UM defensive line, already thin, losing a starter, 247 Sports reports
The University of Miami’s shaky depth at defensive tackle became even shakier Monday amid news that Jared Harrison-Hunte will be entering the transfer portal, according to 247 Sports.
Harrison-Hunte started 11 games last season — after starting eight in 2021 and two in 2022 — and had a decent chance to start again for UM in 2024 after the departure of Leonard Taylor III and Branson Deen to the NFL.
Harrison-Hunte’s exit leaves UM with six experienced defensive tackles on scholarship: North Carolina State transfer CJ Clark, Middle Tennessee transfer Marley Cook, Thomas Gore (going into his second season at UM after playing at Georgia State), Josh Horton, Ahmad Moten and Anthony Campbell (going into his second season at UM after playing at LouisianaMonroe).
Miami has three wellregarded defensive tackles in its 2024 recruiting class — headlined by five-star prospect Justin Scott — but defensive tackles often need a year in a college weight room before making a significant impact.
UM reportedly has pursued the top defensive tackles who have entered in the ongoing second window of the transfer portal, including Michigan State’s Simeon Barrow, Kent State’s CJ West and UCLA’s Jay Toia. But it’s unclear if any are seriously considering Miami.
Barrow visited LSU over the weekend. West has visits with Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana lined up; LSU, Florida State and Rutgers also are in the mix. Toia visited Texas.
UM also lost defensive end Jayden Wayne to the transfer portal. Wayne, rated by ESPN as the 90th-best player in the 2023 recruiting class, played 104 defensive snaps as a freshman last season.
NFL
Jets: Quarterback Zach Wilson’ s time with New York is over, the New York Daily News reported. Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round pick (256th overall) will head to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a 2024 sixthround pick (207th overall), sources told the newspapers. The Jets and the Broncos will divide his remaining roster bonus of $5.5 million.
After owner Woody Johnson voiced his displeasure on the NFL Honors red carpet in February about not having a backup quarterback following Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tear four plays into his Jets debut last September, the team gave Wilson permission to seek a trade.
It took two months to part with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Wilson played 12 games last season and threw for 2,271 yards, eight TDs and seven interceptions. During his three years with the Jets, he had 23 TD passes, 25 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 73.2. New York was 12-21 in games he started.
Falcons: Quarterback
Matt Ryan, a former NFL Most Valuable Player, made the end of his pro football career official Monday, retiring as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.
Ryan, who will be 39 on May 17, played 14 seasons for the Falcons, who drafted him No. 3 overall in 2008. He played for Indianapolis in 2022 and didn’t play last season, working as a TV analyst.
Ryan led the NFL in completions in 2019 and ’20 and won the 2016 MVP, when he led the team to an 11-5 mark behind 4,944 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions.