Akheem Mesidor out for Hurricanes’ game vs. Stanford. Who will fill his spot?
The No. 9 Miami Hurricanes will be without one of their top players on defense against the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday.
Mesidor was not dressed out during warmups ahead of the 7 p.m. game at Hard Rock Stadium and is set to miss his first game of the season. The sixth-year senior was listed as a game-time decision on the final availability report released by the ACC at 5 p.m. Saturday, two hours before kickoff.
Sophomore Marquise Lightfoot appears poised to fill in Mesidor’s spot in the starting lineup on a defensive line that includes Rueben Bain Jr. as the other edge rusher plus David Blay and Ahmad Moten at defensive tackle. Lightfoot has seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack, this season but did not play in UM’s past two games against Florida State and Louisville.
Mesidor sustained an apparent foot injury late in Miami’s 24-21 upset loss to Louisville last week. He returned to the game but clearly wasn't at full strength down the stretch.
Mesidor was added to the availability report on Friday, being listed as questionable for the game. His name did not appear on the initial report released by the ACC on Thursday.
“Obviously, it was tough for him to finish the game,” Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal said on Monday. “He was a little bit banged up, but he seems to be on track to be healing.”
Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Bain. He leads the team with three-and-a-half sacks and ranks second with five tackles for loss.
In addition to Lightfoot, look to Armondo Blount to get extra reps on Saturday.
As for other Miami players who were listed with designations on the availability report, linebacker Bobby Washington Jr. and defensive lineman Mykah Newton are out. Miami had already ruled seven other players out in defensive lineman Hayden Lowe; wide receiver Chance Robinson; tight ends Jack Nickel, Jackson Carver and Dylan Reiman; and offensive linemen Ralph Scroggins and Demetrius Campbell.
Meanwhile, Stanford already announced that it is without four players who began the season as starters on Saturday in running back Micah Ford, offensive linemen Nick Fattig and Simione Pale, and safety Jay Green. Fellow starting safety Mitch Leigber will sit out the first half against the Hurricanes after he was ejected for targeting in the second half of the Cardinal’s game against Florida State last week.
Starting cornerback Collin Wright, who on Friday was listed as probable, is a game-time decision for the Cardinal.
This story was originally published October 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM.
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