Miami Hurricanes Add Versatile Nebraska Defensive Lineman Keona Davis

The Miami Hurricanes are seeking transfer portal help at defensive end and tackle this year given that the team is losing starting DEs Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor plus DT David Blay. On top of that, DT Ahmad Moten is weighing his pro options, although the likelihood is he remains at Miami.

A new commit that can help the Canes at both end and tackle?

That’s Nebraska sophomore defensive lineman Keona Davis. He visited Miami Jan. 15 and now has chosen the Canes. Davis is a valuable addition with the size and strength to play tackle and the quickness for his 6-2, 275-pound frame to be a physical end.

He has two years of eligibility remaining after appearing in 12 of Nebraska’s 13 games his freshman year and all 13 games his sophomore year, including 12 starts in the 2025 season. He was widely regarded as one of the better pieces on the Cornhuskers’ defensive line and led all Nebraska defensive linemen in tackles.

Davis recorded 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one pass breakup this past season. His 405 defensive snaps were third among Nebraska’s defensive linemen this year behind Williams Nwaneri’s 463 and Elijah Jeudy’s 464. He also recorded 10 quarterback pressures.

Davis took 192 snaps as a defensive tackle, six snaps at nose tackle, 116 snaps lined up against offensive tackles, 46 snaps lined up outside of offensive tackles and three snaps where he more generally roamed the box. He only committed one penalty this and 186 snaps were in a run defense role.

Davis also intended to enter the transfer portal last season but ultimately returned to the Cornhuskers after being one of their more promising defensive linemen as a true freshman.

This year he recorded a season-high seven tackles in their Nov. 8 game against UCLA, and he had a 70.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade and a 78.1 tackle performance grade. Davis started five games at defensive left tackle, five games at defensive right tackle and one game each at left end and right end, per PFF. His only appearance off the bench came against Penn State in Week 13.

The Rivals Transfer Portal Ranking lists Davis as the No. 69 interior defensive lineman in the transfer portal but currently the 18th-highest uncommitted defensive lineman. He has a player grade of 87 as a transfer and held a player grade of 87.88 as a high school recruit. He was once committed to UCLA but flipped to Nebraska late in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

With so much unproven talent at the position for Miami (the main DL returners along with potentially Moten are DT Justin Scott and rotation DE Marquise Lightfoot plus DE/DT Armondo Blount), it made sense for the Hurricanes to add proven interior defensive linemen plus some depth at end.

With Davis, they get both.