Dolphins welcome former Miami Hurricane to rookie minicamp for tryout

The Miami Dolphins’ influx of talent may have yielded a more physically gifted football team than each of the last two years, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the Dolphins, under the direction of general manager Chris Grier, are going to retire their old ways of turning over stones. Miami’s rebuilding process has been boosted by the team’s willingness to look in unconventional places, including the waiver wire, for the right talent fits for this team.

Undrafted free agency has yielded some fair results, too — Preston Williams and Nik Needham are notable contributors to the team and both were 2019 UDFAs. And while Miami added a handful of UDFAs from this year’s class to the roster, they’ve also gone back to the 2020 NFL draft cycle to welcome a former Miami Hurricane into the mix for this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins are hosting former Hurricanes defensive lineman Chigozie Nnoruka at this weekend’s minicamp on a tryout basis.

Nnoruka, who transferred to the Hurricanes program for the 2019 season after spending time in UCLA with the Bruins, logged 12 tackles and one tackle for loss during his single season with the Hurricanes before going undrafted in 2020. Nnoruka was able to participate in Miami’s 2021 Pro Day as a street free agent, although there were no reported times for his effort.

He apparently managed to make an impression on the Dolphins, however — as they had notable representation including head coach Brian Flores in attendance for that Pro Day, seeing 1st-round pick Jaelan Phillips up close and personal. Whether or not Nnoruka earns a contract? That will likely be dependent on the other options across free agency and how well of an impression he can make with his extended exposure this weekend.