Miami’s offensive line picture is wide open heading into 2026, and that puts Samson Okunlola and Matthew McCoy right back in the spotlight. Both were on the field at left guard in 2025, and both are in the mix for starting jobs again this season as all five spots on the Hurricanes’ line are up for grabs.
The two are easy to compare because they’re built almost exactly the same way. Okunlola is a six-foot-six, 330-pound former five-star tackle prospect who arrived with huge expectations and has spent three seasons in Coral Gables. He’s appeared in 32 games for Miami and has shown moments that have caught the eye of OL coach Alex Mirabal, even if he hasn’t fully matched the hype that followed him out of high school.
McCoy brings a different recruiting label but the same kind of size. The Creekside High School product in St.
Augustine, Florida, came in as a three-star prospect and has been used all over the line, with work at tight end, tackle, and guard. He’s played in 43 games for the Hurricanes and made 15 starts at left guard in 2025.
What Miami has to sort out is pretty straightforward: which of these two can handle edge pressure and survive on an island at tackle, and which one is better suited to stay inside where help can come from the running back and center. That decision could shape where both men line up when the season gets going.
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New NCAA Rule Creates Clear Miami Roster Winners And Losers
The NCAAs new eligibility model is already reshaping how Miami has to think about its roster, even if the immediate effect is more subtle than dramatic. Under the new setup, athletes can play five seasons over five years, starting from full-time enrollment or the academic year after their 19th birthday, which gives the Hurricanes a longer runway with a younger core and more time to develop players before they hit the front of the line.
For Miami, the clearest winners are the juniors and sophomores who now have extra breathing room, while only a small group of players is directly touched right away. The bigger roster wrinkle is at the other end of the spectrum, where the rule now limits how many long-tenured veterans can even stay on the team, and that kind of cutoff could force Miami to make some uncomfortable decisions as it sorts out who fits the new model and who no longer does. [Read more 🡒]
Keionte Scott Just Revealed Why That Ohio State Pick Six Happened
Keionte Scotts interception return touchdown against Ohio State was one of the plays that changed the feel of Miamis win, and he recently unpacked how it happened on a podcast. The key, as he described it, was how thoroughly the Hurricanes had been prepared for that look by the defensive staff, with the play showing up often enough in meetings that it became second nature by the time the moment arrived.
For Miami, it was another reminder that the defenses biggest plays are being built long before kickoff, with Corey Hetherman and the rest of the staff earning credit for having the unit ready for a high-level opponent. The Hurricanes also got a recruiting boost when Rivals bumped Donte Wright to the top spot among cornerbacks in the 2027 class, while the programs baseball pipeline added another note to a busy week with Daniel Cuvet and three teammates hearing their names called in the draft. [Read more 🡒]