30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Wesley Bissainthe set for big last season
The Miami Hurricanes kick off the 2025 season on Sunday with a marquee matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes’ roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season.
Today: The No. 4 player on our list, Wesley Bissainthe
What to know
Position: Linebacker
Hometown: Miami
Year: Senior
How he got to Miami: 2022 recruiting class
Key stats: 133 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception in 38 games (26 starts) through three years at Miami
In summary: Wesley Bissainthe has seen his playing time and responsibility steadily increase each season at Miami. Expect that to continue as he enters his senior year playing for his hometown team. Bissainthe started all 13 games for Miami last year after being a starter three times as a freshman and 10 times as a sophomore and set a career high with 59 tackles (36 solo). He is set to form a 1-2 punch up the middle of the defense with Rutgers transfer Mo Toure, giving Miami valuable starting experience to lead the linebacker group.
What they’re saying
“When I’m on the field, I feel like the game has slowed down a lot. I feel like once I get my job, once I get the play call, now I process everything at a different pace, and I play faster.” — Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe on how he has grown as a player
“With the weapons we’ve got, I feel like we have a lot of depth [at] each position. When one comes out, we’ve got another dog coming in. I feel like we’re very versatile. We’re able to do multiple things and make plays.” — Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe on the state of the defense
The rest of the series
No. 5: Cornerback OJ Frederique Jr.
No. 6: Right guard Anez Cooper
No. 7: Safety Zechariah Poyser
No. 8: Linebacker Mohamed Toure
No. 9: Running back Mark Fletcher Jr.
No. 10: Tight end Elija Lofton
No. 11: Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor
No. 12: Wide receiver Joshisa Trader
No. 13: Offensive lineman Markel Bell
No. 14: Defensive back Xavier Lucas
No. 15: Defensive lineman Justin Scott
No. 16: Wide receiver CJ Daniels
No. 17: Defensive lineman David Blay
No. 18: Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten
No. 19: Center James Brockermeyer
No. 20: Wide receiver Keelan Marion
No. 21: Defensive back Jakobe Thomas
No. 23: Defensive back Keionte Scott
No. 24: Running back Jordan Lyle
No. 25: Defensive back Damari Brown
No. 26: Defensive lineman Armondo Blount
No. 27: Wide receiver Malachi Toney
No. 28: Defensive back Ethan O’Connor
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
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