Ten Hurricanes received invitations to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, where many of the best prospects in the nation will work out for NFL scouts.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck, wide receiver CJ Daniels, offensive lineman Markel Bell, offensive lineman Anez Cooper, offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor, linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, defensive back Keionte Scott and defensive back Jakobe Thomas all received invitations to the combine in Indianapolis, which will be held from February 23 through March 2.
Bain, Mauigoa and Mesidor are the highest-rated Hurricanes invited to the combine. Bain and Mauigoa are expected to be among the first 15 players selected in the draft. ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has the pair ranked as the top players at their positions, and many mock drafts have them going as high as the top five. Mesidor could also be picked in the first round; Kiper has him fourth among defensive ends.
Scott and Thomas both project as potential second-day picks, selected in the second or third rounds. Scott is 10th on Kiper’s ranking of cornerbacks, while Thomas is just outside Kiper’s top 10 safeties. Both players had stellar seasons after transferring to Miami and were key parts of the Hurricanes’ run to the national title game. Some mock drafts have Scott getting selected in the first round, but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranks Scott 76th overall among the draft’s prospects. He does not rank Thomas in the top 100.
Beck is an intriguing quarterback prospect. Entering the 2024 season, he was considered one of the top quarterbacks expected to enter the 2025 draft. After struggling at times and suffering a season-ending injury in the SEC title game, Beck’s draft stock tanked, and he transferred to UM.
Beck had a solid season for the Hurricanes and helped them reach the title game. Now he is considered a mid-round quarterback. Beck ranks sixth in Kiper’s quarterback rankings.
Daniels was one of Beck’s top targets, racking up 557 yards and seven touchdowns on 50 catches. Daniels spent one season at UM. He ranks 19th in NFLDraftBuzz’s wide receiver rankings, projecting as a possible fourth-round pick.
Cooper and Bell are both possible mid- or late-round draft picks on the offensive line. Cooper, a four-year starter, does not appear in most early mock drafts, so he has a chance to significantly build his draft stock at the combine. Bell was the Hurricanes’ left tackle this season. He is the No. 19 offensive lineman, according to NFLDraftBuzz’s rankings. Thanks in part to his massive size, the site projects him as a third-round pick.
