The Miami football program made a concerted effort to sign transfers with extensive experience to add to its 2024 roster. Eleven of 13 transfers Miami added for 2024 have started the majority of their games in college. Miami incoming transfers have an average of 33.23 games played with 21.69 starts in their collegiate careers.
Those numbers are skewed by cornerback Dyoni Hill, who has nine starts in 23 games and safety Isaiah Taylor, who has appeared in 21 games with one start. Defensive tackle Marley Cook who played 49 games for Middle Tennessee State has the most appearances in his collegiate career.
Quarterback Cam Ward is second among the Miami transfers with 44 games played and first with 44 starts. The incoming transfers for Miami defensively have played a higher average of games, but the offensive players have accumulated more average starts.
The Miami transfers on defense average 34.25 games played with 18.625 career starts. The Miami offensive transfers have played an average of 31.6 career games in college, with 26.6 starts. Linebacker Jaylin Alderman and slot cornerback/safety Mishael Powell are projected starters for Miami in 2024.
Player | Previous School | Position | Games | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaylin Alderman | Louisville | linebacker | 27 | 14 |
Simeon Barrow | Michigan State | defensive tackle | 34 | 30 |
Sam Brown | Houston/WVU | wide receiver | 31 | 19 |
Damien Martinez | Oregon State | running back | 25 | 17 |
Dyoni Hill | Marshall | cornerback | 23 | 9 |
Cam Ward | UIW/WSU | quarterback | 44 | 44 |
Mishael Powell | Washington | safety | 36 | 25 |
Reese Poffenbarger | ODU/Albany | quarterback | 26 | 26 |
Elijah Alston | Marshall | edge rusher | 42 | 20 |
Isaiah Taylor | Arizona | safety | 21 | 1 |
C.J. Clark | North Carolina State | defensive tackle | 42 | 23 |
Zach Carpenter | Indiana/Michigan | center | 32 | 27 |
Marley Cook | Middle Tennessee State | defensive tackle | 49 | 27 |
Simeon Barrow and C.J. Clark project as the starting defensive tackles with Marley Cook expected to rotate in as a pass rusher. Cook should push Barrow and Clark for snaps. Edge rusher Elijah Alston projects as the third edge rusher in the Miami rotation behind returning starters Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor.
Mesidor is returning from a season-ending foot injury in 2023 that limited him to three games. Mesidor missed all of spring practice. Alston should see a significant amount of snaps depending on how well Mesidor continues to recover. Alston has a proven track record as a pass rusher at Marshall
Dyoni Hill and Isaiah Taylor add depth in the secondary for Miami. Hill is expected to be the third CB in the rotation behind returning starters Damari Brown and Darryl Porter Jr. With a lot of uncertainty at safety entering the offseason, the number of snaps for Taylor is still to be determined.
Center Zach Carpenter, running back Damien Martinez, Ward and wide recevier Sam Brown are projected starters for Miami on offense. Poffenbarger is the projected second-team QB behind Ward. Brown and Martinez were huge boosts for the Miami offense during the spring transfer portal window.
The 2024 Miami transfer class is 12th nationally and third in the ACC. Miami potentially has the most impact transfers in the ACC with Brown, Martinez and Ward. Martinez and Ward should challenge to earn first-team All-ACC in 2024. The Miami transfers are joined by the fourth-ranked 2024 recruiting class by 247Sports.