Miami’s edge-rusher picture got a lot more interesting on Wednesday, and Jack Pyburn is the name that immediately jumps out.
The former Florida and LSU defender, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was one of several Class of 2022 players who received a temporary restraining order that opens the door to another season of college football. That development has put Pyburn on the radar for Miami, where the Hurricanes are always looking for help up front and where Mario Cristobal already knows the player from recruiting him out of Jacksonville Bolles.
There’s a catch, though, and it’s a big one. Pyburn is not sitting around waiting for a college decision.
He’s in an NFL camp, has already signed a three-year, $3.15 million undrafted free-agent deal, and has $115,000 guaranteed. Greg Auman of FOXSports noted that the Buccaneers have his rights.
If Pyburn chooses to return to college, his contract would be voided, but Tampa Bay would still hold those rights.
That means this isn’t some simple do-over where a player can bounce back to college, cash in, and then re-enter the NFL Draft looking for a bigger payday. Still, if Pyburn wanted back in the college game, the NIL market would likely make him plenty attractive. In effect, it would be the Buccaneers sending him through a minor league system.
The football case for Miami is easy to see. Pyburn is a 6-foot-4, 258-pound pass rusher with production behind him. Over the past two seasons, he put up 112 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks for the Tigers and Gators respectively.
And the Hurricanes could use the help. Hayden Lowe was expected to take on a bigger role this season, but the former five-star prospect left the program before training camp. There’s hope that Herb Scroggins III can develop into a real contributor, but he’s still more of a question mark than Pyburn.
Nothing is settled yet, but Cristobal, defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman and defensive ends coach Jason Taylor are clearly watching closely. If Pyburn does enter the portal, Miami would have a real chance to make a strong push for a proven edge rusher at exactly the moment it needs one.
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Garcia is now preparing to lead his fifth college football program, a number that says as much about modern movement as it does about his own journey. His stop in South Florida never produced much traction, and the broader arc of his career has become a familiar one for Miami supporters who watched promising quarterback talent arrive with expectations and leave before the story ever fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Freshmen Face A Huge Second Scrimmage For Bigger Roles
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For Miami, the appeal goes beyond novelty. The program has seen freshmen step in and help before, so the staff is clearly watching to see which of these players can handle bigger roles without a long runway. Wingo and Congdon are among the names to monitor as camp tightens up, and this next scrimmage should offer a better read on who is ready to make the leap from promising newcomer to part of the weekly plan. [Read more 🡒]