Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 27 Branson Deen
No. 50 Miami DT Thomas Gore … No. 49 Malik Curtis … No. 48 Kaleb Spencer … No. 47 Ahmad Moten … No. 46 Jaden Harris … No. 45 Logan Sagapolu … No. 44 Markeith Williams … No. 43 Frank Ladson … No. 42 Chris Graves … No. 41 Keontra Smith … No. 40 Robby Washington … No. 39 Emory Williams … No. 38 Jacurri Brown … No. 37 Brashard Smith … No. 36 Terry Roberts … No. 35 Samson Okunlola … No. 34 Dylan Joyce … No. 33 Jared Harrison-Hunte … No. 32 Jaleel Skinner … No. 31 Corey Flagg … No. 30 Ray Ray Joseph … No. 29 Don Chaney … No. 28 Anez Cooper
CaneSport is breaking down the top 50 post-spring players on the roster, a list that doesn’t include any post-spring roster additions. Today we break down No. 27, Branson Deen.
NO. 27 MIAMI DT BRANSON DEEN
Why he’s No. 27
The Miami Hurricanes needed help on the defensive interior with the transfers of starter Darrell Jackson and backup Jordan Miller. UM seems to have found at worst a solid depth guy and perhaps the guy who will start opposite Leonard Taylor in Branson Deen, who transferred from Purdue in January. Deen was with the first team this spring and while he’s undersized at 6-2 and 285 pounds he has the burst, quickness and strength to be a difference-making tackle. Deen had 27 tackles for the Boilermakers last season with 4 TFL and 2.5 sacks along with 4 QB hurries. In 2021 he was All-Big Ten honorable mention after starting 11 games and finishing with 26 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 4 sacks and 4 QB hurries. He has played in 31 career games and has 72 total tackles with 15.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks. So he has the requisite experience and enough talent to make an impact.
What he needs to do to move up this list
Deen is a solid player but hasn’t really flashed at that next level you want to see in a dominant tackle. This past season he graded out at a solid 74.2 on defense (70 is considered a good grade), including 66.1 on run defense, a subpar 41.7 tackling (8 missed tackles in 492 reps) and 78.1 as a pass rusher (credited with 25 QB hurries per PFF). In 2021 he got his most action with 554 reps, and he graded out at 68.6 overall (64.3 run defense, 46.5 tackling, 71.7 pass rush). In 318 reps in 2020 he had a 68.8 grade (71.5 run defense, 79.5 tackling, 60.6 pass rush), and in 202 reps in 2019 he had a 52.3 grade (48.6 run defense, 27.3 tackling, 59.9 pass rush). So he hasn’t really starred, bust has been very capable at a major program. Now the question is if the change of scenery and a new defense under Lance Guidry can get him to that level where he can be a double-digit TFL guy.
Realistic season objective
Deen has the inside track to start opposite Leonard Taylor right now, but DEs Akheem Mesidor and freshman Rueben Bain are also going to get some tackle reps, and the team also added Anthony Campbell from Louisiana-Monroe in the most recent portal window and he could play end or tackle. So this fall camp will really determine Deen’s rep count. But as of now we see him as the likely starter, and other tackles competing along with the above are fellow transfer Thomas Gore and returners Jared Harrison-Hunte (coming off injury), Jacob Lichtenstein, Ahmad Moten and true freshman Joshua Horton. Assuming Deen does start somewhere in the neighborhood of three sacks and five or six TFL seems about right. He hasn’t really shown that explosiveness to be a consistent guy making plays in the offensive backfield to this point.
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