Cornerback who led nation in a key category visiting Canes. And Riley Williams portal-bound
Seeking more help at need positions, the Miami Hurricanes this weekend will host Michigan State standout cornerback Charles Brantley, Idaho cornerback Andrew Marshall and Washington State safety Adrian Wilson on “free agent visits.”
Brantley — who is rated by 247 Sports as the No. 9 cornerback and No. 84 overall player in the transfer portal — appeared in 30 games for Michigan State the past four seasons and has five career interceptions. He announced on social media that he’s visiting UM on Friday.
This season, Brantley had three interceptions (including one returned 100 yards for a touchdown against Prairie View A&M), seven passes defended, 27 tackles and two tackles for loss. He missed the final three games with a leg injury.
His pass coverage metrics this season were remarkable: Quarterbacks had a 16.6 passer rating when targeting Brantley: 14 receptions in 37 targets for 149 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns permitted. That 16.6 was the best passer rating against in the country against all FBS cornerbacks targeted at least 20 times.
The Venice High graduate, who has one season of eligibility remaining, reportedly visited Illinois earlier this week and has drawn interest from Oregon and Mississippi, among others. He entered the portal twice last year but returned to MSU both times.
Marshall was a first-team All-Big Sky cornerback last season, closing the season with 42 tackles and three pass breakups. He had a 98.4 passer rating in his coverage area: 34 catches in 59 targets, with 4 TDs allowed. Marshall, who has two more seasons of eligibility, previously visited Nebraska.
Wilson, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, is an experienced safety who had 47 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, along with three pass breakups and a forced fumble this season.
But his pass coverage metrics weren’t very good: He allowed 19 completions in 22 targets for 201 yards with three TDs and no interceptions; that computes to a 144.3 passer rating in his coverage area. He also missed 14 tackles.
Wilson was a three-star prospect out of a Dallas high school in 2023.
The Canes are seeking veteran help at both safety and cornerback.
At cornerback, they have three experienced players currently set to return: OJ Frederique, Damari Brown and Dyoni Hill. UM also is expected to pursue former Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas, a former Plantation American Heritage standout who entered the transfer portal this week.
At safety, the Hurricanes already have added coveted Jacksonville State safety Zechariah Poyser to supplement a group including Jaden Harris (who was one of PFF’s lowest-rated starting safeties), Markeith Williams, Zaquan Patterson, Dylan Day, Isaiah Thomas and incoming freshmen Bryce Fitzgerald and Amari Wallace. UM is losing Mishael Powell, who is out of eligibility.
Poyser and former LSU receiver CJ Daniels are the Canes’ two portal additions so far.
Miami is awaiting word from several other players who visited. Beyond Brantley and Wilson, other visitors this weekend include Louisiana Tech defensive tackle David Blay.
Williams entering portal
Tight end Riley Williams is expected to enter the transfer portal, meaning the Hurricanes are losing three of their four most-used tight ends.
Williams caught 7 passes for 115 yards in 184 snaps last season. He caught 8 passes for 72 yards in 316 snaps as a freshman in 2023.
Williams joins NFL-bound Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick (who has finally used up his college eligibility) as departing players at tight end.
Elija Lofton projects as Miami’s starter at the position, and Jackson Carver is the other veteran on the roster. Miami’s incoming freshman class includes tight ends Brock Schott and Luka Gilbert.
This story was originally published December 20, 2024 at 11:52 AM.
