Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2025 47 GAME PREVIEW: MIAMI back Keionte Scott. Hetherman has plenty of tools at his disposal, and this could be one of the biggest bounce-back units in the country. It will serve as an early test for Notre Dame's starting quarterback, whether that's sophomore CJ Carr or junior Kenny Minchey. They will be sup- ported by veteran wide receivers in Malachi Fields and Jaden Greathouse, who could take advantage of the Hurricanes' young defensive backs. But this could be a trying game for a still-developing Irish passing attack. There's one more X-factor we need to discuss: Bain, who is an animal at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds. He missed four games in 2024 and was limited in others, but he still managed 28 quarterback pres- sures. In 2023, as a true freshman, he totaled 45 pressures and 7.5 sacks. Bain is extremely versatile, often lining up inside on passing downs. You can bet Miami will match him up with Notre Dame junior guard Sullivan Absher in his first career start. Absher, a promising but inexperienced blocker, will need to be ready. Advantage: Miami SPECIAL TEAMS Both Notre Dame and Miami will feature transfer kickers coming off down years. On the Irish side, North Carolina transfer Noah Burnette made 71 percent of his field goals in 2024 after hitting 95 percent in 2023. On the Hurricanes' side, Texas transfer Bert Auburn made 82.9 percent (at high volume, 29 of 35) before plummeting to 64.0 per- cent (16 of 25) in 2024. In a game that the point spread is currently Notre Dame -2.5, a field goal attempt or two could make all the difference. Which version of each kicker shows up could decide the winner. Both teams also have Australian punters, which could matter if the game turns into a defensive battle. Notre Dame's James Rendell was incon- sistent last year, but he finished the season on an extremely high note with 9 punts at or inside the 20-yard line in the CFP. Miami's Dylan Joyce enters his third season with a pedestrian career average of 43.4 yards per punt. Each team has a wild card to watch on the first Sunday night of football season. Miami's is BYU transfer Keelan Marion, who is essentially the Hur- ricanes' version of Jayden Harrison. He'll be a rota- tional wide receiver, but his real value is on kickoff return. Marion led the Big 12 with 26.2 yards per return last year and he scored 2 touchdowns, tying for the national lead with four others. He's a popu- lar preseason All-America choice, and Notre Dame would be wise to stay away from him. And, of course, the Irish have their creativity. Marty Biagi was FootballScoop's Special Teams Coordinator of the Year, which is voted on by his peers, for engineering several successful fake kicks. With a full offseason to brainstorm, odds are he and Freeman have something cooking for Coral Gables. Advantage: Even COACHING Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is one of the better recruiters and program-builders in college football. He has energized the Hurricanes' donor base to the point where they're one of the top players in the NIL space. Last year, he led Miami OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. WR-X 1 Joshisa Trader 6-1 180 So. 0 Keelan Marion 6-0 195 R-Sr. WR-Z 7 CJ Daniels 6-2 205 6th-Sr. 12 Ny Carr 6-0 175 So. LT 70 Markel Bell 6-9 340 Sr. 63 Samson Okunlola 6-6 300 R-So. LG 78 Matthew McCoy 6-6 290 R-Jr. 76 Ryan Rodriguez 6-2 275 R-Sr. C 52 James Brockermeyer 6-3 295 R-Sr. 65 Seuseu Alofaituli 6-2 280 Fr. RG 73 Anez Cooper 6-6 350 Sr. 77 Juan Minaya 6-6 330 R-Fr. RT 61 Francis Mauigoa 6-6 315 Jr. 62 Tommy Kinsler IV 6-6 340 R-So. TE 9 Elija Lofton 6-3 230 So. 87 Alex Bauman 6-5 245 Sr. WR-H 17 Tony Johnson 5-11 185 R-Sr. 5 Ray Ray Joseph 5-10 175 Jr. QB 11 Carson Beck 6-4 220 6th-Sr. 8 Emory Williams 6-5 220 R-So. RB 4 Mark Fletcher Jr. 6-2 225 Jr. 2 Jordan Lyle 6-0 190 So. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. LDE 3 Akheem Mesidor 6-3 280 R-Sr. 12 Marquise Lightfoot 6-5 230 So. NT 99 Ahmad Moten Sr. 6-3 325 R-Jr. 11 David Blay Jr. 6-4 303 R-Sr. DT 5 Justin Scott 6-4 298 So. 93 Donta Simpson 6-3 281 Fr. RDE 4 Rueben Bain Jr. 6-3 275 Jr. 9 Malik Bryant 6-2 225 Jr. WLB 31 Wesley Bissainthe 6-1 205 Sr. 22 Cam Pruitt 6-2 200 Fr. MLB 10 Raul Aguirre Jr. 6-2 233 Jr. 21 Jaylin Alderman 6-1 230 R-Sr. LCB 29 OJ Frederique Jr. 6-0 180 So. 24 Ethan O'Connor 6-1 172 R-So. SS 8 Jakobe Thomas 6-2 202 R-Sr. 23 Dylan Day 6-2 200 So. FS 7 Zechariah Poyser 6-2 190 R-So. 15 Markeith Williams 6-2 175 R-Jr. RCB 6 Xavier Lucas 6-2 198 So. 2 Damari Brown 6-2 195 R-So. NB 19 Charles Brantley 6-0 170 R-Sr. 0 Keionte Scott 6-0 180 R-Sr. SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PK 45 Bert Auburn 6-0 185 R-Sr. 48 Carter Davis 6-0 210 Sr. KO 48 Carter Davis 6-0 210 Sr. 45 Bert Auburn 6-0 185 R-Sr. P 94 Dylan Joyce 6-2 215 Jr. 96 Tucker Tevepaugh 5-11 188 R-Fr. LS 46 Adam Booker 6-4 205 R-Jr. 54 Michael Donovan 6-3 225 R-Sr. H 94 Dylan Joyce 6-2 215 Jr. 96 Tucker Tevepaugh 5-11 188 R-Fr. PR 5 Ray Ray Joseph 5-10 175 Jr. 0 Keelan Marion 6-0 195 R-Sr. KR 0 Keelan Marion 6-0 195 R-Sr. 5 Ray Ray Joseph 5-10 175 Jr. MIAMI HURRICANES TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART Junior defensive lineman Reuben Bain Jr. earned All- ACC honorable mention recognition in 2024 despite missing four games due to injury. He had 23 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks a year ago. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETICS