Achim Messidor And reuben ben jrCan usually be found in one place, They first met on a trip to Miami in 2022 when Messidor was in the transfer portal and Ben was a sophomore in high school, Now teammates, they are inseparable, even if they are in the opposing backfield, ambushing the quarterback,
But the biggest debate between the two is who among them will reach the QB first.
“It’s always a quarterback race with me and Ruben,” Messidor said.
Inside Miami’s program, teammates and coaches say this is one of the fiercest rivalries to come in a row between the best pair of edge rushers in college football, the No. 2 (Benn) and No. 3 (Mesidor) defensive ends in Mel Kiper Jr.’s 2026 NFL Draft rankings.
At Miami’s Greentree practice facility, in team hotels, in the weight rooms, anything and everything is a competition with barely any separation between them, even their jersey numbers. For Messidor, who wears No. 3, and Benn, No. 4, it’s still about the two of them. Who practices first? Who remains out of the field at the latest? Who watches the most movies? Who works harder? Who saw higher GPS speeds in practice? Who did more reps in the weight room? Who was first in the stretch line?
“They’re definitely going to be troublesome,” the defensive back said. keyonte scottWhose interception and 72-yard touchdown return against Ohio State led the Hurricanes to a 24–14 victory in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Cotton Bowl. “You see the production on Saturdays, but you don’t see them slapping each other in the face and helmets. But to see them compete every day, how they push each other and the rest of the team, it’s very exciting.”
The ultra-competitive duo has fueled a Miami defensive line that has short-circuited opposing offenses in the playoffs. He combined for 10 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks (three by Bane) against Texas A&M. Messidor added 11 rushing yards, the second most ever in a CFP game, and Ben blocked a field goal.
“We can’t keep them away from us,” Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said.
He followed that clinic with a combined eight tackles – 3.5 tackles for loss – and 3 sacks against Ohio State.
This is exactly the kind of team Miami coach Mario Cristobal envisioned. The former Hurricane offensive lineman entered the profession as an O-line coach. His blueprint for rebuilding the Hurricanes started inside, with an emphasis on dominance on both sides of the line of scrimmage. He told his former boss Nick Saban during an ESPN interview that he has taken lessons from the dynastic coach. “You used to tell us all the time: ‘Mass kicks ass,'” Cristobal said.
Francis MauigoaMiami’s 6-foot-6, 335-pound All-America offensive tackle, who spars with both players in practice, describes them as equally powerful but with slight differences. “Bane, he’s skilled,” Mauigoa said. “Mesidore, she’s fast and playful.”
But they run their mouths the same way. Messidor and Benn work so hard to outdo each other, he said, and that benefits Mauigoa and the entire line. The offensive line has its toughest competition in practice. The Hurricanes rank ninth in FBS in sacks allowed, giving up only 1.07 per game.
“This is the best D-line we’ll be up against all year, especially from a pass-rush standpoint,” Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “We specialize in pass stopping. We sharpen our tools against guys who are really very talented at rushing.”
Bane arrived at Miami as the No. 69 prospect in the 2023 ESPN 300, the No. 7 defensive end nationally and the Hurricanes’ highest-rated defensive recruit in the class. At 305 he was already a legend after leading Miami Central to four state championships with 77 career sacks. He announced his arrival by becoming the 2023 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year with 44 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks and emerged as a vocal leader.
Messidor, meanwhile, comes from much more humble beginnings. As a high school player in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, he played linebacker, and went to a camp in Michigan to try to prove himself. During one-on-one practice, he lost three reps in a row, and his coach pulled him aside and told him if he lost one more, his linebacker was over.
“The following reps, I lost it,” Messidor said. “He sent me along the D-line and put my hand in the dirt. I never got it out.”
Messidor transferred to Clearwater Academy International in Florida for his senior year, significantly raising his profile with 92 tackles and 10 sacks and working himself into a four-star prospect by ESPN before signing with West Virginia. He was on the All-Big 12 second team his freshman year, but did not make the all-conference team as a sophomore. He transferred to Miami, then was informed that the Hurricanes were hiring former Miami Dolphins defensive back Jason Taylor to coach him. Messidor, who did not watch much football in Canada, was not impressed.
