Hurricanes Tie for Fourth in Players Drafted

PITTSBURGH – Three Miami Hurricanes were selected on the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft Saturday, bringing the University of Miami’s total to nine drafted players by the conclusion of the annual event.

Defensive back Keionte Scott (fourth round, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), offensive lineman Anez Cooper (sixth round, New York Jets) and wide receiver CJ Daniels (sixth round, Los Angeles Rams) were all picked Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

Scott was selected No. 116 overall, Cooper was tabbed with the No. 188 selection and Daniels was picked at No. 197.

That trio joined Francis Mauigoa (New York Giants), Rueben Bain, Jr. (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Akheem Mesidor (Los Angeles Chargers), Carson Beck (Arizona Cardinals), Markel Bell (Philadelphia Eagles) and Jakobe Thomas (Minnesota Vikings) as Miami Hurricanes draftees.

Miami’s nine draft picks were the most for the program since 2017 and tied for the third-most among any program in the nation.

Scott was one of the Hurricanes’ top defensive playmakers in his lone season at Miami, earning second-team All-ACC honors. The San Diego native, who was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award honoring the nation’s top defensive back, was fifth on the team with 64 total tackles and added 13 tackles for loss, five sacks and two interceptions.

A four-year starter on the offensive line during his career with the Hurricanes, Cooper anchored a unit that was named to the Joe Moore Award honor roll three straight seasons as one of the top-performing groups in the country. Cooper was a second-team All-ACC selection in his final year and made 46 career starts on the offensive line.

In his only season with the Hurricanes, Daniels was one of Miami’s top offensive contributors. Daniels ranked third on the team in catches (50) and receiving yards (557) and recorded seven touchdowns. He started 12 games and ended his career with a four-catch, 62-yard game against Indiana in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.