James Brockermeyer’s first NFL stop ended sooner than Miami Hurricanes fans hoped.
On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons released the former Miami center from their practice squad to add veteran offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal, closing a short chapter that began when Brockermeyer signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft, via the NFL transaction wire.
For Canes supporters, the move stings because of what Brockermeyer represented in Coral Gables. After three seasons at Alabama and a starting year at TCU, he transferred to Miami for 2025 and immediately became the anchor of an offensive line that helped the Hurricanes reach the College Football Playoff national championship game.
He started all 16 games at center, allowed no sacks, and earned first-team All-American honors along with third-team All-ACC recognition.
He also posted a 4.00 GPA and was named a first-team Academic All-American.
That one Miami season was the highlight of a well-traveled college career. The Fort Worth, Texas, native and son of former NFL tackle Blake Brockermeyer was a four-star high school prospect who redshirted at Alabama, then started 12 games at TCU in 2024 before landing in Miami.
Hurricanes coaches praised his preparation and communication. Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal called him one of the most professional linemen he had coached at any stop.
In Shannon Dawson’s scheme, Brockermeyer’s reliability in pass protection and assignment discipline let more celebrated teammates like Francis Mauigoa shine.
Atlanta liked that profile enough to give him a UDFA deal. He impressed early in OTAs, taking first-team snaps when starter Ryan Neuzil was out and drawing praise from line coach Bill Callahan.
Cut at the end of August, he was immediately added to the practice squad. The latest move is a numbers play: Sorsdal brings three years of NFL experience and positional flexibility. For a 24-year-old rookie who is listed at 6-foot-3 and about 298 pounds, it is another reminder that the league is unforgiving even for All-Americans.
Brockermeyer’s Miami résumé still travels. He started 28 college games at center across TCU and Miami, played in 44 games overall, and showed the football IQ scouts valued.
Other teams will have tape of a player who never allowed a sack in his Hurricanes season and helped Miami make a deep playoff run.
For a program that has sent plenty of linemen to the NFL, this is a familiar story: one strong year in orange and green can still open doors even after an early release.
The next call will tell whether another franchise sees what Miami saw last fall.
