Who is Akheem Mesidor? What to know on Miami football DL ahead of CFP Fiesta Bowl

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Through its first two games of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff, Miami football's defense has not just kept the Hurricanes in games but also has been the reason the Hurricanes have won those games.

The Hurricanes' defense begins with their two-headed monsters at the defensive line, featuring Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor.

Mesidor, the 6-foot-3 defensive lineman and edge rusher, is coming off a dominant game in the CFP Cotton Bowl quarterfinals against No. 2 Ohio State, as he tied a personal CFP-career-high five tackles and two sacks after continuously rushing the gaps and breaking through the Buckeyes' offensive line to get to Julian Sayin.

REQUIRED READING: Fiesta Bowl preview: Miami faces Ole Miss in CFP semifinals

Miami will need the same type of production and physicality from Mesidor to get past No. 6 Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss, the Rebels' mobile quarterback who was able to extend drives in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal against Georgia by avoiding sacks with his legs.

The Hurricanes and the Rebels are set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Thursday, Jan. 8 in the CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Here's everything to know about Mesidor:

Who is Akheem Mesidor?

Mesidor is one of the anchors of Miami's explosive defense with Bain Jr. and is one of the top defensive linemen in the country. He hails from Ottawa, Ontario.

"It means a lot. A lot of guys back home don't get this opportunity," Mesidor said on representing Canadian athletes in the CFP during media night at the CFP Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

In two CFP games this season, Mesidor has racked up 10 total tackles and 3.5 sacks. He was a force to be reckoned with in the CFP Cotton Bowl quarterfinals against Ohio State, especially when Miami rushed Mesidor against Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin.

Mesidor finished with five total tackles and two sacks in the Hurricanes' 24-14 win over the Buckeyes.

"We got him early, we hit him early, and I think it forced him to throw that interception," Mesidor said of Miami's defensive performance in the CFP Cotton Bowl quarterfinals on Wednesday, Dec. 31. "Not only that, but throughout the game he was a little uncomfortable. He really wasn’t dropping back to throw deep bombs. He was throwing drag routes, finding little holes in the zone."

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound veteran defensive lineman has had a breakout season this year with the Hurricanes. He is ranked the fourth-best edge player by Pro Football Focus among Power Four Conference defensive ends, and second in PFF’s run defense grades among Power Four Conference defenders.

He began his collegiate career at West Virginia, spending two seasons in Morgantown with the Mountaineers in 2020 and 2021. He transferred to the Hurricanes ahead of the 2022 season as part of the first transfer class that Mario Cristobal built in Coral Gables.

Akheem Mesidor NFL draft mock

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. currently has Mesidor ranked as the No. 21 best prospect in this year's NFL draft, and the third-best defensive end in the class. He is only beaten out by Auburn's Keldric Faulk and Bain Jr. at the defensive end position.

He is projected to go No. 51 overall to the Carolina Panthers in Walter Football's latest NFL Mock Draft. He is not featured in the latest USA TODAY mock draft.

Akheem Mesidor stats

Mesidor is having a breakout season in the Hurricanes' system this year, as he enters the Fiesta Bowl with 56 total tackles, 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He ranked first among active Division I FBS players with 33.5 sacks over the course of his career, as noted by Miami's game notes for the Fiesta Bowl.

Here's a look at Mesidor's stats in his career at West Virginia and Miami:

2020 (West Virginia): 32 total tackles and five sacks
2021 (West Virginia): 38 total tackles and 4.5 sacks
2022 (Miami): 38 total tackles, seven sacks, four broken-up passes and a forced fumble
2023 (Miami): Five total tackles
2024 (Miami): 32 total tackles and 5.5 sacks
2025 (Miami): 56 total tackles, 10.5 sacks and four forced fumbles

Akheem Mesidor recruiting rankings

As recruit: Three-star recruit | No. 636 nationally ranked player | No. 28 ranked position player
As transfer: Four-star recruit | No. 31 nationally ranked player | No. 3 ranked position player

Mesidor was ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 636 nationally ranked player in the 2020 recruiting class according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.

He received improved recruiting rankings by 247Sports when he entered the transfer portal, as he was listed as a four-star recruit and the No. 31 nationally ranked player in the portal. He was additionally ranked as the No. 3 defensive lineman in the portal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Akheem Mesidor? What to know on Hurricanes' DL before Fiesta Bowl

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