Will the Miami defense be as strong in 2026 as they were last season?
Corey Hetherman enters his second campaign as Miami’s defensive coordinator. In year one, he transformed the unit into the 5th-ranked scoring D in the entire country. Prior to his arrival, Miami was the 68th-ranked scoring defense in 2024.
Miami’s defense will need to replace departing starters Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor from the defensive line, Wesley Bissainthe at linebacker, and Keionte Scott and Jakobe Thomas from the DB room.
The Hurricanes will begin training camp in early August. Starting positions and rotational roles will be up for grabs. Here’s who I’ll be watching most closely:
Defensive line
The starting defensive tackles will likely be Ahmad Moten Sr. and Justin Scott, but questions about the depth of the interior DL will need to be answered. Nebraska transfer Keona Davis and Ohio State transfer Jarquez Carter will likely be the next men up at DT. Will they solidify themselves next month, or will younger competitors like Mykah Newton and Keshawn Stancil play spoiler?
At defensive end, the competition for playing time will be like a Royal Rumble. Mizzou transfer Damon Wilson II is the most established player and a likely starter. Meanwhile, the competitions will be fierce for both the other starting jobs and for the prominent backup roles. Miami will likely rotate their ends heavily, but who will get the most snaps? Junior Marquise Lightfoot might be the best overall pass-rushing option, but fellow junior Armando Blount has a rare combination of explosiveness and power with his 275-pound frame. Second-year edge Hayden Lowe will look to bounce back from an ACL injury that kept him sidelined last year. Lowe also missed time during spring for personal reasons. If he’s fully reengaged, he could be dangerous. Miami coaches speak highly of third-year pass rushers Herbert Scroggins III and Booker Pickett Jr. True freshman Asshari Charles had some great moments in spring and could be a contender to crack the rotation.
I cannot emphasise this enough: defensive line can be the strength of the team this year, even after losing Bain and Mesidor.
Linebackers
My educated guess would be seeing 7th- and 6th-year seniors Mohamed Toure and Chase Smith at the top of the depth chart in Miami’s 4-2-5 scheme.
What makes linebacker so exciting and a little scary at the same time is the amount of young, unproven depth. Second-year player Kellen Wiley Jr. is the one I’m most excited about because he checks off all the boxes physically. Junior Cameron “Bobby” Pruitt has sideline-to-sideline speed, and he plays physical. NC State transfer Kamal Bonner was severely limited last year with injury. There were high expectations for him when he arrived in 2025. Will he live up to it this year? Sophomore Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. impressed me during spring ball with his physicality. Freshman newcomers Karsten Busch and Justin “JJ” Edwards will try and rattle their cages and take playing time away from the upperclassmen.
I will make an effort to watch the linebackers extra closely during fall camp, as this is one of the most asked-about position groups among Hurricanes fans.
Defensive backs
Earlier this week, second-year safety Bryce Fitzgerald revealed through a clip on his YouTube channel that coaches have him working in the nickel position. What we don’t know for sure is whether Fitz will take this on as a full-time, permanent role or if he’ll be floating between nickel and free safety. My educated guess is that he will float around. Miami rotated a few players at nickel during spring ball. Omar Thornton and Damari Brown could also see time at that spot. How Miami fills that nickel role after a banner year from Keionte Scott will be a major question for me to find answers for in camp.
The starting corner jobs are almost certainly set, with returning standouts OJ Frederique and Xavier Lucas reprising their roles. I’ll be watching out for how the depth shakes out behind them. Damari Brown and Ethan O’Conner are the most experienced understudies. Sophomore Ja’Boree Antoine will look to take another step forward after a promising debut season. He played some pivotal snaps during the 2025 playoffs.
Miami has one of the most talented groups of freshman corners in recent memory. Can someone like Camdin Portis, Brody Jennings, or Jaelan Waters crack the rotation? Can third-year DB Ryan Mack, coming off terrible injury luck over the past two years, find some consistency this year? When healthy, Mack can hang with anyone in the defensive backfield.
The two starting safety jobs will likely be a combination of Zechariah Poyser, Fitzgerald, and Boston College transfer Omar Thornton. This group will continue to be pushed by true freshman JJ Dunnigan, one of the top young performers in the spring. Third-year safety Dylan Day always performs well when he gets opportunities. I expect him to carve out a bigger role this season.
There will be plenty of competition on the defensive side. Later this week, we’ll preview the offense!
