Miami spring football is about a month away. The Hurricanes have added plenty of players to their roster and have lost several via the transfer portal.

Miami has officially lost 14 players to transfer and added 10 players to the roster.

There will be plenty of position battles to analyze down the line, but here are the top five players on the defensive line.

This is the fourth of a series in which CanesCounty.com will rank Miami's best players going into spring football.

Related Links:

Ranking the top five Miami players on offense going into spring

Ranking the top five Miami players on defense going into spring

Ranking the top five offensive linemen going into spring

Miami is stacked at the defensive line, and many players could have made the fifth spot on this list. Nyjalik Kelly certainly has the most potential we've seen in a Miami uniform, and NC State transfer C.J. Clark can make an immediate impact in the 2024 season. Miami has plenty of young talent that could make big leaps this season, but going into spring, we base these rankings on what we've seen on the college football field.

The veteran Jared Harrison-Hunte takes the fifth-best defensive line spot here. Last season, the 6'4" 284-pound defensive linemen had 26 total pressures, two sacks, 22 hurries, and 20 total tackles with 506 snaps played.

According to Pro Football Focus, his best-graded game was his last in the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers (Defensive - 77.5, Run Defense - 80.6, Tackling - 76.7, Pressure - 69.3), totaling four tackles.

Harrison-Hunte should be one of the main cogs in this defensive line for 2024.

Miami did well acquiring Middle Tennessee State transfer Marley Cook via the transfer portal. The 6'2" 290-pounder had his highest-graded game against the Alabama Crimson Tide last season with an 80.8 defensive mark. Cook had three hurries against Bama.

Cook played 622 snaps last year tallying 21 total pressures, one sack, 16 hurries, and 16 tackles. He's a versatile piece that can be moved along the defensive line.

Based on what we've seen so far from Elijah Alston, he should start on the Miami defensive line. According to PFF, his season numbers were awe-inspiring (Defensive - 91.4, Run Defense - 69.7, Tackling - 57.7, Pressure - 91, Coverage - 93.8).

The 6'2" 260-pound edge rusher collected 35 total pressures, five sacks, 22 hurries, and 30 tackles on 475 snaps.

He's played under current defensive coordinator Lance Guidry for the Thundering Herd so that he will be familiar with the Miami defensive schemes. Alston should be a plug-and-play type of player.

Akheem Mesidor may be held out of the spring nursing an injury, but he should return to the top-five defender list come fall. The West Virginia transfer was the best defender after the 2022 season, but unfortunately, his 2023 season was cut short due to an injury.

According to PFF, the 6'3," 280-pound Mesidor received the highest defensive grade among 2025 draft-eligible edge rushers, with a minimum of 20 percent of the snaps in 2022.

His production will mainly be predicated on how healthy he is in 2024.

The freshman sensation led all first-year players in college football in QB pressures with 45 and was the highest-graded edge rusher (82.2) among power-five programs.

Rueben Bain led the team in sacks (7.5) without beginning the season as a starter. In 2024, Bain should have plenty of double-teams, freeing up other teammates on the line and linebackers for tackles.

The 6'3" 275-pound local talent has an unbelievable combination of speed, power, and motor at a young age. His explosiveness and dominance shown last year make him the top defensive lineman going into 2024.

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