“I had said, ‘Who?’” he said, laughing. Then he looked him up on YouTube and realized he was a Hall of Famer. “Hey, he was a baller,” he said.
Taylor has coached sixth-year senior Messidor for four years now and Ben for three years. He said that both of them are extremely smart, but he can train them harder because they are constantly determined to outdo each other.
“They hang out together on the road. They work out together at home,” Taylor said. “They obviously work together on the hay. They eat together. Everything they do they do with each other. It’s always something. But they also get intense with it, and they start yelling sometimes. I think it’s the classic story of iron sharpening iron.”
This year, the 6-foot-3, 270-pound Bane was a consensus All-American, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and finished the regular season with 37 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception despite receiving extra attention from offensive lines, even earning Heisman discussion during the season. Messidor, 6-3 and 265 pounds, was first-team All-ACC with 46 tackles, 12 sacks and 4 forced fumbles despite playing one fewer games.
Together, they were second nationally among defensive end pairs in sacks (19) and pressures (119), behind Texas Tech. David Bailey And romello height,
Every spot in the weight room is a source of contention between Messidor and Ben. Except for the squat rack, where Messidor accepted the ban, which he said could allow him to lift up to 640 pounds. He said, “I would never put it on my back.”
But according to ESPN Research’s advanced metrics, Messidor has the edge over Benn in several categories:
• Pressing percentage: Messidor 14.3%, Benn 14.0%
• Time to first pressure: Messidor 2.66 seconds to Benn’s 2.71 seconds
• High-speed yards, or the total amount of distance a player travels at more than 16 mph: Messidor 118, Benn 83
• Maximum speed in mph: Messidor 18.0, Ben 16.3
Benn responded: “Our game science, they track explosive outbreaks and our player loads each game,” he said. “Every game I tell them I got higher.”
Both are considered first-round picks, except Auburn. Keldrick Fault Projected ahead of him on the defensive end. They are so close in many ways that competition has become a compulsion, Ben said. This is brother-sister rivalry. They are never comfortable. Never rest.
Scott said the pair’s intensity is contagious, fostering a culture of competition for the entire team. Mauigoa said they’ve also tried some new pass-rush moves on him recently that have surprised him. Cristobal said a big part of his legacy is the standard he set for young players with his tireless habits in practice or anywhere else.
“If we can somehow compete in the hotel, we will,” Ben said. “If you’re having fun, you’ll forget you’re competing. We don’t realize we’re getting better.”
Against Ole Miss in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET Thursday, ESPN), quarterback trinidad chamblis This is a true dual threat, a moving target for Bane and Messidor to keep an eye on.
Chambliss, who has rushed for 580 yards and 8 TDs this year, did not give up a single sack against Georgia, and survived the Bulldogs’ pass rush on several big plays in the 39–34 win, throwing for a career-high 362 yards and two touchdowns.
The Hurricanes know they will be ready for a fight. But then again, this is an every day thing in Miami. Mauigoa said he knew from experience that Messidor and Benn would run for Chambliss all night.
“You better be prepared,” he said. “We got two dogs that were coming after the quarterback ready to hunt him down.”
The moment was orchestrated by Bain, a Miami kid who grew up dreaming of restoring the Hurricanes to football royalty. On August 31, he and Messidor joined each other on the podium when, on the Irish’s last drive to preserve the win, they crushed No. 6 Notre Dame’s hopes with back-to-back sacks, possibly the resume-booster that propelled Miami to the CFP.
The pair foreshadowed this playoff run when they answered reporters’ questions together. He talked about staying up late at practice every day and working out with Taylor, going all-out in two-minute drills every day in the summer heat, staying up late at night and talking game strategy in group chats.
“When the lights come on, it’s cool outside, and the time is right, we go after it,” Messidor said. “All day 3 and 4.”
“All day long,” replied Ben.
Andrea Adelson and Jake Trotter contributed reporting.
