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Miami Player Profile: Al-Quadin Muhammad

In an effort to keep even the most hardcore Miami fan up to date on their favorite players, SOTU will be running a Player Profile series. In these posts, our writers will profile two players from each position that they think should get more face time. They will recap their previous year, or in some cases, preview what may be to come. That way, when the season get's here, you hopefully will have a new found love for the team on the field.

By Jerry Steinberg
Joel Auerbach

Al-Quadin Muhammad

Sophomore - 6'2 242 - Irvington, NJ (Don Bosco Prep)

Saw a decent amount of game action as a true freshman (mostly as a pass rusher) and tallied 8 tackles, 2 TFL, and 2 sacks.

Perhaps not the most eye popping of numbers, but his speed and athletic ability were clearly visible each time he stepped on the field.  AQM came to UM as a 4 star prospect and consensus top 10 at his position player from powerhouse NJ program, Don Bosco Prep. And he immediately caught the attention of the coaching staff last summer with what Head Coach Al Golden described as being "twitchy" in reference to Muhammad's burst and anticipation off the snap count.  Needs to finish plays better (see FSU game and two missed sacks on Jameis Winston).

Summary: As the video above and some his play last year illustrates, AQM has serious talent. He is fast, instinctive, and can change direction like a skill position player.  As long as Miami's defense can force a decent amount of third and longs, he should thrive as a situational pass rusher and easily produce no less than 6-8 sacks, and create some turnovers. But is he big and strong enough yet to play the run? And will the more experienced Tyriq McCord and the slightly more touted Chad Thomas take away a lot of his snaps?  In the ideal scenario, UM's defense is effective enough for all three to succeed and play together in some array of combinations.  One thing is for sure, the 'Canes no longer have a shortage of talented edge rushers. While I love a healthy McCord and I am anxious to see how quickly Thomas acclimates to the college game, I have a feeling Muhammad might just be Miami's best pass rusher by season's end.

Stay tuned for more player profiles as we count down to Labor Day Vs Louisville.