The Miami Dolphins have been busy this week making several moves, both on the 53-man roster and the practice squad, but they might not be done.
The Dolphins worked out three players — all interior defensive linemen Wednesday, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.
The three players are Nick Thurman, Jack Heflin and Jerrod Clark.
Thurman has the most experience of the three, having played 34 NFL games with five starts since 2020, two years after he signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent. He played nine games with four starts for the Carolina Panthers this season, recording 19 tackles, including one for loss, before being waived two weeks ago.
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Heflin has appeared in six regular season games over the past three seasons, with the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints. Heflin hasn’t played this season after being waived by the Saints on August 27.
Clark has never appeared in an NFL game since joining the Los Angeles Chargers as a rookie free agent in 2023.
Keep in mind that the workouts simply could have been a matter of keeping players on file in case a need develops.
The Dolphins currently have five defensive linemen on the active roster with Calais Campbell, Zach Sieler, Benito Jones, Da’Shawn Hand and Neil Farrell, plus two more on the practice squad (Shakel Brown and Matt Dickerson).
Additional reading:
— Dolphins Make Eye-Opening Roster Move
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— Wilkins Missing Out on Dolphins Reunion
— Dolphins Bring Back Rookie to Practice Squad
— Dolphins Getting Veteran Offensive Lineman Back at Practice
Miami Heat (4-6, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (5-6, fifth in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Friday, 7 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -3.5; over/under is 230.5
BOTTOM LINE: Miami faces the Indiana Pacers after Tyler Herro scored 40 points in the Heat’s 123-121 overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Indiana went 47-35 overall and 32-20 in Eastern Conference action last season. The Pacers averaged 7.7 steals, 5.9 blocks and 12.3 turnovers per game last season.
Miami went 46-36 overall and 32-20 in Eastern Conference play during the 2023-24 season. The Heat averaged 7.5 steals, 3.4 blocks and 11.8 turnovers per game last season.
INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: day to day (ankle), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (knee), Isaiah Jackson: out (calf), James Wiseman: out (calf).
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Heat: Jimmy Butler: day to day (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
When it rains, it pours. Just a day after the USC football program was placed on NCAA probation and fined $50,000, the Trojans took another hit with on the recruiting front.
On Wednesday morning, USC’s four-star defensive lineman commit Hayden Lowe told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he flipped his commitment from the Trojans to the Miami Hurricanes. This comes days after USC head coach Lincoln Riley visited Lowe during his Friday night game this past weekend.
Oaks Christian edge Hayden Lowe posing for a photo at Miami. / Hayden Lowe/X
It’s a tough loss for the Trojans who have been looking to retool their defensive front with the addition of USC co-defensive coordinators Eric Henderson and D’Anton Lynn.
Lowe’s decision to play for Miami was in part to work with Miami defensive ends coach and six-time Pro Bowler Jason Taylor.
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“In order to be the best, you have to be coached by the best and someone that has actually went through what you’re going through,” Lowe said about Taylor to On3. “So, I feel like nobody in college football has that power to instill what you want other than Jason Taylor — because he’s gone through it. He’s been against the best of the best. He’s gone through all the struggles, he’s won games, he’s won Super Bowls, holds records. There’s no other coach on the planet that can really give you the information that he can.”
Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote that Lowe has all the tools and size to be one of the best edge rushers in the class of 2025.
“Lowe is one of the top edge rushers in the ’25 class. He has a prototype 6-4, 240 pound frame…is a plus athlete and shows the ability to play just about anywhere along the defensive line. He’s a naturally strong kid who can take on double teams…he’s equally strong playing the run or rushing the quarterback…he hails from the same program that produced former Oregon and NY Giant 1st round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux and his coaches at Oaks feel his upside is just as high,” Biggins wrote.
Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) scrambles out of the pocket against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images
It’s a big loss to say the least for the Trojans as USC saw their 2025 recruiting class drop in rankings according to 247Sports. The Trojans dropped from having a top 10 class, sitting at No. 10, dropping to No. 12 after the loss of Lowe.
USC loses one of their highest rated defensive prospects with Lowe flipping. It’s been a tough week for USC off the field, not only did Lowe announce his flip to the Hurricanes, but multiple recruiting sites have pegged predicitions for the Men of Troy to lose their crown jewel of their 2025 recruiting class in quarterback commit Julian Lewis.
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On3’s Steve Wiltfong and 247Sports’ Tom Loy both put in predictions over the past week indicating that Lewis, a Trojan commit, could end up flipping to Colorado.
Georgia is set to host elite QBs and flip targets for its showdown against Tennessee, headlined by USC commit Julian Lewis and Vols 4-star WR commit Travis Smith🐶
News also broke Wednesday morning that Lewis would end up taking a visit to Georgia this week. The Trojans have had a bad season on the field and the results are translating off the field with Lewis having a wandering eye for other schools and Lowe decommitting.
The Trojans must rally to end the season to bring back more confidence from the recruiting end and if USC can piece together a positive three game stretch to end the season vs. Nebraska, UCLA, and Notre Dame.
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MORE: Nebraska Starting Quarterback vs. USC? Dylan Raiola Injury Update
While the Miami Dolphins are concentrating on making a run for the playoffs this season, it is never too early to start thinking about the 2025 NFL draft.
The Dolphins have area scouts on the road, attending various college games and visiting campuses to evaluate the best for 2025.
USA Today has come out with its latest first-round mock draft Wednesday.
Writer Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz based his mock draft on the draft order based on the current standings, and the Dolphins currently would have the 10th selection with their 3-6 record. With that 10th overall pick, Middlehurst-Schwartz projected safety Malaki Starks from the University of Georgia going to the Dolphins.
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Part of his reasoning is Jevon Holland is a pending free agent, as are fellow safeties Jorday Poyer, Marcus Mayes and Elijah Campbell.
“While the NFL hasn’t had a safety selected in the top 10 since Jamal Adams went sixth overall in 2017, Starks should earn consideration to go early on Day 1 as a do-it-all defender who constantly puts himself in position to make big plays,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote.
Starks has 31 tackles this season, one interception, and one pass broken up. His statistics are down this season compared to the last two seasons when he was involved in more passes broken up and had more interceptions.
Starks had one of his best games against then-ranked No. 1 Texas when he had seven tackles and led the Bulldogs to a 30-15 upset victory in Austin.
The Dolphins’ only safety under contract for 2025 is rookie sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris, who was placed on injured reserve on August 29 but began practicing again last week.
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