Miami defensive tackle Ahmad Moten and offensive lineman Matthew McCoy were named Tuesday to the Outland Trophy watch list, giving the Hurricanes one candidate from each side of the line. The award recognizes the nation’s top interior lineman.
The Football Writers Association of America list includes 80 players. Miami is one of 13 schools with multiple selections and one of three ACC programs to place more than one player on the preseason list.
Moten returns after producing 31 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2025. Those numbers made him a disruptive interior presence, while his senior season asks for more responsibility. Miami lost Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor from the edges, so Moten must help create favorable situations for a rebuilt group around him.
The strongest part of his candidacy may be the combination of power and persistence. Interior linemen rarely receive a clean path to the quarterback. Moten can still affect a play by collapsing the pocket, forcing a back to redirect or occupying the help that opens a lane for a teammate. The Outland evaluation will include more than sacks.
McCoy represents the continuity Miami needs on offense. The Hurricanes rushed for 2,429 yards and 28 touchdowns last season while allowing 20 sacks. McCoy’s work helped an offense remain balanced through a playoff run.
His 2026 challenge changes with Darian Mensah at quarterback. Protection is not only an individual block. The line and quarterback must identify pressure, communicate a plan and adjust when the defense rotates after the cadence begins. McCoy’s experience can reduce the transition for the rest of the unit.
Miami also needs the line to preserve the identity that suits Mark Fletcher Jr. Fletcher is most dangerous when the offense creates movement and lets him finish runs behind his pads. A stable interior can keep the Hurricanes out of obvious passing downs and prevent Mensah from carrying every important possession.
Preseason watch lists create recognition without advancing a team toward its goals. Moten and McCoy will face different weekly evidence. Moten must defeat double-teams and finish plays. McCoy must protect a new quarterback and create a reliable path for the running game.
Availability will matter for both candidates. Interior line play accumulates contact, and neither unit can afford to build every solution around one player. Miami must manage camp repetitions carefully while still giving Moten and McCoy enough live work to sharpen technique and communication.
Miami can use both candidacies as a measure of its foundation. The Hurricanes are replacing prominent players and carrying another playoff expectation. An Outland-level performance from the middle of each line would make those transitions easier. The award list does not guarantee that outcome, but it identifies the two veterans best positioned to produce it.
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