There’s a new name forcing its way into the center of Miami’s defensive conversation, and it’s JJ Dunnigan.
Questions lingered behind the scenes about whether Dunnigan would even be healthy enough to play at Clemson, then he showed up, grabbed an interception and looked every bit of “4.4” while doing it. That kind of flash has a way of changing the tone fast. He was already one of the camp buzz names, right there with Malachi Toney and Bryce Fitzgerald last year, and now the conversation has moved from hype to usage.
David Lake made his stance clear on Thursday’s show: he wants Dunnigan at nickel. In his view, the best way to maximize him is to let him cover slots and come flying on blitzes because “you can't take him off the field.”
The discussion started with Omar Thornton, whose play has drawn attention after being featured heavily on television. DMoney said Thornton has been missing tackles and noted that people are talking about him as if he’s Jaden Harris. Lake pushed back a bit on the idea that Thornton is a bad player, but he did acknowledge the tackling issues and said Clemson’s staff seemed to know exactly how to attack him.
“One thing that's tough with the Omar Thornton discourse this week is he was really highlighted a lot. Because on TV he was talked about a lot by Kirk Herbstreit and Chris Fowler.
When that happens, it's clear Clemson's coaching staff was saying in the pre-production meetings, 'hey, we think we can put this guy in space and he'll miss some tackles.' And it played out that way.”
Lake also said he was intrigued by the idea of Dunnigan at nickel because of the way his athleticism translates to slot coverage and blitzing. From there, he floated Zechariah Poyser and Dylan Day as the safeties, while making clear that Thornton still has a role. If Day is what he looks like now, Lake said, he deserves more snaps.
DMoney was even more direct about Dunnigan and Poyser, saying, “Dunnigan needs to play every snap he has the air in his lungs to play. Him and Poyser, you cannot take those two off the field. I don't see how you do it on any team.”
He also tied Dunnigan’s emergence to a familiar pattern from camp evaluation. “Spring will sometimes lie to you, Fall Camp usually doesn't,” he said, adding that Dunnigan fits the same kind of “best players on the team” profile Miami saw last year with Toney and Fitzgerald.
Lake agreed Dunnigan belongs in that conversation, pointing to the speed and violence in his game. He did note the missed tackles, but said Dunnigan’s misses still affect the play because the rest of the defense can clean it up. Thornton’s misses, by contrast, can turn into bigger problems.
The other major roster puzzle in the conversation centered on Bryce Fitzgerald, Xavier Lucas and Ryan Mack. With Lucas expected back, DMoney asked whether Fitzgerald should stay at corner or move around. Lake’s answer was pretty firm: he’d keep Fitzgerald at corner because Miami needs at least three corners, and he feels good about Fitzgerald, Ethan O’Connor and Lucas as that group.
Still, Lake said Fitzgerald would also be an upgrade at nickel and safety if Miami chose to move him. He just doesn’t think the jump from corner to those spots is as meaningful as preserving depth on the outside. He also said he’d rather play Fitzgerald there than Ryan Mack right now.
Mack’s name came up because he’s been healthy after a long stretch of injuries, and he’s started to settle in. DMoney said Mack began at nickel, played well there and now looks more comfortable outside, asking whether Miami can count on him as a real rotational corner through a playoff run.
Lake said Mack is clearly developing, but he still views Fitzgerald as the better corner and Ja’Boree Antoine as ahead of Mack as well. If OJ Frederique gets healthy too, Lake said the room gets crowded in a hurry.
As for Antoine, DMoney raised the possibility that he might not be locked into outside corner long term. He pointed out that Antoine was a safety in high school and said he’s not ruling out a move closer to the ball or even to safety, especially if speed becomes a question.
The show also touched on the offensive line shakeup and what Miami’s defensive line could look like a year from now.
In Other News...
Miami Just Sent A Clear ACC Message Before Florida State
Miamis win over Clemson came at exactly the right time, because the ACC race is already tightening into a handful of serious contenders. Florida State followed with a convincing showing against Virginia, Pittsburgh survived a scare against Virginia Tech even after losing starting quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL, and Louisville has stumbled through back-to-back losses while Wake Forest keeps looking like a team that can hang around longer than expected.
For Miami, the message was less about style than standing its ground in a league where only three teams remain unbeaten in conference play. The Hurricanes now head toward Florida State with real momentum and a clearer sense of where they fit in the ACC pecking order, even as the broader picture around them keeps shifting week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Is Already In The Mix For A Manning Quarterback
Marshall Manning is only at the start of his high school career, but the freshman quarterback at Baylor School in Chattanooga is already drawing a familiar kind of attention. The son of Peyton Manning has stepped onto varsity as a backup to senior Keegan Croucher, made his debut at that level, and begun collecting scholarship offers from programs with real national pull, including Miami, Ohio State, Purdue and Missouri State.
For Miami, the early interest fits the usual reality of recruiting a Manning, where every snap tends to come with extra scrutiny and every update gets noticed beyond the high school level. Marshall has not committed anywhere yet, and even within his own family the buzz has been impossible to ignore, with relatives like Arch Manning weighing in on his progress as the offer list continues to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Bye Week Put One Defensive Problem Under The Spotlight
The bye week gave Miami a chance to step back and look hard at one of the defenses most persistent issues. Through the first five games of the 2026 season, the Hurricanes rank 115th nationally in tackling grade according to Pro Football Focus, a surprising place for a unit that expected to be much cleaner at the point of contact. Several defensive players have posted missed tackle rates above 15 percent, a mark that stands out when compared with the more disciplined tackling shown on recent national championship teams.
There are encouraging signs inside the group, though, with Chase Smith and Justin Scott among the players showing stronger tackling consistency. The larger question for Miami is whether the bye week becomes a reset or just a pause, because the margin for error on defense can shrink quickly if the missed tackles keep piling up as conference play continues. [Read more 🡒]