Pro Football Hall of Famer and Miami Hurricanes defensive line coach Jason Taylor navigates significant departures, building a new defensive force from returning talent and elite transfers.
The NFL Draft is officially a few weeks away, with several Miami Hurricanes prospects ready to step into the next level of football. Among the highly touted prospects are edge rushers Akheem Mesidor and All-American Rueben Bain Jr. Last season, both were considered among the best defensive end combos in the nation. They combined for 117 total tackles, 68 solos and 49 assists, 33 tackles for loss, and 22 sacks.
Without Bain Jr. and Mesidor, Hurricanes' defensive line coach Jason Taylor will look to fill the voids on both ends, but the Pro Football Hall of Famer embraces the reset.
“Well, we start over every year anyway,” he said. “We’ve had some departures, significant guys that made huge contributions, leaving, but we also have guys returning. We got Ahmad Moten [Sr.], Armondo [Blount], [Marquise] Lightfoot, Justin Scott, Booker Pickett [Jr.], a lot of guys that have played football for us last year. It’s exciting. You move on to the next year. Unfortunately, [the 2025-26 season] didn’t end the way we wanted it to. So, [we] get a chance to reboot, start it back up in [the 2026-27 season] and try again. It’s exciting. We got a lot of really good pieces in that [defensive line] room. You get to start at the bottom and build up, continue to build guys that have been here. Try to incorporate the new guys that come in the room and into the organization. You continue to build culture, standard, and leadership. Things will spill over to the [football field].”
The Hurricanes’ defensive line looks to cause the same chaos from last season among opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks entering a new one.
Among all the transfer portal additions was edge rusher Damon Wilson II. He was previously with the Missouri Tigers and recorded 23 total tackles, nine solos and 14 assists, 9.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and an interception in 13 games. The Venice, Florida, native was named All-SEC Second Team.
Coach Taylor is familiar with the 21-year-old’s game style.
“We liked him coming out of high school, first of all,” he added. “He’s a weight room guy. Went to a really good program at Venice High School. So he’s been around good coaching. Good program, good cultures, good standards. The way he works. He’s a talented guy. Obviously, you put him on the field and watch him play at Georgia [Bulldogs] or Missouri and you see the ability on first, second, and third down. We teach a little bit differently here. He’s done a great job so far of acclimating with the guys and learning the way we do it. It’s fun to kind of break things down a little bit and explaining the what, how, and the why we do it that way. For him to kind of peel back the layers of the way he’s been taught before and implement that into his game has been great so far. He’s an elite talent. He’s going to help us a lot.”
Another intriguing factor for next season will be the production of Hayden Lowe. The five-star recruit missed all of last year due to an undisclosed injury. He recorded 159 total tackles, 88 solos and 71 assists, 42 tackles for loss, 24.5 sacks, 29 hurries, and two interceptions in 37 games over four high school seasons at Oaks Christian High School.
The Hurricanes’ defensive turnaround was significant to reaching the National Championship game. Despite the loss of Bain Jr. and Mesidor, the momentum is expected to carry over. With all the new depth, the team will have opportunities to throw in different lineups.
As spring training continues, coach Taylor will work with several talented players looking to contribute next season.
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