Mario Cristobal is keeping Miami’s offensive line plans close to the vest with Friday night’s opener against Stanford looming, and that’s no accident.
The Hurricanes’ coach has never been shy about getting his hands dirty with the trench work. Alex Mirabal handles the formal day-to-day coaching of the unit, but Cristobal stays heavily involved in how the group develops and competes. So when he sounds vague about who will take the field first, it fits the way he runs things.
“In terms of who are going to walk out on the field and play first, we'll kind of hold off on that until it's time. I think this. I think when you have a lot of guys that are truly capable of starting and that can play winning football for you, and the battles are close, I think you keep those guys on edge all the time because it's the only way to get the best out of them, right?,” he said.
That uncertainty has plenty to do with the buzz around two true freshmen, Jackson Cantwell and Ben Congdon. There’s been plenty of chatter about where each fits and whether both could land in the starting five on Friday. Cristobal’s response suggests he’s more interested in keeping the competition sharp than giving away anything early.
Still, Miami does appear settled in some key spots.
Ryan Rodriguez is locked in at center, while Samson Okunlola and Matthew McCoy are expected to start at left tackle and right tackle, respectively. Rodriguez and McCoy are fifth-year seniors, and Okunlola is a redshirt junior, so the staff is leaning on experience there. Okunlola, once a five-star recruit, is also a name to watch as a possible breakout presence.
Seuseu "SJ" Alofaituli should also have a major role, likely beginning at guard, probably on the left side. The sophomore from Las Vegas will also cross-train at center, because Miami wants another dependable option there. If the Hurricanes get deep enough into Friday’s game to turn to the second unit, Alofaituli could end up snapping the ball for that group.
The final guard spot is where the real battle sits. Cantwell, Congdon and Max Buchanan are in the mix, and that alone says something about Miami’s depth. Cantwell and Congdon are true freshmen, while Buchanan is a sophomore, which means three teenagers are already pushing for major snaps in the Hurricanes’ top seven up front.
Cantwell arrived with plenty of attention, so it’s no shock that people are eager to see him in the starting lineup. But he’s being challenged, and Miami’s staff clearly likes that. Cristobal may not be ready to say who gets the first rep Friday night, but the competition itself tells the story.
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For Miami, the appeal is obvious. Lees ability to help in more than one spot makes him the sort of prospect staffs keep circling back to, especially when multiple major programs are involved. The Hurricanes already have two verbal commits in the cycle, but the bigger question is whether they can turn that early progress into a stronger foothold with a player whose recruitment should stay active for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Still Has A Jordan Lyle Question Before The Opener
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Miami has been preparing to lean on a committee approach in the backfield either way, with several players in the mix for carries. Even so, Lyles situation matters because his presence would change the shape of that rotation, and the Hurricanes would like a cleaner answer before kickoff rather than carrying the uncertainty all the way to game day. [Read more 🡒]