The position where the Canes made big strides in this class. And UM staff notes

A six pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Friday:

▪ The Canes secured one of the top 2024 defensive line/edge classes in the country, featuring Justin Scott (rated as the nation’s No. 3 defensive lineman by 247 Sports), Marquise Lightfoot (ranked as the No. 6 edge player), Miami Central’s Armondo Blount (ranked as the No. 9 defensive lineman), Booker Pickett (ranked as the No. 12 edge player), Elias Rudolph (ranked as the No. 26 edge player), Artavus Jones (ranked as the No. 33 defensive lineman), Cole McConathy (ranked as the No. 70 edge player) and Miami Columbus’ Daylan Russell (ranked as the No. 163 defensive lineman).

Who from the group will play as a freshman?

Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry said he expects Scott to see playing time right away.

Lightfoot and McConathy impressed in the spring, but they trail at least four veterans at U-M’s deepest position. But McConathy has impressed during fall camp and continues to push for time as a fifth edge player; “he always plays with his tail on fire,” U-M standout defensive end Rueben Bain said Thursday.

Blount should eventually be a key part of UM’s defense, but that will take time. He was just 16 when he enrolled in January.

“Right now I’m learning defensive end,” Blount said. “I’ve gained weight and muscle since I’ve been here, but I feel faster.”

He now weighs 264 pounds. “Spring ball was a preparation for the physical part,” Blount said. “I’ve gotten stronger. The game is slowing down.”

Scott has the talent to become a high NFL draft pick if he delivers on his promise.

“I think I definitely need more time in a college weight room,” Scott said. “I didn’t have that in high school because I was on the college weight room plan. I put on 10 pounds of muscle my first month” here. He recently said he weighs 298 pounds after arriving at UM at 290 pounds.

Scott said Ohio State and Michigan finished second and third in the fierce recruiting battle for him. Why did UM win?

He named the coaching staff: Mario Cristobal and defensive line coaches Jason Taylor and Joe Salave’a.

▪ Bain has first-round talent, but Taylor said there’s another reason, besides his talent, why he could be special.

“He has a lot of things that you need to be an elite, elite player,” Taylor said. “He’s in love with the process of becoming great. A lot of people say they want to be great, but are you willing to do what it takes to get there? A lot of kids aren’t because their maturity level is in different places. Bain is a very mature kid who wants to be great at football, is thirsty and hungry for information.”

At UM’s soccer media day this summer, when Taylor was called in to speak to reporters for 30 minutes, Bain “tried to drag me into a conference room to watch soccer. (He’s here) all day, every day.”

Taylor noted that Bain made a great play in overtime in last season’s win over Clemson after working on that particular play the past few days. That’s evidence that he’s taking something he learned on the practice field into Saturday.

▪ Linebackers coach Derek Nicholson said Wesley Bissainthe, who will compete with Louisville transfer Jaylin Alderman to start opposite Francisco Mauigoa, “has made tremendous strides this offseason. It was important to him and us that he stepped up to that challenge. He did a really good job of leading by example and pushing himself. He got better and he’s going to continue to get better.”

Everything points to Bissainthe becoming a more influential player.

According to Nicholson, Alderman played at weak-side linebacker and middle linebacker, while Bissainthe played at strong-side and weak-side linebacker.

▪ Nicholson said Alderman “brings a wealth of experience. I had the opportunity to coach him earlier in his career (at Louisville); he was forced to play a little bit before he was ready. He’s a good linebacker. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. He’s done a great job for us so far.”

Nicholson said Raul Aguirre “had a great offseason. Cam Pruitt has flashed since he got here. Adarius Hayes and Bobby Washington have taken another step in their development, they’ve gotten bigger, stronger, more explosive.”

The team’s linebacker depth has improved significantly.

▪ Simeon Barrow, who transferred from Michigan State and will be the lynchpin of UM’s revamped defensive tackle team, said he primarily plays on the same side as CJ Clark, who transferred from NC State.

Defensive coordinator Guidry “wants me to play bully ball,” Barrow said.

Barrow, who is 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds, had 36 tackles and 3.5 sacks last season at Michigan State. Confidence isn’t a problem.

“We can be the best defensive line in college football,” he said. “We expect to be the best defense in the ACC. We have the tools, we have the coaching staff.”

Barrow, who has started 10 games for Michigan State over the past three seasons, said he chose UM because of “the culture, the coaching staff and the players we have. I want to win games and I think we have the guys and the tools to do that.”

▪ Receiver JoJo Trader is talented enough to play as a freshman. But he said, “I won’t be disappointed” if he doesn’t get immediate playing time in a room with four established veterans (Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Sam Brown and Isaiah Horton).

“I’m not selfish,” he said. “I have patience.”

Trader said Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Andre Johnson, a former UM star, took him under his wing and “showed me his film and talked to me after every play in the spring game. That felt really good.”

Quarterback Cam Ward said Trader is still making good plays.

Trader said his strengths are “getting in and out of my breaks and my speed and ability to make contested catches.”