Tyler Baron’s goal at Miami: ‘Show everybody what I’m about.’ He’s off to a strong start

Tyler Baron has made quite the introduction to begin his first and only season with the Miami Hurricanes.

The fifth-year defensive lineman, who spent his first four seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Louisville in the spring and ultimately landing at Miami this summer, has been arguably the No. 10 Hurricanes’ best defensive player through the first two games of the season.

“I wouldn’t say necessarily that I wanted to prove myself,” Baron said, “but I just wanted to show everybody what I’m about, if that makes sense — just the type of guy I am, how hard I work, being a great teammate. I just kind of want to preach that every day and really show my actions more so than my words.”

His actions are speaking loud and clear — even though he knows there’s still far more in the tank.

Baron has four sacks and five-and-a-half tackles for loss through Miami’s first two games, a road win against the Florida Gators and a home win against Florida A&M. Baron was named the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week on Monday after a three-sack effort against FAMU — making him just the eighth Hurricanes player in the past 20 years with at least three sacks in a game and first since Akheem Mesidor had a 3.5-sack outing against Virginia Tech on Oct. 15, 2022.

And Baron is getting praise from all over as a result.

Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal called him an “avatar” and lauded how he’s “just explosive and [has] one of the most natural feels for the game of anyone I’ve seen.”

“He works hard. He’s tough,” Cristobal added. “He checks all the boxes and now he’s full throttle. I think he’s showing everybody what he’s about. That guy is another hungry, driven dude.

Defensive coordinator Lance Guidry noted how he’s “really big and powerful off the edge and he’s twitchy.”

“He’s recognizing plays and just cutting loose right now,” Guidry said. “It’s good to see.

Teammate Simeon Barrow, a fellow defensive line transfer, had perhaps the most succinct analysis: “He’s a dog.”

Baron, listed at 6-5 and 260 pounds, is explosive at the line of scrimmage and is able to use his length and flexibility to get past blockers on the outside.

He showcased his capabilities during his time at Tennessee, capping his four-year career there with a dominant redshirt junior season in which he logged 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

Baron is already on the verge of exceeding those single-season marks after just two games with the Hurricanes.

So what’s been the change?

“Coach G is doing a great job of just putting me in situations to win, but also I feel like I’ve taken a step in my development, who I am as a player, as a person,” Baron said. “I think it’s a combination of both and I think they’re meeting really well right now.”

Baron is also taking advantage of the opportunity to work with Jason Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who is now serving as the Hurricanes’ defensive line coach. Baron said Taylor has helped him fine tune his skills on the field but more importantly has been key in helping him prepare mentally.”

“I feel like that’s where I’ve taken a big step is just being able to break the game down before the play and just really being able to have a clearer mind when I’m playing,” Baron said. “I think that’s been and I think it’s increased how fast I can play as well.”

And while his sack production is getting most of the attention so far this season, Baron is also focused and takes pride in his ability to stop the run.

“I’m just trying to be a well-rounded player,” Baron said. “I don’t want to be known as somebody that just rushes the quarterback. I want to be known as a great defensive player, not just a one-trick pony. It’s definitely something I always take pride in, but definitely some things I still need to clean up.”