The Miami football program is already reloading with Missouri edge rusher in portal

The Miami football program made a statement this past season after announcing that it is finally back on the national stage under Mario Cristobal. They snuck into the College Football Playoff and went on a huge run of wins before losing in the national championship. After announcing their return, the Hurricanes got right to work dominating the transfer portal, highlighted by their pursuit of Darian Mensah.

ESPN senior college football writer Pete Thamel was one of the first to report that the Hurricanes had picked up a commitment from former Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson. This will be Wilson’s third stop in college after starting his career at Georgia before heading to Missouri, and now he is headed to Miami in his home state of Florida.

Wilson is a former five-star recruit from the 2023 recruiting class. He only appeared in 26 games over two years with the Bulldogs, but finally broke out with the Tigers in 2025. In 13 games with Missouri, he finished with a total of 23 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks. That total also put him as one of the best pass-rushers in the country.

Now, Wilson will be looked at to help replace Miami’s dynamic duo of Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain, who themselves combined for more than 110 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and 22 sacks this season. Mesidor in particular tied for third in the country with 12.5.

After those two left, Wilson joined a defensive line that also features former five-stars Justin Scott and Armondo Blount on the interior. However, the defense as a whole is undergoing a rebuilding period with eight starters leaving due to running out of eligibility or leaving early for the NFL. Still, they have a chance to return following their title loss.

On the other side, opposite Wilson, Miami is also set to return former five-star edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot, who broke out in 2025 with 23 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. If you combine Lightfoot with Wilson, you could create a duo similar to Mesidor and Bain, with how dominant they were.

Former Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor is the Hurricanes’ defensive line coach, and he has a chance to create another dominant line this upcoming season.

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