Damon Wilson II commits to Miami: Hurricanes fill a big need by landing top available defensive transfer

Missouri transfer Damon Wilson II, who was the top available defensive prospect in 247Sports' Transfer Rankings, announced Thursday that he is transferring to Miami. Wilson, the No. 8 transfer nationally and the No. 2 edge rusher, chose the Hurricanes over the likes of Texas Tech and LSU, among others. 

In joining Miami, Wilson, a former Georgia signee, will be on his third school in three years. He had a breakout year after transferring to Missouri ahead of the 2025 season, as he led the Tigers and ranked third in the SEC with nine sacks. 

He also earned second-team All-SEC honors after logging a team-high 12 quarterback pressures and one interception in addition to his sacks. Wilson had at least one sack in four of Missouri's eight SEC games, including a two-sack performance in the Tigers' 27-24 loss against Alabama.

A former top-50 high school prospect out of Venice, Florida, Wilson spent the first two years of his career at Georgia. He played sparingly as a true freshman before earning a rotational role in his second season when he had 22 total tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles. 

Wilson is the seventh transfer that Miami has landed during the 2026 cycle and the fourth with at least a four-star ranking. He feels a huge need for the Hurricanes, who will have to replace both of their top pass rushers from 2025' national runner-up squad. 

Rueben Bain Jr., who had five sacks during Miami's College Football Playoff run, is widely regarded as one of the top defensive players in the 2026 NFL Draft. Bain's running mate, Akheem Mesidor, who actually led Miami with 12.5 sacks in 2025, is also off to the NFL. 

That means Wilson should step into a big role on Miami's defense immediately. He'll likely slot in alongside top returning EDGE Marquise Lightfoot, a former top-40 prospect that had 2.5 sacks off the bench, to offset the production left by Bain and Mesidor.