Akheem Mesidor injury update: Mario Cristobal breaks down how close Miami DE is to return

The Miami Hurricanes were without edge rusher Akheem Mesidor for their win over Stanford on Saturday. This came after the star defender suffered a foot injury during their Friday night loss to Louisville on October 17th.

Head coach Mario Cristobal had hoped to get Akheem Mesidor back for the Stanford game, and he had been listed as a game-time decision. However, after diving into the situation with the medical staff, Cristobal and the Hurricanes held him out of the game.

“We felt Akheem was really close,” Mario Cristobal said. “We felt all week he was gonna be there, and then sometimes you can present yourself with an opportunity to play a player, and then the medical staff has to calculate what type of risk is involved. Can we set him back? Is this a guy who can be a full-speed player with another couple of days?”

Akheem Mesidor had been seen in a walking boot during the week leading up to the game. That was after he had left but returned to the Louisville game to play through the injury. Prior to the game, he would also participate in warmups. Clearly, not feeling 100 percent, it was better for the Hurricanes to hold him out rather than risking he aggravate something that could take a short term injury and make it a long term concern.

“So, the assessment was made as well as the decision,” Cristobal said. “It was the right thing for both Akheem and the team.”

Ultimately, Cristobal’s team would be fine against Stanford. The Hurricanes went on to win the game against Stanford 42-7, bouncing back from the loss to Louisville nicely. The Cardinal gained just 144 total yards on the game on 2.7 yards per play. That included 55 rushing yards and 89 passing yards. Miami also had two sacks during the game, credited to Xavier Lucas and Armondo Blount.

Akheem Mesidor was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2020. He had been the 537th-ranked player overall and the 39th-ranked edge rusher in that recruiting cycle, originally going to West Virginia. Mesidor spent two seasons at West Virginia before transferring to Miami where he’s now in his fourth season. The 2020 season didn’t count toward anyone’s eligibility, and he used a redshirt in 2023 after only playing in three games, allowing him to get to six college seasons.

In six games this season, Akheem Mesidor has 28 total tackles and 5.0 tackles for a loss. That includes 3.5 sacks. It’s made for a college career where he has appeared in 56 games and has 173 total tackles, including 40.0 tackles for a loss and 26.5 sacks.

Mario Cristobal and Miami will hope to have Akheem Mesidor back and fully healthy next Saturday. They’ll be on the road for that game, preparing for a tough road test against SMU.