The Miami Hurricanes family is mourning the loss of one of its most recognizable former stars.
Multiple reports confirmed Wednesday that Allen Bailey, the former Miami standout and NFL defensive lineman, has died at 37. According to TMZ, it is believed Bailey died of natural causes.
Bailey’s time in Coral Gables stretched from 2007 to 2010, and he left a big footprint on the program. In 50 games with the Hurricanes, he posted 103 tackles, including 31 for losses, and added 12 sacks. He then moved on to the NFL, where the Kansas City Chiefs picked him in the third round of the 2011 draft.
Bailey spent nine seasons in Kansas City before closing out his pro career with one year in Atlanta. Over 10 seasons in the league, he finished with 248 tackles, 22 sacks and four forced fumbles.
His path to Miami was unusual even by college football standards. Bailey grew up on Sapelo, an island off the coast of Georgia, and didn’t start playing football until high school.
Even so, he drew major recruiting attention. Coaches had to fly to the island or take a ferry just to meet with him, and he eventually chose the Hurricanes over several top programs.
At Miami, Bailey built a reputation as a rare athlete and one of the most imposing players in school history, even if those around him knew him as a teddy bear off the field. News of his death first surfaced Tuesday night, though some initially believed it might not be real.
Meanwhile, Miami football’s current spotlight is on the present. For the first time since the 2023-24 college basketball season, the Hurricanes are in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, landing at No. 14 with 650 votes.
Miami sits fourth among ACC teams in the poll, behind No. 2 Duke, No.
9 Virginia and No. 11 Louisville.
Second-year head coach Jai Lucas is coming off a 26-9 turnaround season and now has a roster built with eight transfers, two freshmen, an international signee and three returners. The biggest win from the offseason came in keeping sophomores Dante Allen and Shelton Henderson in the fold.
Henderson is one of the names generating breakout buzz after a freshman season in which he averaged 13.8 points on 56.7 percent shooting, along with 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 35 games, all starts. More is expected from the former five-star recruit as Miami takes on a season where every opponent is looking to knock the Hurricanes off balance.
In Other News...
Florida State Faces Real Pressure In A Clemson Game It Can Win
Florida State heads into its Clemson matchup with a rare kind of opportunity, one that comes wrapped in pressure. The Tigers are not the defensive force they used to be, and their season has been marked by uneven quarterback play and a defense that has been solid but not imposing. For the Seminoles, that makes this more than just another ACC test. It is the kind of road game that can help change the tone around a program still searching for traction under Mike Norvell.
Ashton Daniels gave Florida State a lift in the recent game, and the Seminoles will need that kind of steadiness again if they are going to take advantage of a matchup that looks there for the taking. The problem is the setting, because Florida State has not handled true road games well and is carrying a long losing streak away from home. Even so, this is the kind of opponent the Seminoles can realistically beat, which is what makes the stakes feel so much sharper than a typical midseason trip. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Heads Into Clemson With One Huge Problem To Solve
Florida State goes into its bye week still trying to steady itself after a double-overtime loss to Miami, and the timing is both a break and a warning. At 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, the Seminoles have little margin for error left, and the next opponent on the schedule brings a very different kind of challenge. Clemson has not been sharp through the air, with inconsistent quarterback play dragging down the offense, but it has leaned on its run game and found traction there with Gideon Davidson.
The bigger issue for Florida State may be how it handles the matchup on the other side of the ball. Clemsons defense has been solid, allowing 21.5 points per game, and that puts added pressure on Ashton Daniels and an offense that may already be dealing with key absences. For a Seminoles team that needs something to stabilize the season, the trip to Clemson looks like the kind of game where one weak spot could decide the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces A Bigger Second-Half Question About Its Young Talent
Florida States second half has a different kind of urgency now, with the Seminoles trying to steady a season defined by uneven play and too many defensive leaks against both the run and the pass. One place to look is the rosters younger, homegrown talent, where defensive tackle Kevin Wynn, defensive back Charles Lester III and tight end Landen Thomas have all emerged as names worth watching as the workload begins to shift.
Wynn has already seen his snap count rise and has flashed the kind of run-stopping potential the defense has lacked at times. Lesters role is also growing even after some early struggles, and Thomas remains another player who could factor more prominently as Florida State searches for answers now while also trying to build something more dependable for later. [Read more 🡒]