July Miami Hurricanes Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 14 DE Tyler Baron

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster based on projected production, and today we’re at No. 14, Tyler Baron .

THE BIG PICTURE

Baron arrived from Tennessee as a second portal window addition, and it’s expected he will start opposite Rueben Bain … depending on how Akheem Mesidor comes off a serious foot injury (and Mesidor may work more at DT than DE regardless given the depth issues inside). As for Baron’s ability? Well, he’s strong enough to set the edge while quick enough to get after the quarterback and be disruptive in the backfield – last season he had 10.5 TFL and five sacks. This was a big pickup for Miami, and while he was out in the spring due to a shoulder injury before transferring (he was at Louisville for the spring semester) it’s expected he will be at 100 percent this fall.

JULY PLAYER PERFORMANCE INDEX: No. 30 Elijah Alston , No. 29 Josh Horton , No. 28 Raul Aguirre … No. 27 D’yoni Hill … No. 26 Samson Okunlola … No. 25 Jaden Harris … No. 24 Markeith Williams … No. 23 Akheem Mesidor … No. 22 Jaylin Alderman … No. 21 Damari Brown … No. 20 Wesley Bissainthe … No. 19 Simeon Barrow/CJ Clark … No. 18. Elijah Arroyo … No. 17. Sam Brown … No. 16 Elija Lofton … No. 15 Zach Carpenter

THE ANALYSIS

Baron is a redshirt senior who most recently played at Tennessee (he transferred to Louisville in January and then to Miami in the second portal window). A 6-5, 260-pounder, he has plenty of experience and production. He started 19 games in his four years with the Vols, and last season started all 12 games and had 28 tackles, five sacks and 10.5 TFL along with a fumble recovery for a touchdown. In 2022 he started three games and had 22 tackles with 6.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks. 2021 saw him with five starts and he had 30 tackles along with four sacks and seven TFL. As far as his Pro Football Focus grades? Baron ended last year with a solid 78.5 percent grade in 444 reps (elite 83.3 pass rush grade) and was noted with 41 QB pressures and 31 hurries. In 2022 he had a 73.7 overall grade in 438 reps (73.7 pass rush grade, 29 QB pressures), and in 2021 he played 433 reps and graded out at 72.9 percent overall (77.2 pass rush grade, 32 QB pressures).

THE PROJECTION

With Rueben Bain on one side, Baron should be able to get a lot of one-on-one situations he can take advantage of, and we think he’s in line for a very productive season – think double-digit tackles for loss and 5+ sacks. Even if Mesidor stays at end and returns to his high playing level of 2022, we see Baron and Marshall rush end arrival Elijah Alston getting a lot of work. He was a bigtime pickup at a position that needed a boost in proven talent/experience given the question mark around Mesidor.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

Baron wasn’t at Miami this spring, so he will need to pick up the defense quickly this fall. He’s also coming off injury, so he needs to show he’s really back at full strength. It will be interesting to see how coaches start working the line given that aside from Bain there are questions as to where Mesidor will play. Baron’s SEC experience and ability to get after the QB makes him an unquestioned productive player, and he just needs to show that same high level of play when he steps onto Greentree Practice Field in August.

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