The Miami Hurricanes and the college football nation were spoiled with Rueben Bain Jr. and Ahkeem Mesidor on the same field at the same time.
The heart and soul of the Hurricanes' defense last season guided them to the National Championship game, and both became first-round picks. Now, a new group prepares for the future and what they want to be as they mold themselves for the new season.
No. 7 Miami opened the season against Stanford with a 45-6 victory , highlighting the Canes' defensive efforts against a good quarterback in Davis Warren .
Sep 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Champ Hampton (34) is tackled by a host of Miami Hurricanes defenders during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Warren battled and found soft zones in Miami's zone defense, while getting hunted by Miami's defensive line.
"I mean, credit to their coaching staff, you know, credit to their players being smart, finding little holes in the zone and stuff," Zechariah Posyer said about Stanford 's offense after the game. "But you know, that stuff you got to get back to the drawing board and fix that. So I think we'll do that."
Moreover, with the Canes' attack, they lost star cornerback OJ Frederique Jr. Miami's secondary took a hit, and at times Warren looked like an elite quarterback. Miami's linebackers looked out of place, but the Canes and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman will quickly adjust as the season goes on.
However, there was still something positive about what the defense was offered. The Canes' pass rush was aggressive even with several missed holding calls. Armando Blount nearly had a two-sack day on only 28 snaps. He was the key while the interior stuffed the run game for the Cardinal.
Miami's secondary played well without Frederique. The depth came in and played well.
Miami held them to 299 yards, keeping the rushing under 100 and limiting the passing attack.
Miami will improve after this week and take on Florida A&M. They look to improve before a road trip against Wake Forest the week after on the road.
DL:Marquise Lightfoot -- 47 Ahamd Moten -- 45 Damon Wilson -- 44 Justin Scott - 44 Armondo Blount -- 28 Herbert Scorggins -- 22 Keona Davis -- 21Jarquez Carter - 11 Booker Pickett Jr. -- 9 Mykah Newton -- 4 Ashari Charles -- 4
LB:Chase Smith -- 44 Mohamed Toure -- 36 Kamal Bonner -- 18 Kellen Wiley Jr. -- 15 Cam Pruitt -- 13 Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. -- 8
DB:Zechariah Poyser -- 61Bryce Fitzgerald -- 61Damari Brown - 55 Omar Thornton -- 40 Xavier Lucas -- 39 JJ Dunnigan -- 33 Ethan O'Connor -- 26 Isaiah Taylor -- 9 Camdin Portis -- 9 Ryan Mack -- 9 Chris Ewald Jr. -- 9 Cortez Redding -- 4 OJ Frederique Jr. -- 2
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/miami as Miami's Defense Kept Pace With Last Season, But Areas of Improvement Are in Order .
