Can new UM DBs Thornton, Hussey make a jump like Scott and Thomas? What to know
Part 4 of a five-part series previewing Miami Hurricanes spring football practice, which begins Tuesday.
A year ago, nobody could be sure what UM was getting with Keointe Scott (who had a bloated 145 passer rating in his coverage area for Auburn in 2024) or Jakobe Thomas, who toiled for three years at Middle Tennessee State and was a backup in one year at Tennessee while permitting a 116.1 passer rating against.
The Canes must hope that their two new defensive backfield pickups — Boston College’s Omar Thornton and Oregon’s State’s Conrad Hussey — similarly exceed expectations. Both were Broward County high school standouts — Thornton at Plantation American Heritage, Hussey at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
If Thornton can give the Canes even 80% of what Scott provided, that would be a boon to a defense that loses four key starters.
247 Sports rated Thornton the No. 5 safety in the portal; he and standout sophomore Bryce Fitzgerald are both equipped to play safety and nickel in UM’s defense.
At Boston College last season, Thornton had an interception, four forced fumbles (which were sixth most in FBS), eight tackles for loss and two sacks.
His 56 solo tackles were third in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He played the second-most snaps on the Eagles’ defense (700) and PFF ranked him seventh best among the Eagles’ 50 defenders. PFF rated him 11th of 50 Eagles players as a run defender.
Here’s the bad news: His pass coverage metrics were poor: He allowed a 126.6 passer rating in his coverage area last season: 23 completions in 31 completions for 272 yards (11.8 per catch), the one interception and six touchdowns. The six TDs were the third most permitted by any safety in the portal.
But keep in mind that Scott’s passer rating against improved from that dismal 145 in 2024 with Auburn to 69.9 at UM, where he became a key component of an elite team and transformed himself into an NFL Draft prospect.
Also keep in mind that Thomas’ passer rating against improved from that poor 116 in 2025 with Tennessee to 55.8 in his one year at UM, second best on the team behind Fitzgerald’s 38.5. Thomas, too, developed into an NFL prospect in Corey Hetherman’s system and is ranked 10th among all draft-eligible safeties on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board.
Because Fitzgerald is better in coverage than Thornton, a case could be made to play Thornton at safety opposite Zechariah Poyser, and have Fitzgerald play nickel.
Another option: Playing three safeties (Poyser, Fitzgerald and Thornton) at times against pass-heavy teams, with cornerback Damari Brown in the nickel. UM has also emerging young talents at safety in Dylan Day and freshman JJ Dunnigan, whom Larry Blustein predicts will have the biggest immediate impact of any UM freshman defender.
As for Hussey, he opted for FSU over UM coming out of Aquinas as the nation’s No. 16 safety that year (per on3.com’s rankings).
But he picked UM over Tennessee in the portal this time around.
Hussey joined Oregon State early last season, and mysteriously was used on just 51 defensive snaps (at safety and nickel) and appeared in only four games — Oregon, Houston, Appalachian State and Wake Forest. He made one start, against Houston, and did not play in another game following former head coach Trent Bray’s firing.
He allowed three of five passes to be caught for 62 yards, including a touchdown by Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, a projected first-round pick in April. He nearly intercepted Oregon’s Dante Moore on another pass in that Oregon game.
Overall at FSU and Oregon State, he has allowed 9 of 15 passes to be caught for 206 yards and two touchdowns, with eight missed tackles.
Florida State dismissed Hussey from the program following what CBS characterized as a “physical altercation with a coach.”
He was a serviceable player for two years at FSU; he was named the Seminoles’ best freshman defender in 2023 and played 403 defensive snaps in 19 games.
“He’s an aggressive player, and I like that for us,” Oregon State defensive back Sai Vadrawale said of Hussey. “We need more guys that can go out there and hit. He’s an aggressive player.”
He also has much to prove, after his ugly exit from FSU and his lack of usage at Oregon State.
The hope is that Thornton and Hussey will thrive here, just as Scott and Thomas did. UM maximized Scott’s talents by moving him from the boundary, where he struggled for Auburn in 2024, back to the slot, where he thrived for the Tigers in 2023.
Perhaps Thornton will benefit from a move to the slot, where he played a good bit for Boston College but not as much as he played safety.
Both Thornton and Hussey have two years of college eligibility remaining.
This is part 4 of my 5-part series previewing UM spring practice.
Here’s part 1 with Larry Blustein’s assessment of UM’s freshmen on offense.
Here’s part 2 with Blustein’s assessment of UM’s freshmen on defense.
Here’s part 3 on where UM stands at every position.
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 12:52 PM.
