Previewing the Miami Hurricanes’ defensive line entering the 2023 season | Summer camp series

9-12 minutes 7/21/2023
The Miami Hurricanes struggled in Year 1 under Mario Cristobal, going 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game. But newcomers and returning players could give Miami fans reasons for hope as the 2023 season gets closer.
Each week, we’ll take a look at Miami’s position groups and see where they stand as the college football season is rapidly approaching.
Last week, we previewed Miami’s new-look offensive line. This week, we keep previewing the Hurricanes’ trenches, taking a look at the defensive line.
Who left
The Hurricanes’ defensive line will look markedly different this season. Miami lost a pair of linemen to the pro ranks, and five others transferred out of the program. The seven departing linemen combined for over 1,400 defensive snaps last season.
Mitchell Agude and Antonio Moultrie exhausted their college eligibility after transferring to Miami for one season.
Agude, who arrived from UCLA, played the biggest role. He had 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble. Agude received a 72.2 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, a 74.5 run-defense grade and 65.6 pass-rushing grade. He also had a 56.5 tackling grade.
Agude, an edge rusher, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Dolphins, where he will likely line up as an outside linebacker.
Moultrie, an interior lineman who transferred from UAB, played 159 snaps in 12 games but was solid when he got on the field. He had 14 tackles with two tackles for loss, half a sack and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus gave him an 83 defensive grade, which was fourth on the team. He had an 82.6 run-defense mark, which was second for UM. Moultrie recorded 73.3 pass-rush grade and a 63.6 tackle grade.
Moultrie signed as an undrafted free-agent with the Green Bay Packers.
On the transfer front, UM lost key defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. to rival Florida State.
Jackson, who is from Havana in the Florida Panhandle, played one season with the Hurricanes after transferring from Maryland. He had 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2022. Pro Football Focus gave him a 72.4 defensive grade with 73.1 run-defense grade, a 66.3 pass-rushing grade and an 82.9 tackling grade (second-best on the team).
Defensive tackle Jordan Miller and defensive end Elijah Roberts were the two other defensive-line transfers who played at least 100 snaps. Miller played 197 snaps, racking up 18 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack. Roberts played 111 snaps with nine tackles and one tackle for loss.
Miller earned a 69.6 defensive grade, while Roberts had a 72.9 defensive grade. Both players transferred to SMU.
The Hurricanes also lost interior linemen Allan Haye Jr., Jabari Ishmael and Thomas Davis to the transfer portal. Haye is now at Temple (which hosts Miami in September). Davis transferred to Appalachian State, and Ishmael transferred to Marshall.
Who returns
Although Miami lost several key players from last year’s defensive line, they return many of the top players, like defensive end Akheem Mesidor and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor.
Mesidor was a major addition last offseason, transferring from West Virginia. In 11 games, he had 38 tackles and tied for the team lead with 10.5 tackles for loss. He also led the team with seven sacks. Pro Football Focus gave Mesidor an 87.1 defensive grade (third-best for UM) with an 86.5 run-defense grade, 80.7 pass-rushing grade and a 75.9 tackling grade. Mesidor was an All-ACC honorable mention.
Mesidor, a fourth-year junior, primarily played defensive end, but he also spent time at defensive tackle. Defensive line coach Jason Taylor said in the spring that Mesidor could move inside again this season.
Leonard Taylor is another key returnee. He missed all of spring practice with an injury, but last season he showed the talent that made him a five-star prospect as a high-school player. In 329 snaps over 12 games, Taylor had 24 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He also had six quarterback hurries and an interception. Taylor, a junior, was an All-ACC honorable mention.
Pro Football Focus gave Taylor high marks, awarding him an 87.3 grade (second-best on the team) with a team-leading 85.5 pass-rushing grade. He also had 79.5 run-defense grade.
Miami also returns other veteran linemen like fourth-year junior Chantz Williams, fifth-year redshirt juniors Jahfari Harvey and Jared Harrison-Hunte, as well as sixth-year redshirt senior Jacob Lichtenstein.
Harvey, an edge rusher, played the most of those three veterans, making eight starts and playing 412 defensive snaps. He had 31 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave him a 76.2 defensive grade with a 76.4 run-defense grade, a 71.1 pass-rush grade and a 74. 9 tackling grade.
