The Miami Hurricanes are mourning the loss of one of their own.
Multiple reports confirmed Wednesday that former Hurricanes standout and NFL defensive lineman Allen Bailey has died at 37. According to TMZ, it is believed Bailey died of natural causes. News of his death had surfaced Tuesday night, though many initially thought it was a hoax.
Bailey spent four seasons at Miami from 2007 to 2010 and left with a résumé that made him one of the program’s more memorable defenders of that era. In 50 games, he piled up 103 tackles, including 31 for loss, along with 12 sacks.
Miami’s appreciation for him ran deeper than the numbers, too. At UM, Bailey was known for his freakish athletic ability and for being one of the most intimidating figures in school history despite a teddy-bear attitude.
His path to college football was unusual. Bailey grew up on Sapelo, an island off the coast of Georgia, and didn’t start playing football until high school.
Even so, he became a heavily recruited prospect. College coaches had to either fly directly to the island or take a ferry to make recruiting visits, and Bailey ultimately picked Miami over several top programs.
Bailey went on to be selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. He spent nine seasons in Kansas City before wrapping up his career with one year for the Atlanta Falcons. Over 10 professional seasons, he finished with 248 tackles, 22 sacks and four forced fumbles.
While Miami reflects on Bailey’s death, the program is also back in the national spotlight on the court. For the first time since the 2023-24 college basketball season, the Hurricanes are in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, checking in at No. 14 with 650 votes.
Miami is the fourth of four Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the poll, behind No. 2 Duke, No.
9 Virginia and No. 11 Louisville.
Second-year coach Jai Lucas is coming off a historic 26-9 turnaround season and now faces a different kind of challenge: keeping Miami from sneaking up on anyone. The Hurricanes will have a target on them this year, and the roster reflects that ambition. Lucas rebuilt with eight transfers, two freshmen, an international signee and three returners.
The biggest win from the summer was keeping sophomores Dante Allen and Shelton Henderson in Coral Gables. Both made real impact as freshmen and are expected to shoulder more responsibility now. Henderson, in particular, enters the season with breakout buzz after averaging 13.8 points on 56.7 percent shooting, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 35 games, all starts.
In Other News...
Miami Just Got A Huge Recruiting Chance It Couldnt Afford To Lose
A prized recruiting visit is headed to Hard Rock Stadium this weekend, and Miami has plenty at stake with it. DJ Jacobs, the five-star edge rusher in the 2027 class who is committed to Ohio State, is expected to be on hand for the Hurricanes' home game along with his younger brother Dawson Jacobs, a four-star defensive line prospect. Mario Cristobal and his staff have kept the door open with DJ, and the timing gives Miami another chance to make its case in front of two defensive prospects who could matter a lot to the programs future.
The visit comes at a useful moment for the Hurricanes, whose 2027 class has room for more movement after a recent decommitment. Miami has been trying to stay involved with DJ Jacobs while also working on the broader picture with the brothers, but their recruitment remains unsettled for now. For a program looking to turn visits into traction, getting both Jacobs brothers on campus gives the Hurricanes a chance they could not really afford to miss. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Mourns A Former Hurricane Who Meant Far More Than Football
Miamis football family is grieving the loss of Bailey, a former Hurricanes standout whose impact stretched well beyond the field. Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs after his time in Coral Gables, he was remembered by former teammates for both the player he was and the person he became, with tributes underscoring how much he meant to the program long after his playing days ended.
The timing adds another layer to a week already full of emotion and accomplishment around the Hurricanes, with Malachi Toney earning the Paul Hornung Award for National Player of the Week after his performance against Florida State. Even in the middle of that recognition, the focus in Miami also remains on honoring a former Hurricane whose legacy carried real weight in the locker room and around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Rivalry Win Took A Dark Turn For Damon Wilson II
Miamis win over Florida State should have been remembered as another sharp-edged chapter in the rivalry, but it quickly carried into a much uglier space for Damon Wilson II. After the game, Wilson revealed that he had received alleged racist messages on Instagram from Kade McLendon, an employee of The Florida Bar, turning a celebratory night for the Hurricanes into one with an immediate off-field fallout.
The Florida Bar responded by placing McLendon on administrative leave and opening an internal investigation into the messages, which are said to violate the organizations social media policy. The inquiry is ongoing, and the Bar has said it intends to enforce its policies while also protecting due process rights, leaving the situation still unfolding even as the football result itself is long settled. [Read more 🡒]