Miami veteran offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez says the Hurricanes’ front is still in the middle of its growth spurt, with younger players settling in and the whole group pushing one another through fall practice.
Rodriguez pointed to freshman Ben Congdon as one of the linemen making steady progress, along with Jackson Cantwell.
“He’s continuing to grow. [He] and Jackson [Cantwell] are continuing to grow.
They’re learning our system. They’re learning how we do things, our standard, and they’re just falling right into place.
They’re always excited to learn. They’re eager to learn.
They’re great students of the game and I’m excited to see them develop.”
That development, Rodriguez said, is happening across the board. He noted that the line is building chemistry while a few players continue to take steps forward, including SJ, Jackson, Ben and Max.
“Everybody's developing, building chemistry together. Today is actually SJ's birthday, so happy birthday to SJ.
Jackson's getting a lot better. Ben's getting a lot better.
Max is getting a lot better. Everybody's just competing, getting better, and those guys are all pushing each other and getting better.”
Rodriguez also explained why cross-training matters so much up front. In his view, the more a lineman understands every spot, the better equipped he is to handle whatever the offense asks of him.
“One of the best ways to learn all the positions on the offensive line is just play them all. If you’re only a left tackle and you only know what the left tackle does, if for whatever reason Coach might need to throw you in at right tackle, well now you’re not going to know what to do because you only know the left side.
It’s best to know what everybody at every position is doing and having that knowledge will give you a better understanding of the offense as a whole because then you’ll know what the guy next to you has and what his responsibility is and how he might play that play and use the technique on that play. It just builds chemistry together.”
As for how the line looked in last week’s scrimmage, Rodriguez didn’t sugarcoat it. He said there’s still plenty to clean up, even if the group is moving in the right direction.
“We definitely have a lot of work to continue to do. We’re holding ourselves to a high standard, all the great o-lines before us.
We just want to continue that trajectory and we’re holding ourselves to that high standard and we’re going to work hard and whatever happened in the scrimmage was good, bad, indifferent. [We have to] continue working.
It’s just another practice, another day to get better.”
In Other News...
Miamis Loaded Offense Creates One Huge Numbers Question For 2026
With Miamis offense looking deeper and more dangerous on paper, the conversation around 2026 naturally turns to how the numbers will actually get spread around. A full 13-game projection cycle for Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney, Cooper Barkate, Joshua Moore, Daylyn Upshaw, Mark Fletcher, Girard Pringle and CharMar Brown paints a picture of a unit with no shortage of options, whether the ball is in the air or on the ground. For a Hurricanes team built to stress defenses in multiple ways, the appeal is obvious, but so is the challenge of figuring out who gets fed first.
The biggest question is not whether Miami can generate production, but how much of it one quarterback and one primary target can realistically absorb when the room is this crowded. Those projected passing yards, receptions, rushing yards and touchdowns are useful as a guide, yet they also underline how much of this remains a guess until the opener starts settling roles. In a season where expectations for the offense are high, the numbers game may end up being just as interesting as the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Just Cleared An Early Hurdle With Elite Safety Recruit
Miami picked up a useful marker in the early stages of the Jaelyn Easterling-Flores sweepstakes when the 2028 four-star safety from Desert Edge released his top six. The Hurricanes made the cut alongside Auburn, Georgia Tech, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas, a sign that Mario Cristobal and his staff remain in the mix for one of the cycles more highly regarded defensive backs even before the process has really begun to settle in.
Easterling-Flores has already logged official visits to Oregon, Florida, Auburn, Texas and Notre Dame, but Miami has not yet hosted him. He said this will be his final list, with no more trimming ahead, so the next step for the Hurricanes will be turning that spot on the list into a real trip to Coral Gables and, eventually, a stronger claim in a recruitment that already has plenty of heavyweight competition. [Read more 🡒]
Miamis 2001 Tribute Might Come With A Bigger Surprise
Miami is planning a celebration of its 2001 national title team on Oct. 24 against Pitt, a fitting stage for one of the sports most recognizable championship groups. The Hurricanes have been leaning into the momentum of a strong recent season, and with Mario Cristobals team expected to be among the ACC favorites, the program has a chance to turn a nostalgia night into something that feels very current too.
A recent social media post added another layer to the buildup, showing a player in a uniform that looked a lot like the early-2000s look, complete with 2001 detailing. Nothing has been made official yet, but the hint has already fueled speculation that Miami may be planning more than a tribute video and a sideline ceremony. For a program that has always understood the power of image as well as results, the details around that night could end up drawing nearly as much attention as the opponent. [Read more 🡒]