Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was the steal of the off-season (pun intended) with the way the defense has played through seven games. The sack production is up, the defensive backs have improved throughout the season and running backs are no longer gashing Miami for huge games.

Here are the potential defensive breakout players of the second half:

Arguably the top recruit on the entire roster, defensive tackle Leonard Taylor has earned himself a starting role but still has not been the first-round pick type player everyone expected thus far.

The sophomore has been solid though, earning PFF grades of 71.5 or higher over the last five games and earning his highest snap count all season against Duke (33 snaps). His stat lines have not been outstanding, but the on-field impact is there. Taylor is the most projectable NFL prospect for Miami's defense and has the size, traits, and pedigree to become a difference-maker.

Teams will be focusing on Defensive End Ahkeem Mesidor and defensive tackle Darrell Jackson going forward, as both players have been dominant this season. That will leave one-on-one opportunities for Taylor, and if his snap count continues to rise, so should his production.

Miami will need Mario Cristobal players to begin to step in and develop for the program to grow over the next year or so. One of those building block players will have to be linebacker Wesley Bissainthe. The Miami Central product was a blue-chip prospect and a late win for Cristobal in the 2022 class. Not only is he the best combination of run support, athleticism, and coverage skills in the linebacker room, but he is also the youngest, meaning it is time to truly see what he has.

The veteran crew of Corey Flagg, Caleb Johnson, and Waynmon Steed are hardworking, reliable players that do what is asked of them, and you need those guys on your roster, but when you are fighting for .500 and hoping for a bowl appearance, you push for the high ceiling player and that is Bissainthe. That seems to be the path the staff is taking. Coaches have raved about him as the season has gone on, with Steele going as far as saying "the light has clicked for him."

Bissainthe had his highest snap total last week against Duke with 26. His snap count has been trending up over the last five weeks and he has received either the highest or second-highest grade among the linebackers each of the last four weeks and five of the last six. The next great South Florida linebacker looks to be coming alive right before our eyes.

The real potential phenom of this defense is pass rusher Nyjalik Kelly. It is amazing that he is still just 17 years old and earning major reps in this defensive line rotation. Kelly already has three games this season where he has been in on both a sack and a tackle for loss, impressive for a player who is still young enough to be a junior in high school.

At 6'4" 240-pounds with the ability to get to the quarterback the way he can, the return to first-round pick defensive ends is alive and well with him on the roster. Kelly in his final two seasons at Fort Lauderdale Dillard (FL) had 26 sacks despite missing time his senior year.

It was strange to see his snap count drop last week to nine when he was hovering around 15, but that should change now that Miami has basically played themselves out of a chance at an ACC Championship appearance. Cristobal made Kelly a focus in recruiting both at Oregon and Miami, as he knows the potential of the former four-star. He said it himself:

"If he walked up right now, he looks like a power forward on an elite basketball team...Length, explosiveness, suddenness. His foot and body quickness is elite. His ability to accelerate, decelerate, come to balance, strike - you know he's very heavy handed with light feet at that. He's got a very unique and elite recoverability. He can be in a twisted, contorted position and all the sudden put a foot in the ground, spin out of it and make a play. He's learning the system. As he learns it more and more and more, he's going to be an elite player."

Talk with Miami fans on Canes Talk

• Subscribe to the Storm Tracker Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, and Spotify

• Subscribe to the Canes County YouTube Channel

• Follow us on Twitter: @Canes_County, @BenjaminRivals, @TheCribSouthFLA, @RivalsGeo, @AnthonyYero1, and @MichaelYero

• Follow us on Instagram: @Canes.County