Another key piece of the Miami Hurricanes defense was down, but not out.
Defensive tackle Ahmad Moten was taken to the locker room in the first quarter against Wake Forest and appeared to be favoring his left arm as he left the field. Moten did not return for the rest of the defensive series, and he is the third Hurricanes starting defender to be hurt in this young season. Both of Miami's starting cornerbacks — Xavier Lucas and OJ Frederique — will be out for several weeks after suffering injuries in the season opener against Stanford.
Moten, however, returned to the game in the second quarter after being ruled questionable.
Ahmad Moten Sr. injured on this play pic.twitter.com/5yAgUh9D9V
— Grant Reacts (@GrantReacts1) September 19, 2026
Despite losing Reuben Bain and Akheem Mesidor to the NFL Draft, there were high hopes for the Hurricanes defense based on the talent returning and the high-level recruiting that Mario Cristobal and staff have done over the past several years.
But losing three starters this early in the season will stretch Miami's depth more than anticipated. The Hurricanes have already had to move safety Bryce Fitzgerald to cornerback to compensate for the losses there. With Moten banged up, the Hurricanes could ask for more interior snaps from Armondo Blount and Keona Davis.
Ahmad Moten has an injury scare, but returns to the game
Moten is a crucial part of the defensive line and one of the team leaders. The fifth-year senior has started 19 games and worked his way into All-ACC second-team honors after recording 31 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pound big man is considered one of the Hurricanes' top draft-eligible players and has been projected to go in the early rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft. Miami's defensive line is a talented group, but the depth is still developing and having Blount free to play on the inside or the outside is key to generating pressure with the front four. In the first two games of the season, the Hurricanes have been struggled to get to the quarterback and generate negative plays. Moten will be a big part of turning that around.
Thankfully, it looks like Moten will be ok, but this injury speaks to a greater need for both sides of the ball to get young guys up to speed as quickly as possible. Nearly every player on the roster saw the field last week against Florida A&M, but many will have to get thrown into the fire in more competitive games over the next several weeks.
Add us as a preferred source on Google