Miami Hurricanes looking for players to step up at defensive tackle. Who’s standing out?
When discussing various areas of change on the Miami Hurricanes football team heading into the 2025 season, most of the talk surrounds the quarterback, wide receivers and secondary.
But there is another position group that is undergoing a major reboot: The interior of the defensive line.
Simeon Barrow Jr. and C.J. Clark are gone after their first and only season at Miami after respectively transferring in from Michigan State and N.C. State for their final year of eligibility. Akheem Mesidor is shifting back to the edge for his final season at UM after playing most of the 2024 season on the inside. Their position coach from last year is gone as well, with Joe Salave’a leaving Miami for his alma mater Arizona.
So who’s next up for the Hurricanes at defensive tackle, a group now coached by former Hurricanes standout Damione Lewis?
The three most likely to get significant reps appear to be Louisiana Tech transfer David Blay, redshirt junior Ahmad Moten Sr. and sophomore Justin Scott.
“They’re a great group,” Lewis said. “They are dedicated. They’re working extremely hard, and they’ve given us all that effort. So I’m extremely proud of their progress. I’m proud of how fast they come along, how fast they’ve adjusted to my coaching style and the details and stuff that I want and I want to see executed out on the field.”
As for specifics on the players themselves...
▪ Blay was the splash addition by the Hurricanes along the defensive line in the transfer portal out of Louisiana Tech.
He is coming off a redshirt junior season during which he was first-team All-Conference USA after recording 46 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries over 12 games.
Pro Football Focus rated Blay the 170th best defensive tackle among 881 FBS qualifiers at the position this season.
Blay said he tries to model his game after NFL stars Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox.
“Obviously I’m still working to harp on my skills, make sure I do everything right every play, and just be consistent, because that’s what they are,” Blay said.
Blay, 6-4 and 303 pounds, said working with Lewis and defensive line coach Jason Taylor has helped him improve his technique.
“They’re gonna make sure I get the plays right every play,” Blay said.
Added Lewis: “He’s a bigger guy, he’s squattier, he’s stronger, so he has his style to play.”
▪ Moten was the Hurricanes’ breakout defensive tackle last season after biding his time early in his UM career. The former Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons standout had just two tackles over his first two seasons before cracking the rotation last season and ultimately starting Miami’s final two games. Moten finished 2024 with 18 tackles, three-and-a-half tackles for loss and his first career sack.
“That just boosted [my confidence] and showed the coaches what I can do,” Moten said. “Starting the last [two] games, that was really big for me. I’m just glad the coaches really trusted me and put me in that position to start for the University of Miami. So now it’s spring, just trying to get better every day.
“Like my dad always told me: Just run the race. You can’t just transfer when stuff’s not going your way. I just thug it out. I’m blessed to be here.”
▪ Scott is the highly touted up-and-comer. He was a five-star prospect and the No. 10 overall recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2024 and found himself in the rotation as a reserve defensive lineman early. He played in 11 games, logging seven tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
Scott said the biggest thing he learned from his freshman year was the need to be sharp and consistent with his technique.
“Everybody gonna be big, strong and fast,” Scott said, “so it’s gonna come down to technique at the end of the day.”
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