With six blue-chip commits led by five-star tackle Justin Scott the defensive line prospects in the 2024 Miami football class are ranked first by Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman. Several of the 2024 DL signees for Miami could play critical roles as true freshmen in 2024.
The Miami football program loses defensive tackles Leonard Taylor early to the NFL Draft and Branson Deen to eligibility and edge rushers Jahfari Harvey, Cyrus Moss and Chantz Williams have entered the transfer portal. Mario Cristobal and DL coaches Joe Salave’a and Jason Taylor have shown a willingness to play freshmen.
Rueben Bain earned ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year with 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. The edge rusher in the 2024 Miami class most likely to earn playing time as a true freshman in 2024 is four-star Chicago Kenwood Academy prospect Marquise Lightfoot.
Lightfoot and Scott who preps at St. Ignatius are the top two prospects in Chicago and two of the top three in Illinois in the 2024 Class. Cristobal, Salave’a and Taylor have done an exceptional job adding depth and upgrading the talent on the DL. Miami should have several first DL picked in the next few years of the NFL Draft.
"1. Miami: The Hurricanes are the only program with six defensive line commits rated at least four-star prospects. Flipping five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott away from Ohio State was one of the biggest recruiting wins of this cycle, regardless of position.Pairing him with a wrecking ball like Rivals250 prospect Artavius Jones in the middle of the defensive line will make life very difficult for opposing offensive linemen. High three-star defensive tackle Daylen Russell will also play a key role for Miami’s defensive line in the future.Rivals250 defensive ends Marquise Lightfoot and Booker Pickett along with four-stars Elias Rudolph and Cole McConathy can put incredible pressure on quarterbacks and have high NFL Draft potential as well."
Scott who is the highest-ranked 2024 Miami commit is the 10th overall prospect in the Rivals rankings. Lightfoot is 85th overall, Jones 186th and Pickett 192nd in the Rivals 250. Russell adds depth and McConathy is a prospect the Miami coaching staff is high on. McConathy had 111 tackles, 36.5 TFLs and 24.5 sacks in 2023.
McConathy is a four-star prospect in the 2024 class and the 37th weakside defensive end. Outside the Rivals 250, McConathy can exceed his ranking in college. Adding depth on the DL is critical with the attrition that happens every season through the transfer portal and NFL Draft early entrants.