The position where the Canes made huge strides in this class. And UM personnel notes

A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Friday:

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

So who among that group will play as a freshman?

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

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

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

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

He’s now 264 pounds. “Spring ball was me getting prepared for the physical part,” Blount said. “I’ve gotten stronger. The game is slowing down.”

Scott has the talent to be a high NFL draft pick if he fulfills his promise.

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

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

He mentioned 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, beyond talent, why he could be special.

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

On UM’s football media day this summer, when Taylor was summoned to speak with reporters for 30 minutes, Bain “was trying to drag me into a meeting room to watch football. [He’s here] all day, every day.”

Taylor noted that Bain made a great play in overtime of the win against Clemson last season after working on that particular play during the previous few days. That’s evidence of how he takes something learned on the practice field to Saturdays.

▪ Linebackers coach Derek Nicholson said Wesley Bissainthe, who is battling Louisville transfer Jaylin Alderman to start opposite Francisco Mauigoa, has “taken tremendous strides this offseason. It was important to him and us that he answer 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.”

By all accounts, Bissainthe looks poised to become a more impactful player.

According to Nicholson, Alderman has been playing weak-side linebacker and middle linebacker, while Bissainthe has been playing strong-side and weak-side linebacker.

▪ Nicholson said Alderman “brings a wealth of experience. I had the pleasure of coaching him earlier in his career [at Louisville]; he was forced to play a little before he was ready. He’s a good linebacker. He has 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 ever since he arrived here. Adarius Hayes and Bobby Washington have taken another step in their development, getting bigger, stronger, more explosive.”

The team’s depth at linebacker has improved considerably.

▪ Michigan State transfer Simeon Barrow, who will be at the epicenter of UM’s revamped defensive tackle group, said he’s working primarily on the same side as NC State transfer CJ Clark.

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

Barrow, who’s 6-3 and 280 pounds, had 36 tackles and 3.5 sacks at Michigan State last season. Confidence isn’t an issue.

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

Barrow, who started 10 games each of the past three seasons for Michigan State, said he picked UM because of “the culture, the coaching staff and players we’ve got. I want to win games, and I feel we have the guys and 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, has taken 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 has said Trader continues to make plays.

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