Miami Hurricanes to add another defensive player from the transfer portal
The University of Miami’s second defensive line transfer for 2022 will arrive in Coral Gables on Tuesday to begin the final year of his collegiate career.
UAB’s 6-4, 240-pound Antonio Moultrie, who in 2021 played outside linebacker as a pass-rusher and before that as a defensive tackle, already earned his undergraduate degree in communications and confirmed to the Miami Herald on Monday night that he is now a Hurricane.
“On my visit [Jan. 11] to Miami they just made it feel real fun, made it feel like home,’’ Moultrie said. “Everywhere we went, whoever we visited, it felt like home. There was good energy there, nothing but smiles.
“When we first got dropped off from breakfast at the hotel, all the coaches were standing by the dorms and began to applaud and cheer. They made me feel like a priority. Everything about Mario Cristobal and that staff is nice. That type of energy makes you want to play for coaches like that.’’
Moultrie, from Pensacola, told the Herald he can play defensive tackle and end, and plans to put on the 20 to 25 pounds he lost when he transitioned to outside linebacker. Former UM starting defensive tackles Nesta Silvera recently announced his transfer to Arizona State, and the Hurricanes also no longer have former tackle Jon Ford and ends Zach McCloud and Deandre Johnson.
According to UAB’s statistics, Moultrie was third in tackles in 2021 with 55, and had eight tackles for loss, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Moultrie graduated from Pensacola West Florida High in 2016 and attended Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2017 before playing in four games as a UAB sophomore in 2018, and then all 14 games as a redshirt sophomore with two starts for the Blazers in 2019 (20 tackles).
Moultrie’s younger brother Antarrius is a linebacker at FAU.
In 2020, Antonio was named named second-team All-Conference USA after starting eight of his nine games and ranking fifth on the team with 33 tackles, including a career-high nine in the C-USA Championship game at Marshall. He also had an interception.
He joins 6-6, 270-pound former Southern Cal lineman Jacob Lichtenstein — a graduate of Weston Cypress Bay High School in Broward County — as the other defensive lineman who announced last month on social media that he is transferring to Miami. Lichtenstein.
Lichtenstein, in the recruiting Class of 2017, mostly played defensive tackle this past season in 12 games, with 28 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks. He has two years of eligibility remaining, but already earned his bachelor’s degree and was working on a master’s degree in sociology at USC.
UM also has gotten wide receiver Frank Ladson and running back Henry Parrish as recent transfers.
All-ACC Academic
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday that the following four Hurricanes were named to the All-ACC Academic Football Team: punter Lou Hedley, offensive lineman Zion Nelson, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and offensive lineman Jarrid Williams.
Hedley, a second-team All-ACC honoree this past season, is earning his master’s degree in liberal studies. Nelson, who majors in computer science, started all 12 games on the offensive line for the Hurricanes last season and earned All-ACC Honorable Mention recognition.
Van Dyke, the ACC’s Rookie of the Year, is majoring in real estate. And Williams earned his master’s degree in liberal studies after transferring to Miami from Houston.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
