The Miami Hurricanes are mourning the loss of one of their own after multiple reports confirmed former star Allen Bailey died on Wednesday at 37. TMZ reported Bailey is believed to have died of natural causes.
Bailey’s path to Miami was unusual from the start. He grew up on Sapelo, an island off the coast of Georgia, and didn’t begin playing football until high school.
Even so, he became a heavily recruited prospect, with college coaches sometimes having to fly straight to the island or catch a ferry just to meet with him. Bailey ultimately picked the Hurricanes over several top programs.
Once he got to UM, he turned into one of the program’s most physically gifted players. He was at Miami from 2007 through 2010 and left with 103 tackles, including 31 for losses, and 12 sacks in 50 games. Despite a teddy-bear attitude off the field, he was widely viewed as one of the most intimidating figures in school history because of his freakish athletic ability.
Bailey’s NFL career followed his college run. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft, and he spent nine seasons in Kansas City before wrapping up his career with one year in Atlanta. Over 10 professional seasons, he finished with 248 tackles, 22 sacks and four forced fumbles.
News of Bailey’s death first surfaced Tuesday night, though some initially believed it was a hoax.
The Hurricanes’ football program is now dealing with that loss, even as another Miami team is gaining national attention. For the first time since the 2023-24 college basketball season, Miami is in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, landing at No. 14 with 650 votes.
The Hurricanes are the fourth ACC team in the poll, behind No. 2 Duke, No.
9 Virginia and No. 11 Louisville.
After a historic 26-9 turnaround season, second-year coach Jai Lucas is trying to push the program even further. He reshaped the roster with eight transfers, two freshmen, an international signee and three returners.
A big part of the summer win for Miami was keeping sophomores Dante Allen and Shelton Henderson. Both played key roles as freshmen and are back in Coral Gables with bigger jobs ahead. Henderson, in particular, is being mentioned as a breakout candidate after averaging 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.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away At Kentucky
Vanderbilt had a chance to make life uncomfortable for No. 12 Kentucky for a good while, and for stretches it looked like the Commodores might finally turn a sluggish run into something better. They started fast, controlled time of possession and even carried an early lead before the Wildcats found their footing and took over in the second half on the way to a 34-17 finish.
The result extended Vanderbilts losing streak to five, another reminder of how thin the margin has been in this stretch of the season. The bye week now gives the Commodores time to reset before they return to face Mississippi State, with the focus likely turning to how they can keep the same kind of early control from slipping away once the game reaches its decisive moments. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Just Got A Troubling Evan Hampton Injury Scare
Vanderbilts offense took a hit in the first half against Kentucky when running back Evan Hampton was injured and carted off the field. Hampton had been one of the more promising pieces in the backfield this season, giving the Commodores production both as a runner and as a kick returner, so his departure immediately changed the feel of the afternoon.
Clark Lea confirmed Hampton was not able to finish the game and said he will need X-rays to determine the extent of the injury. The timing only added to the concern for Vanderbilt, with Hampton going down in a game that carried an extra layer for him personally, and the Commodores now have to wait for more clarity on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Loss Still Featured Record-Book Movement Fans Should Notice
Even in a loss to Kentucky on Oct. 24, Vanderbilt still found a few entries worth noting in the record book, with the kind of individual progress that can get lost when the final score goes the wrong way. The game notes from the Wildcats matchup pointed to a handful of bright spots on both sides of the ball, along with the sort of special teams and defensive details that usually matter most when a team is trying to steady itself late in the season.
One of the biggest takeaways for the Commodores was the continued climb of Sherrill, whose consistency has become part of Vanderbilts weekly storyline. Jared Curtis also added another marker to his freshman rsum, moving up among the programs all-time leaders in passing production for first-year quarterbacks. Even in a rough result, those are the kinds of milestones that suggest the foundation is still being built, and there may be more school history still to come. [Read more 🡒]