needed to aid their porous pass defense from getting torched game after game. The blue chip talent needs to stay healthy (Bain, Mesidor), and perform to the level of their talent. It’s up to coaches Jason Taylor and Damione Lewis to get them there, and this Spring will be crucial for the development of all those players, particularly Bain, who basically played the entirety of the 2024 season hurt.

Linebacker

Gone is leading tackler Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa, so his presence, leadership, and production will need to be replaced. Wesley Bissainthe returns for his senior season, a 3rd season starting at least part time, and becomes the leader of the group.

Top backup Raul “Popo” Aguirre is the presumptive leader to step into the void left by Mauigoa. He was the 1st LB off the bench last year, and has the physical profile of a big time player at the center of Miami’s defense.

Louisville transfer Jaylin Alderman returns for a second year at Miami. He’s a valuable player in a rotational role, and provides solid depth and experience. He can step into a bigger role on a game by game basis, but is a bit limited physically.

The big focus in Spring will be the development of several very rangy and athletic players looking to step into bigger roles for the Miami defense. Sophomores Cameron “Bobby” Pruitt, Bobby Washington Jr., Adarius Hayes, and senior Chase Smith are all rangy athletes with size and speed. On top of those players, freshmen Kellen Wiley and Ezekiel Marcelin look to start their journeys at Miami, and have the athleticism and potential to work their way into the picture if they perform to the same level they did in HS.

Miami has a VERY ATHLETIC Linebacker room finally after years of recruiting and transfers. The starting pair of Aguirre and Bissanthe both profile as playmakers, and the large group of tall, fast players with great length should push for increased playing time as well. This is the group that new DC Corey Hetherman will personally coach, so I’m very interested to see how they take to the new scheme and develop individually as well.

Defensive Back

This is the group with the largest amount of turnover, and the one that needs the most work on development and improvement. Miami’s secondary in 2024 was ATROCIOUS and the work to address those issues begins in earnest this Spring.

Gone from the secondary are senior S Meesh Powell (NFL Draft), CB Daryl Porter Jr., and a plethora of transfers: S Jaden Harris, S Isaiah Thomas, CB Myles Mooyoung, a former walk-on, CB Dy’oni Hill, CB Robert Stafford, and CB Robby Washington, who leaves to return to playing offense elsewhere. Though there are a ton of snaps departing with this group, mostly by the starting safety pair of Powell and Harris and corner Porter Jr., this is an “addition by subtraction” situation. The outgoing players didn’t have the quality needed to play here at Miami, and moving them on elsewhere creates room for those who do.

Cornerback

At Cornerback, Miami is led by rookie of the year and Freshman All-American O.J. Frederique. Other returning players at Corner are Damari Brown, Ryan Mack, and Jadais Richard, who was at the top of the rotation until a late-season injury sidelined him. He remains out with injury rehab.

The competition for playing time at Corner isn’t limited to those players, however. Miami added a TON of transfers in the secondary, with Charles Brantley (Michigan State), Emmanuel Karnley (Arizona), Xavier Lucas (Wisconsin), and Ethan O’Connor (Washington State) all joining the roster through the portal this Spring. Though Brantley is still working his way back from injury, the other 3 will compete for playing time in what figures to be a revamped Miami secondary.

Miami added several cornerbacks in the 2025 recruiting class as well, with a total overhaul of the position the goal this offseason. Joining the roster are Jaboree Antoine (New Iberia, LA Westgate), Chris Ewald Jr (Chaminade Madonna), and Amari Wallace (Miami Central). All 3 were blue chip talents and add great talent to the cornerback room.

Brantley, a Florida native, was honorable mention All Big-10 last year, and the trio of Karnley, Lucas, and O’Connor bring solid performance, size, and potential to the secondary as well. When you consider these additions, on top of the returning talent and HS recruits, there is plenty of reason for optimism that things will improve from last year at the back end of Miami’s defense.

Safety

The leading returner at Safety is sophomore Zaquan Patterson. Miami would LOVE for him to take a big step forward in his development and performance to lock down a starting spot here. Other returners at Safety are Dylan Day and Markeith Williams. Those two have shined on special teams and with rotational snaps, but need to hit another level of development to push for starting/serious playing time.

Miami added S Bryce Fitzgerald (Miami Columbus) in the 2025 recruiting class as yet-another blue chip talent to the Safety room. He’s a playmaker with great ball skills who excels in coverage and on return units (as the returner, not a blocker).

The new headliner to the Safety room is Zechariah Poyser, a freshman All-American from Jacksonville State. He is a native Floridian returning home, and taking a BIG step up in competition to play for the Hurricanes. Unless something goes seriously wrong, I would fully expect Poyser to be starting sooner rather than later.

Something else to watch in the secondary are potential position changes from returning players. There is a chance that either or both of Damari Brown and Jadais Richard could move inside to Safety this year. This could happen with other players, too, but Brown and Richard are my prime candidates for such a move. Players like Sheldrick Redwine followed this same path in their college careers, starting out at CB but transitioning to S over time.

In the end, Miami needed a total overhaul of the secondary after the debacle that was the 2024 pass defense, and the Canes have gone to great lengths to flip the room nearly entirely. With a pair of new coaches — Zac Etheridge and Will Harris — coaching this unit, all eyes will be on their development and performance through the Spring.

Special Teams

Gone is all-time leading scorer K Andres Borregales. In steps redshirt freshman K Abram Murray, a top kicker in his class nationally. I’m not expecting him to be Borregales, but I fully expect Murray to be a solid or better kicker for Miami this year.

P Dylan Joyce is among the best in the business, and returns for another year. He’s the nailed on starter here.

The big opening on special teams is for kickoff and punt returners. Miami has been pretty woeful in this area recently, so the opportunity for someone (or multiple people) to step up and be impact players exists. There are guys who have taken snaps here, such as Ray Ray Joseph and Jordan Lyle, but better performance is needed. If the players who have previous experience improve and keep their roles, great. If new players step up and provide the spark others have lacked, also great! But, in the end, Miami’s return game needs to be better, so hopefully someone steps up to make it so.

While the Miami offense is retooling, the defense is rebuilding. I’m very interested to see how the new staff and new players come together, with the hope that they combine to vastly improve the unit as a whole.

This, and hopefully no injuries, will be what I’m most closely watching through Spring Practice.

Go Canes