The Miami Hurricanes are looking to improve their defense after finishing ninth in scoring defense and seventh in total defense in the ACC this past season under the previous coaching staff.
Improving in the front seven has been a point of emphasis for new head coach
Mario Cristobal since his arrival and he has targeted key defensive transfers.
“The front seven needs to look a certain way out there,” Cristobal said. “I am talking about body types, depth, explosiveness, and physicality. I am excited about the trenches.”
Another, USC defensive lineman
Jake Lichtenstein, has announced he is transferring to Miami.
It has been reported Miami is targeting UAB defensive lineman
Antonio Moultrie, Albany defensive lineman
Jared Verse, UCF linebacker
Tatum Bethune and UAB linebacker Kirs Moll have been targeting by Miami and the staff is looking to get all four on campus for visits in January.
Notre Dame linebacker
Shayne Simon is a new transfer target, a source has informed InsideTheU.
Simon (6-3, 233) was limited to one game this past season for the Irish as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the opener against Florida State. He totaled 27 tackles, three for a loss and five pass breakups in 32 games, eight starts, over four seasons. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Simon was a four-star recruit, top-50 by 247Sports, in the 2018 class out of Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peters Prep.
VERSE UPDATE
Miami is hoping to get Verse on campus for his fifth and final visit, but it could be tough after he stated this week to GoVols247, "“I do not think me and my family think it’s the best-case scenario to use that fifth visit, so I do not plan on using it,” he said. “I do plan on releasing a decision later this week, late next week — at some point, sometime in the next week.”
Verse has also been offered by Oklahoma, USC, Texas, LSU, Florida, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State, Houston, Arkansas, Iowa, Connecticut, Nebraska, West Virginia, Utah, San Diego State, Colorado, Kansas, Purdue and Missouri, among others.
He has already taken trips to Houston, Tennessee, Syracuse and Florida State. A number of schools are vying for Verse’s fifth and final trip, which some believe will be where he ends up.
Verse (6-4, 247) registered 52 tackles, 11 ½ for a loss, 9 ½ sacks and one forced fumble this past season for the Great Danes, earning the CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year award and being named to the All-CAA Second Team as a redshirt freshman. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Verse was an unranked prospect in the 2019 class out of Bloomsburg (Pa.) Central Columbia.
Miami is looking to get mid-year enrollees on campus for visits as soon as Jan. 11 while they have to wait until Jan. 14 for regular enrollees.