Mario Cristobal landed a vital piece his defensive frontline for next season, reeling in Louisiana Tech defensive lineman transfer David Blay after his visit. Blay, who is ranked No. 44 overall in the Rivals Portal rankings, picked the Canes over Penn State and USC.

The 6-foot-4, 303-pound prospect will have one year of eligibility remaining on South Beach.

Blay was dominant this season, posting 46 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss, plus 12 quarterback pressures and 6.5 sacks en route to being named First Team All Conference USA.

That should help to elevate the Canes defensive numbers next season after finishing tied for sixth in the ACC with 35 sacks this season.

He’ll have the opportunity to step in and contribute right away with the loss of CJ Clark, Marley Cook and Simeon Barrow.

Stay locked in on the Rivals Transfer Tracker to keep up with the latest transfer news, portal entries, commitments, and rankings. For a deep-dive into the transfer portal, make sure you visit the Rivals Transfer Search page.

The Rivals Transfer Portal X account is a must-follow for any college football fan.

The winter college football transfer portal window is scheduled to open on December 9th, 2024 for 20 days. Additionally, players have a 30-day window to transfer when their head coach leaves. There is also a five-day window for players to transfer after their team has finished postseason play. A 10-day transfer window will open on April 16th as well.