Miami lands Michigan State DT Simeon Barrow
The Miami Hurricanes certainly need help on the defensive interior without a lot of proven top end talent and depth … so how does adding a guy with 30 career starts at Michigan State sound?
Yes, Miami has now picked up honorable mention All-Big Ten selection Simeon Barrow, Jr. He visited UM April 29-May 1 and committed Friday night.
“The love and family, I really like what they have going on,” Barrow told CaneSport about what stood out the most about Miami. “They’re some great people and that’s what I really like about them. They’ve got the tools to be real successful and they have the staff to put me in the right position and get me where I want to be. The scenery down here was beautiful. I can tell these guys are really locked in on me man. That’s what I really appreciate.”
A 6-3, 296-pound graduate senior, Barrow instantly upgrades the Miami defensive tackle room. He has started 10 games for the Spartans each of the last three years and had 36 tackles, 5.5 for losses with 3.5 sacks last season (and also blocked two field goals). In 2022 he had 40 tackles, nine for losses, with four sacks, and in 2021 as a redshirt freshman he ended with 34 tackles, four TFL and three sacks.
In the below clip you get a sense of how disruptive Barrow can be from the interior getting after the QB. You see him bull rush 6-9, 315-pound Nebraska junior Bryce Benhart, knocking him off balance, and then explode on the ball to help force the turnover:
The Canes already have a transfer-laden defensive line from the last two cycles with the additions of NC State DT CJ Clark, Middle Tennessee DT Marley Cook, University of Louisiana-Monroe DE Anthony Campbell and Marshall DE Elijah Alston.
Certainly Miami still felt like it needed another piece with the only major experienced players from last year’s team DE Rueben Bain and DL Akheem Mesidor, who is coming off injury.
Barrow has experience, talent, playmaking, you name it.
Barrow’s Pro Football Focus grades?
This past season in 469 reps he had a 72.2 overall grade (72.3 run defense, 74.3 pass rush, low 29.6 tackle grade). He was noted with 11 missed tackles and 17 QB hurries. His 2022 grade was 77.4 percent (76.4 run defense, 70.0 tackle, 70.1 pass rush) and he had just three missed tackles in 537 reps with 19 QB hurries. In 2021 he had a 71.5 overall grade in 442 reps (69.5 run defense, 70.9 pass rush, 51.7 tackle grade) with seven missed tackles and 17 QB hurries.
Barrow is a former industry 3-star prospect out of Grovetown, Ga.
Now he’s set to make a big impact for Miami this coming season.
