Ranking the top five Miami players on defense going into spring

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 defense.

This is the second of a series in which CanesCounty.com will rank Miami’s best players.

Daryl Porter Jr. goes into 2024 as the presumed CB1. In eight games, he totaled 21 total tackles (14 solo), fourth among returning Hurricanes.

His true impact does not show up on the stat sheet. Porter eliminates one side of the field locking down opposing receivers.

Porter Jr. ranked 18th among 2025 draft-eligible corners in coverage.

Among returners on defense, Wesley Bissainthe ranked second in total tackles last season with 38.

The fast, hard-hitting machine gets better year after year, playing 12 games in his freshman year. He recorded 30 total tackles in year one and 44 in year two, with 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Last season, he tallied another six tackles for loss and two more sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Bissainthe ranked 16th among 2026 draft-eligible linebackers with a minimum of 20 percent of the snaps.

The 2024 season will be a year for the Miami native to make a name for himself on the national stage.

An argument can be made that Akheem Mesidor was the best defender after the 2022 season. Unfortunately, his 2023 season was cut short due to an injury.

If Mesidor can return to the form he was in two years ago, there’s no doubt he will be one of the premier defenders for the Miami Hurricanes.

According to PFF, Mesidor received the highest defensive grade among 2025 draft-eligible edge rushers with a minimum of 20 percent of the snaps. The only reason he drops to third is because of his injury history. If Mesidor stays healthy, he can be the top Cane on defense.

Regarding value, ranking anyone higher than Francisco “Kiko” Mauigoa is hard. The transfer from Washington State is the most productive Hurricane returning to the squad for the 2024 season.

His 17 tackles for loss led the team by a mile (second-best was Rueben Bain with 9.5). He also tied for the lead in sacks with 7.5.

According to PFF, Mauigoa ranked 45th in defensive grade among 2025 draft-eligible linebackers with a minimum of 20 percent of snaps. Mauigoa excelled in stopping the run and was the anchor for a Miami defense that ranked 17th according to PFF and 11th in FBS allowing 1373 rushing yards in 2023.

Freshman Rueben Bain had one of the most outstanding seasons by a freshman at the U in recent memory. He led all freshmen in college football in QB pressures with 45 and was the highest-graded edge rusher (82.2) among power-five programs.

He also led the team with 7.5 sacks without beginning the season as a starter. He started to see double-teams toward the end of the season, freeing up his teammates to rush the quarterback.

Bain is the total package of speed, power, and motor. Going into year two he is a player that opponents must game plan for, making him number one on this list.