Jacob Lichtenstein: 6 to 8 DL will rotate into Miami games, and up to 25 players on D can be considered starters

When Jacob Lichtenstein arrived at Miami in January as a USC transfer, the thought was he could help the team at end and tackle. As it’s turned out? He’s a defensive tackle. And the veteran sixth-year redshirt senior will be in the rotation.

He’s impressed this fall and is excited to show what he can do to help this team.

“We’re putting in the effort, relying on each other,” Lichtenstein said. “We’re just building that chemistry every day. I might be with (Antonio) Moultrie on one series and the next with Darrell Jackson, and we’re learning to play with each other. Coach Joe (Salave’a) is really big on that, learning how to play with another guy.”

Other key tackles that will play their part along with Jackson (a Maryland transfer) and Moultrie (a UAB transfer) are returners Leonard Taylor and Jared Harrison-Hunte.

So this is some depth on the interior … and also at end with a group of talented players there as well.

“I could definitely say I’ve never played on a D line so deep before,” Lichtenstein said. “It’s so much competition and we’re all progressing, pushing each other to get better.

“Coach (Kevin) Steele always talks about there’s not 11 starters, there’s 20, 25 starters especially with the D line. … Even if we put out the starting depth chart and there are 11 guys starting, he plans to rotate in a bunch of guys and have 22 to 25 guys who he can just put in without a second thought and know there are  not going to be any busts.

“Some of the best D lines nowadays how the college landscape is with a lot of hurry up offense, trying to tire out the D line, we’re going to probably rotate a bunch of guys, six to eight.  I’m not sure how many, but a lot are going to play.”

Lichtenstein also points to the Miami offensive line as helping in the defensive front’s progress. Going against them makes them all better on D.

“I think really highly of this offensive line,” Lichtenstein said. “It’s five guys that work really good in unison together. The tackle knows exactly where the guard is going to be and the guard knows exactly where the center is going to be and they are in tune with each other.”

Lichtenstein’s background? Well he redshirted in 2017 with the Trojans, then in 2018 started twice and played in 11 games, finishing with 15 tackles, two for losses. In 2019 he sat out due to a knee injury and had hernia surgery after the season, then in 2020 opted out of the first four games before returning for the final two, but he didn’t see any action. This past season he played primarily defensive tackle and had 28 tackles, six for loss, with four sacks. A 4-star out of Weston (Fla.) Cypress Bay High School, he was never offered by Miami.

But now he’s a Hurricane and is fired up to get the season underway.

“We’re all going to get our time on the field, it’s more of a team mindset,” Lichtenstein said. “We know we’re all going to play.”

Last year at USC he had a solid 65.2 grade on defense last year per Pro Football Focus (66.7 pass rush, 60.9 run defense). He plans to improve on all facets of his game, and part of that was the work he put in this offseason. Lichtenstein says he improved his bench press by 30 pounds, his squat 50 and his power clean 20.

“You go hard every day, you’re going to play,” Lichtenstein said. “We trust in that.”

Lichtenstein has been part of college football for several years now. He knows what it should look like. And he likes what he’s seeing at Miami.

“I’d say we’ve made a lot of progress toward mastering the playbook, knowing the ins and outs, where we can take chances and rely on our technique,” Lichtenstein said. “That’s helped a lot and made us all more confident in our play.

“Something that’s great about having so many good dudes around you – it’s not like a bunch of dudes who never played came and transferred here. We all have experience, are excited to compete every day and go against a great O line. It’s getting us better every day.”

*Asked about the progress of Taylor, Lichtenstein said, “He’s explosive, a young buck, has a lot to learn but physically he’s there. Once it all clicks for him, I don’t even know what to say.  He has so much potential it’s scary.”

Lichtenstein added of Harrison-Hunte that “He’s super quick, nimble for his size. He has great footwork, a basketball background and that shows up. We have some dudes. I’m excited.”

* How is the coaching different here vs. his previous stop?

“Everybody is on the same page,” Lichtenstein said. “The coordinator and position coaches, everybody is just in tune with each other. I’ve been at USC and the D coordinator will tell you something and the D line coach will coach you up a different way, tell you a different assignment on a play and it’s just confusing. But that doesn’t happen here. Everyone is in tune with each other and they get the stuff communicated well.”