Former Missouri defensive end Damon Wilson II is transferring to Miami, giving Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes a proven SEC pass rusher. Wilson, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound junior from Venice, Florida, was ranked No. 9 overall among the best available portal players by ESPN.
He's coming off a breakout 2025 season at Missouri in which he earned second-team All-SEC recognition and produced at a level that had NFL decision-makers paying attention.
Sources: Former Missouri edge rusher Damon Wilson II is committing to Miami. He’s ESPN’s No. 9 overall player in transfer portal after earning second-team All-SEC honors. He finished third in SEC with nine sacks and led Missouri with 12 quarterback hurries. pic.twitter.com/DJS0Ohgh9z
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 22, 2026
Missouri DE Damon Wilson II is transferring to Miami
Wilson posted nine sacks in 13 games, along with 9.5 tackles for loss and 23 total tackles. He also recorded 13 quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
In the SEC, Wilson was third in the conference in regular-season sacks with nine.
Wilson originally played at Georgia before transferring to Missouri, where his production spiked in 2025. Now he heads to Coral Gables as one of the portal's headline defenders. He also considered Texas Tech and LSU during the process.
The current state of the Miami Hurricanes' defensive line
The Hurricanes had one of the nation's best defensive lines last season, but several of their top rushers are NFL-bound. Stars Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor are both expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
In 2025, Bain played 16 games and finished with 54 total tackles (30 solo), 15.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. He also logged one forced fumble, one pass breakup, five QB hurries, and one INT.
Mesidor played 15 games this past season, posting 63 total tackles (38 solo), 17.5 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. He also added 4 forced fumbles and 6 QB hurries.
DT Ahmad Moten Sr. has said he will will return to Miami for one more season. Moten earned second-team All-ACC honors and logged 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.