Central Michigan wasn’t supposed to reveal much. It was a Week 4 meeting with a MAC opponent, the kind of game that usually blends into the background.
Instead, with CharMar Brown unavailable, Mark Fletcher Jr. resting, and the staff still mixing and matching the interior of the offensive line, it turned into a real look at where things stand. Not a finished product. More like an open tryout.
The clearest takeaway came up front. The offensive line was in constant motion all night, with Ben Congdon getting work, Max Buchanan seeing snaps, SJ Alofaituli rotating in - including time at center - Jackson Cantwell at tackle, and Jamal Meriweather also getting involved.
Congdon at guard stood out for his size, movement, and the way he fit into blocks, and Darian Mensah had more room to operate with him in there. Buchanan and SJ had their moments, too, but there were also too many snaps where an assignment got missed or the push just wasn’t there.
"I think by default it's going to take care of itself because it's pretty obvious," Ahmmon said. "I understand it's Central Michigan, but the eye test I don't think has failed us so far."
The sense here is pretty simple: the line is moving toward a clearer shape. The preferred fit seems obvious - Cantwell at tackle, Congdon at guard, SJ at center - and the staff may have hoped the older players would stabilize things longer than they have.
That hasn’t happened, so the sorting process is speeding up. Cantwell and Congdon both graded out well at PFF against Central Michigan, and that direction feels like the right one.
There was also a small but meaningful detail that stuck with Ahmmon. The first drive stalled, which is not what this team has been used to early in games.
He wanted to see how the offense would respond when the opening script didn’t go cleanly. The answer: the ball came back, and the team scored 52 unanswered.
Small tests matter. Especially later in the season.
The backfield told a different part of the story. Chris Wheatley-Humphrey went over 100 yards and scored a touchdown, and the burst was obvious - not just quickness, but speed and power together. Ahmmon said he wasn’t surprised, and he was clearly impressed with the way Wheatley-Humphrey handled the waiting game.
"I respect the guy for just not jumping ship, not complaining, not crying, just waiting his turn, waiting for his opportunity to strike," Ahmmon said.
That kind of patience is rare, and Wheatley-Humphrey has apparently spent years hearing the same message without bailing on it. Ahmmon believes he earned his climb up the depth chart and wouldn’t be shocked if he gets a look against Clemson depending on how the game unfolds.
The bigger backfield picture was shaped by absences. With CharMar Brown out and Fletcher sitting, Javian Mallory got the start and the rest of the group got a real chance to show what they could do.
Mallory was the most complete of the bunch in this one. He looked sharp between the tackles, held up in pass protection, and delivered a pancake block that made the rounds online.
The one blemish came on a play-action boot, and Ahmmon put that on Mallory and Mensah together.
Girard Pringle Jr. was steady, if not necessarily satisfied with steady. Ahmmon wants him used in ways that let him get to the edge - stretch runs, pitches, screens, anything that puts him on the perimeter. Right now, that doesn’t line up cleanly with how the run game is being asked to function.
Jordan Lyle is still working his way back into rhythm after the suspension and the rest of camp. More than once, he was one missed tackle away from breaking a bigger run.
And the rotating guards matter here, too. When the interior line keeps changing and the chemistry isn’t settled, the inside run game gets muddy fast.
The backs don’t always get the clean pictures they need.
Ahmmon isn’t ready to draw hard conclusions from one game, but the room is starting to separate in useful ways. Mallory has shown the most complete game overall.
Pringle and Lyle have the most raw power. The real question is whether any of them can turn the explosive flash into something repeatable for four quarters.
Then there was Somourian Wingo, who gave a glimpse of why receivers can make better returners than backs. With Pringle not having much success on returns, Wingo handled kicks and punts against Central Michigan and nearly took one all the way. With Joshua Moore out for the year, there should be more chances for him now.
Ahmmon’s point was that running backs are trained to follow blocks and read holes, while receivers are more comfortable improvising on the fly. He doesn’t see a real return identity on special teams right now - no clear left, right, or middle answer, just catch it and go. Receivers, by contrast, don’t depend on blocks the same way.
He even drew a comparison to Clemson’s Bryant Wesco Jr., who brought back a punt that basically swung the Cal game. Wesco may have more pure explosiveness and already has the proof on his side, but Wingo could end up being the better receiver.
Wesco is also part of why Ahmmon wants Dylan Joyce locked in this week. Against Wake Forest, the coverage was beaten badly and the return went to the five before a penalty wiped it out. Special teams has been a place where opponents have found extra juice against Miami for a few years now, and that kind of mistake at Death Valley would be costly.
The Clemson breakdown continues all week on the CanesInsight Daily Podcast, with Ahmmon planning to put the lab coat on Wednesday.
In Other News...
Clemson Just Got A Tougher Miami Test Than Expected
Miami got a welcome update heading into its matchup with Clemson, with coach Mario Cristobal saying running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr. are expected to be available. Both had been held out of the previous game after picking up minor injuries against Wake Forest, leaving the Hurricanes a little thinner than usual in two important spots.
Now, those absences appear to be short-lived, and that matters in a game where Miami will want as much stability as possible on both sides of the ball. Fletcher gives the Hurricanes another option in the backfield, while Motens presence up front helps a defense that will be tested in a big way, even as Cristobal says both players are healthy and ready to go. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has A Real RB2 Debate Before Clemson
Chris Wheatley-Humphrey gave Miami something to think about in the win over Central Michigan, turning 11 carries into more than 100 yards and a touchdown while Mark Fletcher Jr. was held out to get ready for Clemson. The timing matters because the Hurricanes have been searching for clarity behind their feature back, and the latest outing only sharpened the conversation. When a reserve back puts together that kind of performance, it changes how a depth chart looks heading into a much bigger stage.
Mario Cristobal said Fletcher was rested with Clemson in mind, and Miami appears headed toward a committee approach for the RB2 role anyway. Wheatley-Humphrey, Girard Pringle and Jordan Lyle are all in the mix, which gives the Hurricanes options but also leaves the pecking order unsettled. Against a defense like Clemsons, the question is not just who gets the next carry, but who can earn the staffs trust when the game gets tight. [Read more 🡒]
Cristobal Put Miamis Clemson Focus On Two Issues After Blowout Win
After Miamis 52-3 rout of Central Michigan, the focus inside the program quickly shifted from the lopsided final to the details that matter next. The Hurricanes piled up 572 yards and forced three turnovers, with Darian Mensah sharp through the air and Malachi Toney continuing to give the offense a big-play presence, but head coach Mario Cristobal spent his media time zeroing in on how the game was managed and how the roster was rotated.
Clemson is the real measuring stick ahead, and Cristobals message after the win centered on two issues that will shape how prepared Miami looks when that one arrives. The matchup is already looming as a major test for a team that handled Central Michigan with ease, and the attention now is on whether the Canes can keep the same edge while tightening the pieces that matter most in a bigger game. [Read more 🡒]