Miami Hurricanes Players Lions Should Scout During National Championship

On Monday, the Detroit Lions get their last chance to watch live game reps from some of the top college prospects in the NFL Draft.

The Miami Hurricanes and the Indiana Hoosiers get to play for the national title, with every NFL team in attendance to see a glimpse at the two most talented teams from this season.

Miami, in particular, brings forth quite a few prospects that Detroit must consider. A few of them have recently been connected to the Lions in recent first-round mock drafts.

As has been the case recently, these players will have an “instant impact score,” reflecting how they project to help Detroit in 2026 and beyond. Without further ado, here are five players the Lions must be watching on Monday night.

EDGE Akheem Mesidor

Akheem Mesidor has been the unsung hero of Miami’s EDGE tandem, with Rueben Bain Jr. receiving most of the love and praise. Mesidor has had his own outstanding season, with the senior recording a career-high 10.5 sacks for the Hurricanes.

In each of his five full seasons of collegiate football, Mesidor has recorded at least four sacks. He is the definition of productive and experienced. However, he comes with concerns that scares some scouts away.

Mesidor has had his fair share of injuries, missing a contest this season, missing most of 2023 and even missing time in the last outing against Ole Miss. On Monday, he’ll be wearing a brace as a precaution. After the struggles to see a talented EDGE rusher on the field with the Marcus Davenport experiment in Detroit, the front office could shy away.

Additionally, the senior will be 25 when the NFL season begins. He is older than most of the draft class, and that gives him a shorter window and length for his prime. He has concerns on balance, block shedding and cutting inside to give up leverage.

That said, he produces, and showcases a variety of skills. Currently, he is a projected Day 2 pick, but that can slide into Day 1 with his hyperproduction.

Instant Impact Score: 84. If he can remain healthy, he will be a steal of a second-round pick, or worthy of a first-round selection. However, health and age are big concerns. With Detroit’s recent injury history, drafting an oft-injured player asks for trouble.

IOL Anez Cooper

Cooper has been a mainstay at right guard during his collegiate career, only playing four snaps outside of that position. He brings a nasty, mean streak with him to the position, and has only allowed five sacks in 1,550 pass-block snaps since 2023.

His strengths include his ability to get to the second level as a run-blocker, his strength and his athleticism. However, he is not viewed as a player that is much more than a Day 3 pick currently. At 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds, he has a frame that screams NFL ready.

With a lack of scouting love, he can slip into the Lions’ laps on Day 3. However, as Detroit just took Tate Ratledge at right guard last draft class, Cooper becomes a player that either has to learn a new position from his college one, or bank on the initial plan of Ratledge becoming a starting center.

Instant Impact Score: 59. He likely does not become a day one starter, and would face competition with Miles Frazier, Christian Mahogany, and Ratledge if he remains at guard. However, his film screams that he has potential to be a Detroit Lion.

S Jakobe Thomas

Thomas’ 2025 season box score looks straight out of a video game. Thomas knows where the ball will be and how to make a play on it, with 42 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five interceptions and two forced fumbles to boot.

Thomas has elite instincts, and it has helped lead the Hurricanes to the national title game in his only season with "The U." If Miami hopes to prevent Indiana from going 16-0, it falls onto Thomas likely making a game-changing play.

Thomas takes risks, which leads to his big plays. However, those risks have led to missed tackles, blown coverages and more. He might need to learn from fellow defensive backs and coaches to calculate the risk/reward better, and Kerby Joseph might be the best option to tutor the young difference-maker.

He slips to a late second round, early third-round selection as a result. With Detroit seeing Joseph and Brian Branch each suffer injuries that could have long-term career effects, Thomas could be a solution for the future.

Instant Impact Score: 68. While not a bonafide day one starter, Thomas checks all the boxes to be a great addition to the secondary. He is a “boom or bust” player, and one that teams should want to take the risk on.

WR Keelan Marion

Marion is a player that shined when the lights were the brightest last week against Ole Miss. The BYU transfer snagged seven passes for 114 yards and a long touchdown in the second quarter.

The Miami product upped his game in his only season with the Hurricanes. His 740 yards are a career-high, much better than his previous total of 474 yards in 2021. That said, the 6-foot receiver only has two touchdowns on the season. He is a project, but has considerable upside, including his speed and return game.

Marion housed two kickoffs for BYU in 2024, and is averaging 25.3 yards per return this season in his nine attempts. He also did return punts for UConn in 2021.

With Kalif Raymond as a player Detroit could move on from, Marion might slot well into the return specialist and WR4 spot behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa in 2026.

Instant Impact Score: 30. Marion would likely be a project that starts his career by learning the ropes of the NFL-style kick return game, but could develop into a solid receiver. With Williams and St. Brown under longer deals, though, Marion could be a player Detroit does not pull the trigger on.

QB Carson Beck

Beck is a player that has been profiled here before. The seventh-year senior brings a vast amount of experience dealing with success and the struggles of a career. The highly-touted player who was once projected as a first-rounder now likely will land in the round five range.

Detroit is a team which could capitalize. After the Hendon Hooker experiment crashed and burned, the Lions could benefit from having a younger player in the room alongside Goff.

While Kyle Allen did enough to impress and win the job in the preseason this past season, he does not provide a solution if Goff suffers an injury.

While Beck is a player that might not be at the level to be a solution either, his experience and intangibles make him intriguing. The prospect has loads of experience, which makes him an excellent backup. And there was a reason Beck was once called a Day 1 selection.

He makes throws with anticipation, but also stares down receivers and is not an athlete. He can make great throws, but can also throw the ball directly at a defense. Bleacher Report’s comparison of Beck was towards someone the Lions know very well: a lite version of Goff.

Instant Impact Score: 10. Do not expect Beck to come close to challenging Goff. Barring injury, Beck would be QB2 or QB3 for the Lions in 2026, and likely fall under the “emergency third quarterback” rule if Detroit keeps Allen in town. If Lions fans see Beck outside of preseason action in 2026, things have gone horribly wrong for Motown.

The national championship game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday.

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