Miami Commitment Evaluation: Edge Defender Daylen Russell
The Miami Hurricanes have secured the commitment of Daylen Russell.
He’s been one of the most consistent performers in South Florida, and has done so in a myriad of ways (see below). Russell was Miami’s ninth verbal commitment for the class of 2024.
The following represented the recruiting profile for Russell, his physical traits, how he performed as a junior, and what he could become for Miami and the defensive coaching staff, including defensive line coach and NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.
Positions: Outside linebacker/Defensive End
Size: 6-foot-2, 250 pounds
High School: Miami (Fla.) Columbus
Recruitment
Miami won out over the likes of Louisville, UCF, Florida State, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Florida International. Also of note, the Canes were the first offer, per Russell:
Frame
Stout. Russell has a consistent build from his knees to the top of his shoulders. From the look test, he probably possessed a good amount of natural strength; it’s also been bolstered by the Columbus strength program.
Athleticism
Natural bend and change of direction. Broke down and became physical without false steps, and even overpowered much larger competitors with a combination of his leverage, quickness and strength.
Despite his size, Russell was able to run with much smaller players.
Instincts
He was uncanny with how he seemingly knew where the football would go. Russell certainly traced the football with accuracy and efficiency; that’s not being debated. It’s still impressive that he did it time and time again and it looked effortless.
When Russell needed to turn on the speed and be aggressive, he did it. More often than now, however, he held his ground, broke down into a two-point stance, found the football, and then utilized his natural athleticism to reach the ball carrier or quarterback.
Another way to place Russell’s skills into words, he’s an edge defender that plays like he’s 25 years old instead of 17.
Accepting Coaching
With how well Russell stayed sound to the Columbus scheme, it’s commendable. Top-notch athletes often play outside their given responsibilities and it often led to opposing teams gaining big yardage and even sometimes touchdowns.
Russell was the consummate defensive teammate; he played his responsibility. Play after play, Russell won his gap and then rallied to the football with his teammates. That’s winning with determination and intelligence just as much as with strength and athleticism.
Position Flexibility
Within the 4-3 defense, Russell will be best suited to be a hand-in-the-dirt edge rusher that occasionally drops into coverage via a zone blitz. When or if he’s in a standup position within the 3-3-5 or 3-4, that’s when Russell could be either an outside linebacker playing from a two-point stance, or be a defensive end with his hand on the ground.
Long-Term Question
How well can Russell cover in space? Further, could he be dependable during one-on-one pass coverage situations versus slot receivers and running backs as well?
That’s the crux of the issue with many edge defenders; they cannot cover well. To be realistic, it’s not fair to place someone with a 250-pound frame in a man coverage scenario against a shifty offensive skill player. That’s what offensive coordinators aim to do, however.
If Russell can at least be adequate within that scenario, he could be a big-time college football player at either outside linebacker or defensive end for the Canes.
Here's a video further breaking down Russell's overall skill set, including showing his film and watching him as he made play after play:
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