Mario Cristobal didn’t hesitate to throw freshman Ben Congdon into the fire at Death Valley, and the move paid off in a big way.
With Miami lining up against Clemson last Saturday, Cristobal chose Congdon at left guard over sophomore Seuseu “SJ” Alofaituli. The 18-year-old answered with a performance that showed the stage wasn’t too large for him. He was on the field for 61 of 66 snaps and made his biggest impact helping the Hurricanes move people in the run game.
Congdon’s pass protection had some blemishes. Pro Football Focus gave him a 54.7 pass-blocking grade, and he was charged with allowing a pressure and a hurry. But he kept quarterback Darian Mensah clean in the areas that matter most, giving up neither a hit nor a sack.
The real story was how well he worked as a run blocker. Congdon posted a 71.3 PFF run-blocking grade and helped Miami pile up 192 rushing yards on 35 carries. He also played every snap of the Hurricanes’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive, a nine-play sequence entirely on the ground that produced 62 yards.
On Monday, Cristobal was direct about what he saw.
"Strong performance," Cristobal said in Monday's media availability. "He plays [big], but the moment was not too big for him. I liked his performance, attitude, and approach."
That showing matters because Congdon wasn’t the freshman drawing the most attention when fall camp opened. That title belonged to Jackson Cantwell, the five-star recruit out of Nixa High School in Missouri. But through the first five games, Cantwell has logged only 78 snaps, mostly at right guard, where the transition inside has been its own challenge.
Congdon and Cantwell are similar in size, both listed at 6-8 and 330 pounds, but the learning curve has been different. Miami cross-trains every offensive lineman at Greentree Practice Fields and the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility, with Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal pushing players to understand every spot up front.
Cantwell’s path remains tied to the right side, especially with left tackle occupied full-time by redshirt junior Samson Okunlola. And with starter Max Buchanan undergoing surgery on Wednesday, that right guard spot becomes even more important.
Congdon entered camp without much fanfare. Now he’s hard to ignore.
Miami has shown it will play freshmen who earn the staff’s trust, and Congdon has done exactly that. At this point, he looks like he has a strong shot to keep his starting job the rest of the season.
In Other News...
Miami Fans Have Several Bye Week Games That Suddenly Matter
Miamis Week 6 off date gives the Hurricanes a little breathing room, but it also turns the schedule into a scoreboard-watching exercise. With the ACC still sorting itself out and the national picture taking shape, a handful of games suddenly carry more weight for Miami fans than they might have a month ago, especially when they involve familiar league rivals and teams with playoff ambitions.
Florida State at Louisville and North Carolina at Pittsburgh are among the ACC matchups worth tracking, while Stanfords trip to Notre Dame adds another layer to the conference race and the broader postseason conversation. Beyond that, games like Indiana at Nebraska, UCLA at Oregon and Georgia at Alabama could matter indirectly for Miamis standing and for how the College Football Playoff debate unfolds, which is part of the fun of an open week when a teams path can shift as much on the field as it does from afar. [Read more 🡒]
JJ Dunnigan Just Forced A Bigger Miami Secondary Decision
JJ Dunnigans showing at Clemson gave Miami another reminder that its secondary picture is still very much in motion. Even with questions about his health hanging over him, he came away with a notable interception and flashed the kind of speed that makes coaches look for ways to get him on the field. On the latest discussion from David Lake and DMoney, Dunnigans athleticism kept coming up as the sort of trait that can change a defensive back rotation in a hurry.
The bigger question now is how Miami sorts out the rest of that group, especially with Omar Thornton, Zechariah Poyser and Bryce Fitzgerald all part of the conversation about fit and role. Dunnigans case for nickelback has only grown stronger because of the way he showed up in a high-profile road game, and the staff will have to weigh his impact against everyone else in a secondary that still seems to be taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Miamis New Offensive Look Says A Lot About The Stretch Run
The changes on Miamis offense have become hard to miss as the Hurricanes navigate the stretch run without several key contributors. Season-ending injuries to Marty Brown and Joshua Moore, along with surgery for Max Buchanan, forced the staff to redraw parts of the depth chart, and the ripple effect has shown up everywhere from the skill positions to the line. Darian Mensah has remained the starter at quarterback and has given the unit steadiness, while true freshmen have been pressed into meaningful roles at running back and wide receiver.
Up front, the reshuffle has been just as notable, with Matthew McCoy sliding to right guard and Jackson Cantwell stepping in at right tackle. For Miami, the broader story is less about surviving the absences than about how much the offense can keep growing with young players now carrying real responsibility. The next few weeks will say plenty about how deep this group can really go, and how much the new look can hold up when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]