Akheem Mesidor is an edge rusher and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his final three seasons at the University of Miami after beginning his college career at West Virginia. A native of Canada who grew up playing soccer before discovering football, Mesidor was a three-star recruit in the 2020 class who committed to West Virginia, where he earned Freshman All-American and second-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2020 before contributing again in 2021 with a combined 70 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks over his two seasons in Morgantown. He transferred to Miami in 2022 and posted 38 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention before a foot injury ended his 2023 season after three games and required surgery. He rebounded in 2024 with a rotation role and another Honorable Mention nod before his complete senior season in 2025, when he started all 13 games, recorded 63 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles while generating a 92.5 PFF pass-rush grade ranked seventh nationally as Miami reached the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Standing approximately 6 feet 3 inches and 259 to 265 pounds, Mesidor is one of the most technically refined and tooled-up pass rushers in the class, with a move set that includes arm-overs, cross-chops, club-rips, bull rushes, push-pulls, and swims that he sequences with elite mid-rush adjustments and chain reactions that keep offensive tackles consistently off-balance. He bursts upfield with an elite snap timer, wins with bend inside contact, and brings a competitive toughness that evaluators describe as one of the highest-motor players in the class. The primary knock against him is age, as he will be 25 before being drafted after spending six years in college football, and his injury history involving foot surgeries at two programs introduces medical scrutiny. His run defense, while adequate for a three-down player, is not elite given his size. He projects as a late first to early second-round selection with legitimate starter potential as a hybrid edge-interior pass rusher in multiple defensive fronts.
