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Mario Cristobal has been elite recruiting defensive linemen to Miami

The flip of four-star edge rusher Hayden Lowe from USC on Wednesday is the latest blue-chip defensive linemen landed by Mario Cristobal during his Miami tenure.

By Alan Rubenstein

Sep 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal walks on the field before the game against the Florida A&M Rattlers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal walks on the field before the game against the Florida A&M Rattlers at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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One five-star defensive lineman and 12 four-stars have signed or committed to Miami since Mario Cristobal was hired as head coach in December 2021. That includes the 2025 class. Cristobal stated the DL would be a point of emphasis in recruiting during his introductory press conference.

During the Cristobal era, Miami lost several defensive linemen to transfers, but others made a significant impact. Rueben Bain quickly rose to prominence by winning the 2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year award and earning true freshmen All-American.

Miami continued adding to its roster on the DL with four-star edge rusher Hayden Lowe flipping from USC on Wednesday. Lowe is the second blue-chip edge rusher to commit to Miami in the 2025 class. Four-star prospect Herbert Scroggins has been committed to Miami since June.

Miami signed the top 2024 DL class nationally per Rivals.Com's National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney. Five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott, versatile DL Armondo Blount and edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot project to be an elite group for Miami up front in the future.

Cristobal has supplemented the signees on the DL with high-level transfers. Edge rusher Tyler Baron who transferred from Louisville and former Michigan State defensive tackle Simeon Barrow have been impactful for Miami in 2024. Jason Taylor as the Miami DL coach has made Miami a destination for players at that position.

Taylor gains instant respect from recruits and parents because of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career. Miami continues to be one of the best DLs nationally. The Hurricanes are 18th with 67 tackles for loss and 21st with 27 sacks this season. Miami should continue having a productive DL with the talent they will have in the future.

With Baron and Barrow in their final season of eligibility expect Cristobal and his staff to target the transfer portal for DL depth in 2025 while the players currently on the roster continue to develop during the offseason. Blount, Lightfoot and Scott should be expected to be among the contributors in 2025.

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