Cooper Petagna of 247Sports named Miami Hurricanes safety Zechariah Poyser in his article "College football transfer portal: Eleven favorite fits as 2025 player rankings update." Poyser is the fifth-ranked defensive back and No. 2 safety in the 2025 transfer portal.
Xavier Lucas is the No. 2 ranked 2025 transfer DB and top CB after leaving Wisconsin for Miami. Poyser had 75 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions, 12 passes defended and two fumble recoveries for Jacksonville State in 2024 under Rich Rodriguez. Poyser was named a freshman All-American after redshirting in 2024.
Miami has to rebuild nearly its entire secondary for the second consecutive season. Cornerback O.J. Frederique is the only returnee who received significant playing time in 2024. Miami will also return CB Damari Brown who was a significant contributor as a freshman in 2023 but who only played in two games because of injury in 2024.
Poyser is a huge addition for Miami as a 6'2 and 190-pound safety with three years of eligibility remaining. As a rising redshirt sophomore, Poyser will be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. With a big 2025 season, Poyser could declare for the NFL Draft. Expect Poyser to start with rising sophomore Zaquan Patterson at safety in 2025.
Zechariah Poyser and Zaquan Patterson next year pic.twitter.com/H17oUYvudn
— Canes Edits🌴 (@Canes_Edits) February 14, 2025
"Among two safeties ranked in the top 100, Zechariah Poyser supplies Miami's secondary with not only an immediate-impact player at a position of need but a foundational roster piece with multiple years remaining.Cooper Petagna, 247Sports
Logging more than 800-plus snaps as a redshirt freshman at Jacksonville State, Poyser's multi-positional versatility and man-to-man coverage skills should be a site for sore eyes in Coral Gables.
Add in the additions of Ethan O'Connor, Charles Brantley and Emmanuel Karnley to Miami's secondary, it's hard to imagine a better offseason scenario for Mario Cristobal and company."
Lucas, Poyser, Ethan O'Connor, Charles Brantley and Emmanuel Karnley are five of the top 14 transfer DBs in the 2025 transfer portal. It was clear the secondary was a major priority to upgrade for Miami entering the offseason. Miami also signed a stellar class of blue-chip freshmen in the secondary.
Brantley is the only transfer DB addition for Miami in 2025, entering his last season of eligibility. Like Poyser, Karnley and O'Connor are eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft and could leave Miami with productive 2025 seasons. Miami should have one of the best and most improved secondaries in 2025.
Rising redshirt junior Markeith Williams provides experience in the Miami secondary at safety behind Patterson and Poyser. Freshman safety Bryce Fitzgerald could be a player to watch in the Miami secondary. Freshmen DBs Jaboree Antoine, Chris Ewald, and Amari Wallace were highly rated and add depth.
With the focus on the secondary for 2025 led by Lucas and Poyser and the 2025 signees for the future, Miami should have a reliable secondary for the next few seasons. New CBs coach Zac Ethridge and safeties coach Will Harris have a deep and talented group to work with. That wasn't true for Miami in 2024.