The Chicago to Miami pipeline via Kent State can continue if the Miami football team can sign Golden Flashes’ defensive lineman C.J. West Miami signed edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot and defensive tackle Justin Scott in the 2024 class out of Chicago. West is originally from the Chicago suburb of LaGrange Park.
West has 110 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, one pass defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 39 career games over four seasons at Kent State. West has one season of eligiblity remaining after playing in only three games during the 2022, COVID season.
West is the 287th-ranked overall transfer and the 30th DL in the 2024 portal. Over 10 schools offered West per his X account. Miami is expected to be in the mix for West. At 6’2 and 315 pounds, West would give Miami another experienced DT.
Miami previously added C.J. Clark from North Carolina State and Marley Cook from Middle Tennessee State as transfers in 2024. Miami also returns Jared Harrison-Hunte who has played in 41 games with 24 starts during his four seasons with Miami. Harrison-Hunte returns for his fifth season after starting 11 games in 2023.
On3 lists West as the 16th-best overall available transfer and second-best transfer DT. Clark is the 333rd overall transfer and 32 DT and Cook is the 147th ranked overall transfer and 14th DT in the 2024 cycle. West’s ability would fit in well with Clark and Cook based on where his is ranked as a transfer and at DT.
West has played eight career games versus Power Conference opponents in his career. The two best games for West versus Power Conference opponents were five tackles, 1.5 TFLs and one sack versus Texas A&M in 2021 and four tackles, one TFL and one sack in 2022. West has proven he can perform versus power conference opponents.
