Former Miami defensive lineman enrolling at Pac-12 school

Former Miami defensive lineman Nesta Jade Silvera is enrolling at Arizona State, according to the Miami Herald’s Susan Miller Degnan. Spring semester classes began last week, but the former four-star recruit will start classes immediately.

Nesta Jade Silvera later made the decision official, announcing his transfer to Arizona State any decision to play for head coach Herm Edwards, rather than enter the 2022 NFL Draft or return to Miami for a fifth season. The top 100 player in the 2018 recruiting class initially chose the Hurricanes over Florida, Tennessee and others.

In his four years with the Hurricanes, Silvera had 105 tackles and 16 tackles for loss, including 5.5 this year. He was one of Miami’s starters during the 2021 season, which is why it is such a big loss for them and a big addition for Arizona State.

Miami adds defensive line coach

Mario Cristobal’s staff at Miami is taking shape. The Hurricanes announced their new defensive line coach/associate head coach/run game coordinator on Friday.

Joe Salave’a, who worked under Cristobal at Oregon, is following his former boss to Miami. Salave’a played 12 years in the NFL as a defensive tackle before joining the college coaching ranks in 2008.

“What an honor,” Salave’a said in a statement through a press release. “I’m blessed to have the opportunity to continue to work for Coach Cristobal. The opportunity here is tremendous. I want to get to work – I want to get to know our guys in the building and connect with them, start putting together the pieces and really start this entire process.”

Salave’a got his coaching start with San Jose State in 2008 as defensive line coach before a year at his alma mater, Arizona, in 2011. He then went to Washington State from 2012-16 and joined forces with Cristobal at Oregon in 2017. Cristobal was an assistant coach with Salave’a, but kept him on staff after he moved up to head coach.

“The University of Miami is committed to physicality and controlling the line of scrimmage,” Cristobal said in a statement. “Coach Salave’a’s eight years in the trenches of the NFL and his college coaching experience are the driving forces behind an elite recruiter, coach and developer of the talent. Coach Salave’a is a tremendous leader of men, and I know that mental and physical toughness will be traits of the Miami Hurricanes defensive line. He will make his impact felt in the culture and identity of our program.”