The Miami football team has continually had success developing transfer defensive linemen. In the last five offseasons, Miami has added 11 DL. Miami added five DL ahead of the 2022 season. Defensive ends Mitchell Agude from UCLA and Akheem Mesidor from West Virginia are projected starters for Miami in 2022.
The Miami football program also added versatile DL Jacob Lichtenstein from USC and Antonio Moultrie from UAB. Lichtenstein is expected to play end and tackle. New Miami head coach Mario Cristobal stated that Moultrie will primarily play tackle. Moultrie was primarily an edge rusher with UAB.
Tackle Darrell Jackson has three years of eligibility remaining after recording 22 tackles with Maryland as a freshman. At 6’6 300 pounds, Jackson will provide Miami with a big presence in the middle of the DL. Miami has had greater production from the transfer edge rushers added than the tackles.
Phillips is the most successful transfer DL Miami has developed. In his one season playing for Miami, Phillips had 45 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and three pass breakups in 2020. Phillips was named a second-team All-American in 2020. The Miami Dolphins selected Phillips 18th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Phillips had 42 tackles, nine TFLs and set a Dolphins rookie record with 8.5 sacks in 2020. Playing opposite Phillips in 2020, Roche had 45 tackles and added 14.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. Roche played 14 games as a rookie with the New York Giants in 2021 after being a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Trevon Hill transferred from Virginia Tech to Miami for the 2019 season and had 45 tackles and added 14.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries. Chigozie Nnoruka started the UCLA to Miami transfer pipeline with 12 tackles and one TFL in 2019 as a backup DT. Nnoruka spent time in the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks.
Tito Odenigbo transferred to Miami from Illinois for the 2018 season. Odenigbo finished with 25 tackles and 5.5 TFLs as a back on one of the best defenses in the country. Miami finished fourth nationally in total defense in 2018. Miami improved its 2021 defense by signing former Tennessee DL Deandre Johnson.
Johnson had 26 tackles, 8.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks in his one season with Miami in 2021. The success Miami has had developing DL should help them in the transfer portal in the future. Prospective transfers will be watching the five DL Miami added for 2022 under a new defensive staff entering this season/.