The Miami football team has enough depth to accommodate the addition of Nyjalik Kelly.
Since Mario Cristobal was appointed in December 2021, the Miami football team has developed incredible depth at the edge rusher position. Edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly can be absorbed by Miami, as Hayes Fawcett of On3 first reported on Tuesday morning.
Kelly participated in all 12 Miami games in 2022 as a rookie. After five games with three starts in 2023, Kelly had an injury that ended his season. In addition to adding former Marshall edge rusher Elijah Alston and starting defensive linemen Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, Miami also signed a top group of defensive linemen in the 2024 class.
As a true freshman in 2022, Kelly recorded 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks on 183 defensive snaps. In 2023, Kelly recorded eight tackles, one sack, one TFL, and one pass defensed. Kelly, a 2022 recruit from Fort Hayes Fawcett , has been signed by Miami.
Kelly was ranked 90th in the 247Sports 2022 aggregate rankings, 14th among defensive linemen, and 14th in Florida. Kelly made the decision to transfer one week before the April 16–30 opening of the spring portal. Miami must cut five more players from their 2024 roster in order to reach the 85 scholarship cap.
Miami’s anticipated starting edge rushers in 2024 are Bain and Mesidor. It was anticipated that Kelly would get a good number of snaps. Alston is anticipated to play a role as well. In the 2024 class, Miami signed three-star Cole McConathy, four-star Elias Rudolph, five-star Marquis Lightfoot, and five-star defensive end Armondo Blount.
Blount and Lightfoot should be able to contend for the position of fourth edge rusher in the Miami rotation in 2024, thanks to Kelly’s transfer. Mesidor, Bain, and Blount are all capable of end and tackle play. McConathy is said to have performed admirably this spring. This year, Rudolph will arrive later.
Miami might look into DL transfers again. Romello Height, a former commit from Miami, was recently in Coral Gables. Height is a former player for USC and Auburn. In the coming week, anticipate seeing a few more Miami players in the portal. By the start of the 2024 season, Miami must reach the 85 scholarship cap.