Miami football defensive tackle depth chart 2020 projections

The defensive ends for the Miami football team have gotten a lot of the offseason publicity. With the returns of senior Jon Ford and junior Nesta Silvera, the Hurricanes bring back plenty of experience at defensive tackle in 2020.

Senior Jon Ford and junior Nesta Silvera return to the Miami Football team after being a big part of the rotation at defensive tackle for the Hurricanes in 2019. Ford started all 13 games last season and contributed 18 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Miami needs more production from Ford in 2020.

Silvera returns to Miami after playing nine games in 2019. The mobile DT had 19 tackles, one TFL and one sack in 2019. Ford and Silvera are the projected starters in 2020, but they will be pushed hard by redshirt sophomore Jordan Miller and redshirt freshmen Jared Harrison-Hunte and Jalar Holley.

Expect Miami to rotate four or five defensive tackles. The Miami football staff of head coach Manny Diaz, defensive coordinator Blake Baker and defensive line coach Todd Stroud are very high on Miller, Harrison-Hunte and Holley. Miller was solid as the fourth DT in the rotation with 12 tackles and 2.5 TFLs.

Ford was expected to be a force with the Hurricanes when he signed in 2017. With elite edge rushers Greg Rousseau, Quincy Roche and Jaelan Phillps getting most of the attention, Ford and Silvera should have their best seasons in 2020. Stroud is high on Ford’s potential and how he played at the end of 2019 and this spring.

"“He has an incredible body, 6-5, 312 and very good foot speed and good feet…He needs to clean himself up fundamentally and keep progressing the way he did last season. Toward the end of last season he was playing very good football. We expect him to pick up where he left off.The last couple days of spring ball, he was dominant.”"

Silvera was an elite signee in 2018. The powerful 6’2, 299-pound, DT was the 54th ranked player, the 11th best DT and second-best player in Florida in 2018. Stroud told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that Silvera can be as good as he determines he can be and that he made the most progress of the DTs this spring.

"“Nesta can be as good as he wants to be…He is not a very vertical guy. Six-footish, six-oneish but as explosive as they come. Very hard to move off the point. He has learned how to use his hands better. Nesta, through four days of spring practice, came along farther” (than any other defensive tackle.)"

Miller quietly put together a good season in 2019 playing behind Ford, Silvera and the graduated Pat Bethel. With another good season, he could push Ford and Silvera for first-team snaps. The good thing is in Diaz and Baker’s defensive system they rotate the defensive linemen so all of them should have plenty of snaps.

"“Jordan last year had a phenomenal year as a redshirt freshman, gave us 12 to 15 snaps a game, more in some…He has done a really good job managing his body weight. He got a little too heavy [previously]. I can’t say enough good things about what our strength staff has done. The light has come on for Jordan.His practice habits have improved. His fundamentals have improved. He’s the strongest individual on our team factoring in all the lifts we have done, and he has improved his ability to run.”"

Stroud also told Jackson they like Holley’s fundamentals and work ethic and Harrison-Hunte’s athletic ability. Harrison-Hunte does not have the football background that Holley did in high school according to Stroud. Holley who became a twitter sensation for his dancing on the sidelines was coached by Jess Simpson in high school.

Simpson was the former defensive line coach for the Miami football program before leaving to return to Georgia and accept a job with the Atlanta Falcons after the 2018 season. Simpson was replaced by Stroud who was initially hired to be the Football Chief of Staff under Diaz. That job is now held by Hurricane legend Ed Reed.