Ahmad Moten Sr. and Justin Scott both landed among PFF’s 10 highest-graded returning ACC defensive tackles, giving Miami two of the league’s most respected interior defenders entering 2026.
Kamdyn Burton of CanesInSight reported Thursday that Moten ranked third with a 77.6 grade and Scott ranked seventh at 74.1. The placements evaluate their 2025 work and establish an external baseline for a Miami front replacing elite production on the edges.
Moten recorded 31 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 14 games. Scott made 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and one sack across 15 appearances, adding a forced fumble and a pass breakup. The numbers show different stages of the same partnership: Moten became the established finisher, while Scott expanded the disruptive flashes that made him a five-star prospect.
Michael Schiffman of State of The U added useful pressure context, crediting Moten with 20 quarterback pressures and Scott with 16. Those plays matter because an interior defender can win a snap without recording the tackle. A forced step, hurried throw or closed running lane can deliver the ball to a teammate.
The ranking also captures why Miami’s defensive line rebuild is not a complete reset. Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor left for the NFL after driving the pass rush from the edges. Damon Wilson II, Marquise Lightfoot and Armondo Blount can compete for that production, but the returning tackles give Corey Hetherman a stable center while those roles develop.
Offenses cannot solve both players with the same double-team. If a guard and center devote their combination to Moten, Scott receives a better chance to attack the opposite gap. If protection slides toward Scott after he creates early penetration, Moten can isolate a blocker. Their value grows when each makes the other expensive to help against.
Scott’s late-season improvement makes the pairing especially important. He posted 2.5 tackles for loss against Virginia Tech and followed with five tackles at Pittsburgh. Those games suggested that his production was catching up to his physical profile as the competition became more meaningful. A full season at that level would make seventh look like a starting point.
Moten faces the opposite challenge. He will not surprise opponents after earning second-team All-ACC honors and national preseason attention. Teams can build protections around him, use quick passes and run away from his alignment. His grade can improve even if the raw sack total does not, provided he continues to defeat blocks and creates clean opportunities for Scott and the linebackers.
PFF grades are one evaluation, not an official conference order. They depend on snap-by-snap judgments that can differ from a coach’s assignment. The rankings remain useful because they compare far more than the most visible statistics. Having two Miami tackles in the top seven indicates that last season’s production was not carried solely by the departed edge stars.
The next measurement will be how the duo handles a larger share of the attention. Miami can rotate Jarquez Carter, Keona Davis and other interior options to preserve their legs, but critical downs will often begin with Moten and Scott together. If their pressure totals rise while the run fits remain sound, the Hurricanes can rebuild the outside without surrendering the identity of the entire front.
Thursday’s ranking rewards what both players already put on film. It also defines the opportunity. Moten can turn a breakout year into national status, and Scott can turn promise into a complete season. Miami needs both trajectories if its defensive line is going to remain a strength rather than a memory of the 2025 roster.
Comments