“I’m excited about him,” Jason Taylor said. “I like what he’s done.”
Harrison-Hunte is coming off an injury but played in nine games (205 snaps) last year as an interior lineman. He had 16 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. Pro Football Focus gave him 67.8 defensive grade with 66.2 run-defense grade, a 70.3 pass-rush grade and a low 27.6 tackling grade.
Williams, a defensive end, played 111 snaps and had 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Lichtenstein, a Weston native who transferred from USC, played in eight games and had 83 defensive snaps. An interior lineman, he had four tackles and one sack last year.
Sophomore defensive end Nyjalik Kelly made an early impact last season, making 11 tackles with four sacks in 187 snaps. The Dillard alumnus earned praise during and following his freshman season.
“Everyone knows I’m a huge fan of Nyjalik’s,” Taylor said. “… He didn’t have a chance to play last spring, so he really got thrown in the deep end during the season. … He just turned 18 years old, so he’s still got that kid in him. Still does those things that make you scratch your head, but love him to death.”
Miami is also expecting development from redshirt freshmen Ahmad Moten and Cyrus Moss.
“Moten had been moving up … There is some development there, some flashes,” Cristobal said in March. “We got to push him and I’m going to grind him really, really hard, because he needs that.”
Who arrived
The Hurricanes needed to add depth to its defensive line to supplement the returning players, and they brought in a large class. Miami added three defensive linemen through the transfer portal and four high school grads in their recruiting class.
The three transfers are Branson Deen (Purdue), Thomas Gore (Georgia State) and Anthony Campbell (Louisiana-Monroe). Deen and Gore are interior linemen, while Campbell primarily plays on the edge.
Deen, a sixth-year redshirt senior, played in 39 games over four seasons with the Boilermakers. Last year, he had 28 tackles with four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave Deen a 72.6 defensive grade. He was particularly strong in pass-rushing, earning a 79 pass-rushing grade.
Gore is beginning his fifth year of college football after four seasons at Georgia State. He played in 12 games last year and had 38 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. He earned strong defensive grades, getting an 84.8 overall score with an 89.7 pass-rushing grade. Gore also had a 74.8 run-defense score and a 50.5 tacking grade.
Campbell, at 6 feet 7, played two seasons in junior college before spending two seasons at ULM. Last year, Campbell notched 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack in 208 snaps. He had a 72.9 defensive grade with a 74.4 run-defense grade, a 61.3 tackling grade and a 69.4 pass rushing grade.
Campbell primarily played defensive end last year, but he also played 71 snaps at defensive tackle. That versatility adds needed depth for UM.
The Hurricanes’ four freshmen offer a lot of promise. All four of the prospects (Collins Acheampong, Rueben Bain Jr., Joshua Horton and Jayden Wayne) were rated four-star prospects in 247Sports’ composite ranks.
Acheampong, a California native, was rated the No. 16 defensive lineman and No. 158 player in the 2023 class. Acheampong played only two seasons of high school football. His high school disbanded the football program due to the COVID-19 pandemic after his freshman season. He played as a senior, as well. Acheampong spent the spring recovering from an injury.
“He’s attacking his rehab as a pro,” Taylor said. “It’s been tough for him but he’s doing a great job and getting a chance to come out and move around with us. It’s good to see him progress.”
Many South Florida fans need no introduction to Bain, who was a star at Miami Central High. Bain, who earned the nickname “Hurricane” well before arriving in Coral Gables, helped lead the Rockets to a state title in 2022. The versatile lineman was rated the No. 11 edge rusher and No. 63 player in the class.
“Rueben Bain is as advertised,” Taylor said.
Horton, a Georgia native, was rated the No. 50 defensive lineman and No. 433 player in the class. The 6-foot-4 and 285-pounder likely will play at defensive tackle. Horton was a summer enrollee.
Wayne arrived in time for spring practice. A Washington native, Wayne spent his senior season at Bradenton powerhouse IMG Academy. Wayne was rated the No. 13 edge rusher and No. 82 player in the class.
“He’s got 10 toes down and he’s doing everything we’ve asked him to do,” Taylor said.