With week three of fall camp moving along and another scrimmage on deck, two Miami Hurricanes have made enough noise to warrant a closer look. Jamal Meriweather and Herbert "Third" Scroggins III may not be the flashiest names in the room, but both are trending in the right direction at a time when Miami needs depth and steadiness to keep building.
Jamal Meriweather is the first player who deserves a little more shine. The 6-foot-7, 305-pound offensive tackle came to Miami from Georgia after appearing in 15 games across two seasons with the Bulldogs. He never cracked a starting lineup there, but SEC experience carries weight, and Meriweather brought that with him after arriving as a three-star recruit out of Brunswick High.
That matters because the offensive line has been one of the most talked-about units around this team all offseason. Miami lost a lot of production from the massive front that helped define last year’s team, and there’s even a chance the Hurricanes could start two true freshmen in 2026. Meriweather’s development gives the line another veteran body, and it should ease some of the concern hanging around that group.
For Mario Cristobal and Miami, the line still sits at the center of everything. If that unit settles in, the rest of the offense has a chance to follow.
The other name is Herbert "Third" Scroggins III, and he’s starting to get more involved in the way Miami needs him to. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound sophomore is now fully taking part in team drills and contact work. Last season, he played in 14 games and finished with four total tackles and one quarterback hurry.
Scroggins came into college with real recruiting buzz, too. He was a four-star prospect and led the state of Georgia with 17 sacks as a senior.
Now he’s working to climb into Miami’s rotation on a defensive line that is much deeper than the offensive line. At the moment, he’s pushing for the fourth defensive end spot behind Damon Wilson, Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount.
That kind of role may not jump off the page, but Miami’s depth matters. The CFP last season made that clear. If Scroggins keeps moving forward, the Hurricanes’ defensive front could become a real problem for opposing offenses.
In Other News...
Miami May Have A New Pass Rush Decision To Make Fast
A pass-rush twist has surfaced for Miami as Jack Pyburn, the former LSU defensive end, suddenly has another path back to college football. Pyburn has already been in the NFL orbit with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and his name is now back in the mix after a legal ruling reopened the door to another season on campus.
If Pyburn does make the jump into the transfer portal, he would be free to pick any program, and Miami could be one of the schools that makes sense because of prior recruiting ties. For a Hurricanes staff always looking to add proven edge help, the timing could matter, especially with a decision point like this potentially arriving fast. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fall Camp Is Revealing Whos Forcing Their Way Into Starting Jobs
Fall camp is already sorting out Miamis depth chart, and the receiver room has been one of the clearest places where jobs are starting to take shape. With Cam Vaughn gone, the Hurricanes have been able to see who is ready to absorb those snaps, and the early chatter around practice has centered on Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate, plus the mix of freshmen and portal additions trying to carve out roles.
The same kind of pressure is showing up across the line and in the secondary, where every rep matters for players trying to move up the pecking order. Samson Okunlolas work at left tackle has been a notable development, while Dereon Colemans growth at quarterback adds another layer to a camp that seems to be clarifying a lot of questions, even if a few of the biggest lineup decisions are still waiting to be settled. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Secondary Is Starting To Build Something Under Corey Hetherman
Zechariah Poyser has seen enough of Miamis defensive back room in camp to start sketching out how pieces could fit together under Corey Hetherman. Speaking with the media, the Hurricanes defensive back pointed to teammates JJ Dunnigan and Bryce Fitzgerald as players with distinct styles and potential roles, a sign that the group is beginning to sort itself out as the new system takes hold.
The bigger development, though, may be the way the secondary is talking to each other. Poyser said communication has improved inside the defensive back group under Hetherman, which is often the first real marker that a unit is becoming more comfortable with what is being asked of it. He also talked about how he stays motivated during camp, a small but telling reminder that this is as much about day-to-day habits as it is about talent. [Read more 🡒]