University of Miami Athletics
46

Baraka Atkins

position

Defensive Line

Height

6-4

Weight

264 lbs.

Class

Junior

Hometown

Sarasota, Fla.

High School

Booker HS

CAREER: Personable defensive lineman who has moved back to defensive end after splitting his first three seasons between both defensive tackle and end…Will also play inside on occasion…All-Conference candidate has started 35 games the last three seasons…Has a potent pass rush and big-play ability, as evidenced by his 14 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss in three seasons…His 14 sacks leads all returning players…Graduated in 2005 with a degree in business management and is pursuing a second degree in marketing…Father is the mayor of Sarasota, Fla.

2005 (JUNIOR): Starting defensive tackle…Played in all 12 games, missing one start after returning from a knee injury…Finished the season ranked seventh on the team with 50 tackles (25 solo), five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups and six QB pressures…Got his first half-sack in the season opener at Florida State, adding three tackles (two solo) and one QB pressure…Did not start the second game at Clemson because of a sprained knee, but played most of the game and made two solo tackles…Returned to the starting lineup vs. Colorado and made seven tackles and one tackle for loss…Notched seven more tackles a week later vs. South Florida…Tallied four tackles and a sack vs. Duke in Game 5…Made seven tackles and two QB pressures at Temple on Oct. 15…Tallied seven tackles and a pass breakup vs. North Carolina…Made two tackles and a QB pressure in the 27-7 upset at Virginia Tech…Registered five tackles and one QB pressure at Wake Forest, then added four tackles and a pass breakup vs. Georgia Tech…In the season finale vs. Virginia, made one tackle for a loss…Finished the season in the Peach Bowl vs. Louisiana State with one tackle and one pass defensed.

2004 (SOPHOMORE): Started all 12 games at both defensive end (eight games) and defensive tackle (last four games)…Recorded 33 total tackles (15 solo), including nine tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks…Forced two fumbles, one of which he returned for a touchdown…Added one pass breakup and had a team-high 19 QB pressures…Voted honorable mention All-ACC…Had stellar game in the season opener vs. FSU when he made three tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack of Chris Rix, two QB pressures, one pass breakup and one forced fumble…A week later vs. Louisiana Tech, made a sack and forced a fumble that led to a touchdown…In season’s third game at Houston, returned a fumble 52 yards for his first collegiate touchdown…On Nov. 6 vs. Clemson, made his first start of the season at defensive tackle and recorded two tackles, one sack and one QB pressure…Made season-high seven tackles and a half-sack on Dec. 3 vs. Virginia Tech…Ended the season in the Peach Bowl vs. Florida with four tackles and one sack.

2003 (FRESHMAN): Started 12 of the teams 13 games…Earned third-team Freshman All-America honors by The Sporting News…Recorded 43 total tackles (22 solo), including 6.5 tackles for a loss, and five sacks…Also registered a team-high three forced fumbles…Responsible for 16 quarterback hurries…Had four assisted tackles and one tackle for minus-3 yards and five QB pressures in the season opener…Made eight total tackles against Florida, including five solo stops and one sack…Logged two solo tackles, three assists and forced a fumble against East Carolina, adding his second sack of the season and one QB hurry…Made two solo tackles, one assist and forced a fumble at Boston College. Registered two sacks for minus-15 yards, his third and fourth sacks of the season…Did not play due to injury against West Virginia…Returned against Florida State to record four tackles, including two solo stops, one forced fumble and two QB hurries…Had one assisted tackle and two QB pressures against Temple…Made four tackles in a loss at Virginia Tech…Had one assisted tackle against Tennessee…Logged six solo tackles and one assist against Syracuse…Made three tackles against Rutgers, broke up one pass and had three QB hurries…Registered two solo tackles against Pittsburgh…Had one assist against Florida State in the Orange Bowl victory.

2002 (REDSHIRT): Sat out the year with a redshirt season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Booker HS (Sarasota)…Widely regarded as one of the nation’s top defensive end prospects…Played mainly strongside defensive end in high school…Rated the nation’s No. 14 defensive end by TheInsiders.com and the No. 32 player in Florida by SuperPrep…Rated the No. 4 defensive lineman in Florida and the No. 36 player in the state by Florida Prep Football…Ranked the No. 5 defensive lineman and No. 35 player in the state by Florida Kids…Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100…First-team Class 5A all-state selection as a senior, when he recorded 78 tackles and 25 sacks, forced four fumbles, recovered four fumbles (returned one for a TD)…As a junior, returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, adding 79 tackles and eight sacks…Was named the defensive MVP of the UM summer camp in June 2001…Also lettered in track and basketball…Participated in the CaliFlorida All-Star game, where he scored the only defensive touchdown…Coached by Eli Rasheed.

BARAKA ATKINS’ CAREER STATISTICS

    TACKLES FUMBLES
  Year GP/GS TT UT AT TFL QBH Sacks FF FR PBU Int
  2002 Did not play – Medical redshirt
  2003 12/12 43 22 21 6.5-32 16 5.0-27 3 0 1 0-0
  2004 12/12 33 15 18 9-41 19 6.5-43 2 1 1 0-0
  2005 12/11 50 25 25 5-8 6 2.5-4 0 0 4 0-0
  Totals 36/35 126 62 64 20.5-81 41 14.0-74 5 1 6 0-0

Additional Note: Scored touchdown on 52-yard fumble recovery in 2004 at Houston

BARAKA ATKINS’ CAREER HIGHS
Total tackles
8 (vs. Florida 2003)
Solo 5 (vs. Florida 2003)
Assists 7 (vs. Virginia Tech 2004)
Sacks 2 (vs. East Carolina 2003)