Elijah Alston, Rueben Bain and Tyler Baron rank among the top 10 returning edge rushers in the ACC entering the 2024 season. The Miami football program also returns starting edge rusher Akheem Mesidor, who missed all but two games last season with an injury.
Alston who transferred to Miami from Marshall during the 2024 offseason has the highest grade from Pro Football Focus among returning edge rushers in the ACC at 91.3. Bain is sixth at 82.2 and Baron is 10th at 78.5. Alston, Bain and Baron combined for 121 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks in 2023.
Mesidor recorded five tackles, 1.0 TFLs and 1.0 sack in 2023. In his last full season in 2022, Mesidor had 38 tackles, 10.5 TFLs and 7.0 sacks. Miami signed five-star edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot in the 2024 class behind the top four. Four-star 2024 edge rusher Booker Pickett Jr. could also push for snaps.
Pro Football Focus ranked Miami as the third-best defensive line nationally behind Ohio State and Michigan. PFF stated Miami has the deepest group of edge rushers nationally entering the 2024 season. Miami was 18th nationally with 88 TFLs and 22nd with 35 sacks in 2023.
Highest Graded Returning ACC Edge Rushers💪 pic.twitter.com/PQLmk1yII4
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 8, 2024
Miami has the versatility to play their top-four edge rushers together. Expect Bain and Mesidor to move inside on passing downs with Alston and Baron on the edge. The goal for Miami in 2023 defensively will be to put opponents in third and long to allow their edge rushers to get after oppossing passers.
Elijah Roberts of SMU who began his career at Miami is tied for the best grade among returning edge rushers in the ACC with Alston. The three Miami edge rushers ranked in the top 10 are the most in the ACC. Louisville and Wake Forest each have two returning edge rushers ranked in the top 10 in the ACC.