How ESPN’s Kiper rates UM’s top talent. And Canes looking for more defensive tackle help

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal and his staff still have a lot to work to do to secure the elite talent needed to compete for national championships in college football.

But they’re making clear progress. Beyond a talented Rueben Bain-led freshman class that won’t become draft-eligible until 2026, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. rates four soon-to-draft-eligible Canes among the five best prospects at their positions for the 2024 NFL Draft.

One of them — safety Kamren Kinchens — this season has interspersed big plays with some that he would like to have back.

Another, defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III, has modest stats (13 tackles, one sack), but NFL teams love his upside, and his pass rushing metrics are among the nation’s best for interior linemen.

The two others rated highly by Kiper — center Matt Lee and left guard Javion Cohen — are having good seasons overall and are coming off strong games against Virginia.

UM needs all four — and a bunch of others — at their best to navigate the most difficult stretch of their schedule — on the road Saturday night at a formidable North Carolina State team (8 p.m., ACC Network), then at No. 4 FSU and then home against No. 15 Louisville.

Kiper rates Taylor as third-best draft-eligible defensive tackle, behind only Illinois tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and Michigan’s Kris Jenkins.

Taylor has 20 quarterback pressures in 160 pass rushing chances; just one other FBS defensive tackle in the country has more pressures in fewer pass rush chances. PFF rates him 24th among all interior defenders and 90th against the run, which is easily in the top fifth of FBS interior defenders.

He missed two tackles against Virginia but logged 52 defensive snaps, more than typical for him. Taylor has eligibility remaining but could be tempted to turn pro if NFL evaluators rate him as highly as Kiper.

Kiper ranks UM junior Kinchens as the top safety who’s eligible for the 2024 draft. Kinchens — who tied for the lead nationally with six interceptions last season — has three interceptions this season, including one returned for a touchdown against Virginia last Saturday. But on six plays he was targeted against the Cavaliers, he allowed all six to be caught for 108 yards.

For the season, Kinchens has allowed 273 yards in receptions, which is 18th most among safeties in the country, with 18 of the 22 targets caught. That’s one reason why PFF rates him 271st among safeties, after ranking him first last season.

Kinchens has a 118.4 passer rating in his coverage area, compared with 85.7 last season. Kinchens also was out of position on Georgia Tech’s game-winning touchdown pass as time expired.

“Both of the safeties are playing well, not great,” defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said Monday of Kinchens and James Williams, who might play linebacker in the NFL. “They’ve made the plays they’ve needed to make.”

Kiper rates UM junior Cohen as the second-best draft-eligible guard, behind only Washington’s Troy Fautanu. He has allowed eight pressures but no sacks. Cohen helped push Mark Fletcher into the end zone for UM’s game-winning overtime touchdown against Virginia. On Tuesday, Cohen said transferring from Alabama to UM was “one of the best decisions I could have made in my life.”

Meanwhile, Kiper rates UM junior Lee as the fourth-best draft-eligible center. PFF rates him the top center in the country this season; he has allowed only two pressures and no sacks.

THIS AND THAT

Defensive tackle remains a high priority for UM’s 2024 class.

The Canes have 24 nonbinding commitments and two are defensive tackles: four-star Blountstown, Florida-based Artavius Jones and three-star Miami Columbus High standout Daylen Russell, a 280-pound end/tackle. FSU continues to recruit Jones hard, and he visited Tallahassee for the Duke game.

UM also has a key Alabama transfer, Jamil Burroughs, who had 15 tackles and two sacks in limited playing time in 15 games over three seasons with the Crimson Tide. Rivals rated him the 24th-best defensive tackle and 243rd-best player overall in the 2020 recruiting class. He’s enrolled at UM but not playing this season.

All of the top Class of 2024 defensive tackles, beyond Jones, have committed elsewhere. UM lost out on five-star LJ McCray to Florida, five-star David Stone to Oklahoma, five-star Justin Scott to Ohio State and four-star Aydin Breeland to Oregon.

Also, five-star defensive end Armando Blount flipped from Miami to FSU, though UM has a strong 2024 class of edge players.

Among remaining uncommitted defensive tackles, the Canes reportedly are pursuing Georgia-based Nasir Smith and Leroy Jackson. Miami also will continue to try to flip some of the aforementioned elite defensive tackles.

UM defensive tackles with eligibility remaining after this season include starters Taylor and Jarred Harrison-Hunte, plus Georgia State transfer Thomas Gore, Louisiana-Monroe transfer Anthony Campbell, Ahmad Moten and freshman Joshua Horton.

Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry could play Bain some at defensive tackle in the years ahead.

Even if Taylor returns in 2024, the Canes likely still need to add another tackle or two (besides Burroughs) in the portal – as it did this past offseason with Deen, Gore and the seldom-used Campbell.

▪ With defensive ends Akheem Mesidor and Nyjalik Kelly out for the season, Guidry said UM will use defensive tackle Harrison-Hunte some at defensive end when opposing teams play with a lot of bulk and size.

Freshman phenom Bain — who has 6.5 sacks — is playing the most of the defensive ends, including 73 defensive snaps against Virginia. Defensive end Jahfari Harvey logged 64 snaps on Saturday, freshman Jayden Wayne 11 and Chantz WIlliams 10.

Wayne, the four-star freshman, “plays really hard,” Guidry said. “Even if he messes up a little bit, he plays extremely hard. His future is bright. He will play more.”

Guidry said getting former Purdue defensive tackle and sixth-year senior Branson Deen back from injury last week is “awesome. He will get a lot more snaps this week which will relieve [Taylor] and Harrison-Hunte.”