Miami hit a major win by adding Damon Wilson, who is seen as a player expected to elevate the Hurricanes’ pass rush in the 2026 season. As Mario Cristobal’s squad continues building toward an elite defensive unit, bringing in Wilson stands out as a crucial addition.
Why Damon Wilson Left Georgia Before Transferring to Miami
Wilson transferred to Miami through the portal after a strong 2025 season at Missouri, where he ranked third in the SEC with 9 sacks. Before his breakout year with the Tigers, he spent two seasons at Kirby Smart’s Georgia, and he opened up this week about why he decided to move on from the Bulldogs.
“I went to Georgia for two years,” Wilson said. “It didn’t go as planned, you know, got better, everything, but… Your boy wanted to pass for us, so he had to go to.”
Wilson was also asked about his role there and spoke honestly about his usage on defense, noting that his responsibilities at Georgia involved a significant amount of pass coverage, which prompted his transfer to Missouri, where he tallied 9 sacks and earned second-team All-SEC honors.
Wilson’s arrival at Miami comes at a crucial time after the Hurricanes lost their elite edge-rushing tandem of Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to the NFL Draft. Wilson himself acknowledged that gap, citing the departure of Miami’s top edge rushers as a key reason for his decision to join the program.
Bain and Mesidor were dominant for Miami in 2025, combining for over 110 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and 22 sacks. Bain finished his Hurricanes career with 20.5 sacks and 33.5 TFLs before being drafted No. 15 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Mesidor led the ACC with 12.5 sacks and added 17.5 tackles for loss in 2025 before going No. 22 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Wilson believes he can step into a similar impact role in Miami’s defense.
“I just know that I’m able to do the same thing, and just having to coach like him, he’s gonna do everything he can to get me into position, where I want to be next year, and knowing that those two guys did it, I just know it’s possible,” Wilson said after the spring game.
“I think it really just comes down to the effort and just, you know, learning more just the detailed strikes, shed, release, known just be a past rush should be a complete football player, and so, all the little things, as I said, it is really important to me right now, and just find detailing and just fine-tuning everything.”
Wilson mostly played defensive end in the 2025 season, finishing with 23 tackles and 54 pressures. He earned a 79.9 score in the PFSN College Football EDGE Impact Metric, ranking 36th nationally. He now joins a retooled Miami edge group that also includes Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount.
