Top 3 strongest position groups for Miami football in 2024

3. Defensive Line

Now, we move over to the other side of the ball. There's not much debate about the strongest aspect of the Hurricanes defense. The defensive line has one young building block surrounded by a collection of veteran transfers. The young building block is sophomore Reuben Bain Jr. As a true freshman, Bain broke out and immediately became one of the best pass rushers in the ACC.

Last season, he was in a three-way tie for fifth in the ACC with 7.5 sacks. He accounted for 44 tackles and 23 of those were solo tackles. Bain was a third-team All-ACC selection last year. Bain was also named a consensus Freshman All-American. He will lock down the starting spot at the left defensive end position. The starter for the right side is a tossup between two senior transfers.

Tyler Baron comes in from Tennessee as a four-star transfer. Elijah Alston comes in from Marshall as a three-star transfer. Baron should have an advantage in the position battle because he's 6-foot-5, three inches taller than Alston. Both players weigh in almost the same. However, Baron could be the starter because of his experience playing in the SEC.

Baron has been everywhere since entering his name in the transfer portal. He originally committed to Ole Miss before flipping to Louisville. Then, he flipped his commitment to Miami in May. Last season. Baron recorded six sacks in a reduced role. Alston, also had a reduced role at Marshall, recording six sacks as well. However, he has lots of excitement from the Miami coaching staff. The starter alongside Bain is a close call.

Three more senior transfers will compete for two starting spots as defensive tackles. The three transfers are C.J. Clark from North Carolina State, Marley Cook from Middle Tennessee State, and Simeon Barrow Jr. from Michigan State. Jared Harrison-Hunte was supposed to be penciled in as a starter but he transferred to SMU.

It's unclear who will start in the defensive tackle spots. Marley Cook has many impressed at Miami, especially after he broke the Hurricanes' all-time squat record. Cook has the smallest body of the three transfers, standing at 6-foot-1. However, he did have success at MTSU. He was named an honorable mention All-C-USA after his 2022 season after he recorded 6.5 sacks.

Simeon Barrow has spent the last three years in East Lansing and has racked up 10.5 sacks in his time with the Spartans. He produced a total of 110 tackles and 18.5 tackles for loss. He'll improve the interior of the defensive line with his 6-foot-3, 300-pound frame. The wild card here is C.J. Clark. At NC State, the Wolfpack has Clark everywhere.

He started his college career as a defensive tackle before playing one season as an offensive lineman. After that didn't work out, he moved back to the D-line. He was more used in a limited role at NC State and only produced 22 tackles last season. Another name to watch is Akheem Mesidor. Mesidor was a force in his junior year, back in 2022. He had seven sacks that year.

Last year, he wasn't as productive. He only played three games before foot injuries kept him out. It would be interesting to see if he can return to form in a year when he's fully healthy. Last season was the first time where he missed a substantial amount of time in his college career. Throughout the 2024 campaign, expect lots of rotation around the defensive line. Miami has many intriguing pieces that can lend a helping hand, just like the receiver group.