Miami transfer DL Daylen Russell commits to Louisville
Louisville picks up a transfer portal commitment from former Miami defensive lineman Daylen Russell.
In two years of college football, Russell has appeared in five games and has three years of eligibility remaining.
See who else is visiting Louisville out of the transfer portal here.
Russell was a three-star prospect at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, Florida, before choosing the Hurricanes. Regarded as a top-30 player at his position according to Rivals, he helped lead his team to back-to-back state championships. Russell broke out in 2022, securing 84 tackles and 10 sacks to be named Miami-Dade Defensive Player of the Year. A member of the 2024 recruiting class, he had offers from Louisville, Florida State, Nebraska, UCF, and West Virginia.
Year one in Miami consisted of playing a vital role on the practice squad and seeing no action in real games. Russell went on to appear in five games during his redshirt-freshman season, including three games against ACC competition. He finished the year with 6 tackles and a tackle for loss. Russell saw the most snaps late in games when his team was up by multiple touchdowns. In his debut game against Bethune-Cookman, he had a pair of tackles and a tackle for loss.
It took time for Russell to see the field, and an increased role awaits his arrival in Louisville. The big pass rusher stands at 6-foot-3 and almost 300 pounds, something you can’t teach. Russell is currently ranked as the 889th best player in the portal and 84th at his position.
Miami is in the midst of a college football playoff run that is fueled by its strong defensive front. Russell was buried behind future NFL talent Akheem Mesidor, Rueben Bain, and Ahmad Moten, and decided to hit the portal before finishing the season with the Hurricanes.
Russell saw his future Cardinals come in and upset Miami earlier this season. Now he will join a defensive line that held the 24th-best rushing defense last season, allowing 114.3 yards per game on the ground.
Louisville is still looking for a new defensive coordinator after the departure of Ron English, but is riding high after the announced returns of Clev Lubin, Antonio Watts, and others.
RELATED: Transfer portal — The latest on Louisville’s visitors, targets, and more
