Me and Pete are breaking down each position group, post-Portal, on the CanesInSight Daily Podcast. Today was offensive line. A transcript of our discussion is below:
If we walk through this left to right, I’ll start with Matt McCoy at left tackle as a real possibility. He was last year’s starting left guard, rotated with Samson Okunlola. Came in that 2022 transition class from Manny Diaz’s staff — former tight end out of St. Augustine. You go back and watch his tight end tape and he's moving.
This guy is massive now. Probably the biggest starter outside of Markel Bell last year. He’s 6’7”, 340, in good shape — not sloppy weight. You saw the power in the run game. Pass protection at guard wasn’t as clean, so the question becomes: why move him to an island at left tackle?
He’s a fifth-year player. Five years in this system. Played tackle early in his career. He’s athletic. When you see him in person, the twitch stands out. The more space you give him, the more I think his athleticism shows up. I think he has NFL upside — potentially Day 2, maybe even Day 1 if everything clicks.
There’s projection there. It’s not locked in like it was with Bell. But the traits are real.
Peter Ariz: And what I’ve heard is he’s got it mentally. It’s one thing to cross-train in practice. It’s another to flip positions on Saturdays. He understands the game at a high level. That gives him a leg up on a freshman like Jackson Cantwell.
He could also trim a little weight and lean into quickness the way Markel Bell did. But physically, the tools are there.
He’s nasty. He talks. He finishes. That’s why I compare him to Cooper. I’ve heard if they needed him last year, he could’ve played with minimal drop-off.
You could also grow him and Jackson Cantwell together on the right side — similar to how Cooper and Francis Mauigoa developed together. There’s value in pairing two young guys and letting them ascend together.
Injuries slowed him. But he’s been developed under Mirabal for years now. If he hadn’t dealt with injury, he probably starts last year instead of bringing in Brockermeyer.
He’s big for a center. Wide, physical, mature. You saw it in goal line packages — double pancakes, finishing blocks. He gives you size and power at center.
Peter Ariz: And continuity matters at center. Even if he wasn’t the starter, he knows everything. He lives in the film room. That position requires knowing the strengths and limitations of the guys next to you. He has that built-in familiarity.
It didn’t click right away. But once he got consistent reps, you saw it. Watch his Ohio State tape. The torque, the footwork, the leverage. He’s more natural inside at guard in my opinion, but he can play tackle if needed.
Expect All-ACC level play from him. That’s the standard now.
Peter Ariz: I think his ceiling jumps another level this year. Once he strung reps together, the confidence showed up. Now you expect dominance.
History tells you these five-star tackles usually hit. Paris Johnson. JC Latham. Kelvin Banks. Francis Mauigoa. The hit rate is high.
He’s been on campus since December. Living in the weight room. Studying the playbook. The early reports are exactly what you’d hope to hear.
If he starts as a freshman, that’s not a red flag. That's what you hope to get from these expensive five-star tackles.
The Georgia side speaks highly of him. With Mirabal’s development, there’s confidence he can be a factor.
DMoney: His position coaching at Georiga was subpar, but he's been in an elite culture. Now you plug him into the best OL coach in America.
Yes, he’s not huge for a center. But center is one position where elite quickness can offset size. Think Jason Kelce and the monsters he played alongside. Brett Romberg was the same away.
SJ was a guard in high school, so snapping has been an adjustment. But the athletic testing numbers are off the charts. He’s strong. He stays low. If Rodriguez goes down, I think SJ may be ready to step in.
Now it’s about availability and progression. If one of them hits, that boosts your depth significantly.
When all those top tackles were on campus during visits, he stood out physically the most.
He's recovering from a minor injury before spring, but if he develops quickly, he could factor in sooner than people expect.
He moves well on his pulls, flexible stance. Long frame that can add weight the right way. This is a high-upside, NFL type prospect.
DMoney (closing): This room has elite coaching. It has high-end young talent. The question is development and cohesion.
The last three years were the best offensive line stretch in the country. To maintain that, you need veterans like Rodriguez and Samson to anchor it — and you need one or two of these young guys to hit early.
The ceiling is there. Now it’s about stacking days and letting Mirabal do what he does.
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Matt McCoy
DMoney: When you break down the offensive line, this is the identity of the program. It’s what’s allowed Miami to go toe-to-toe with Ohio State, Texas A&M, Notre Dame and push them around. Over the past three years, I’ll take this offensive line against anybody in the country. But now there’s turnover. There’s youth. This is probably the biggest question mark on the offense heading into the offseason.If we walk through this left to right, I’ll start with Matt McCoy at left tackle as a real possibility. He was last year’s starting left guard, rotated with Samson Okunlola. Came in that 2022 transition class from Manny Diaz’s staff — former tight end out of St. Augustine. You go back and watch his tight end tape and he's moving.
This guy is massive now. Probably the biggest starter outside of Markel Bell last year. He’s 6’7”, 340, in good shape — not sloppy weight. You saw the power in the run game. Pass protection at guard wasn’t as clean, so the question becomes: why move him to an island at left tackle?
He’s a fifth-year player. Five years in this system. Played tackle early in his career. He’s athletic. When you see him in person, the twitch stands out. The more space you give him, the more I think his athleticism shows up. I think he has NFL upside — potentially Day 2, maybe even Day 1 if everything clicks.
There’s projection there. It’s not locked in like it was with Bell. But the traits are real.
Peter Ariz: And what I’ve heard is he’s got it mentally. It’s one thing to cross-train in practice. It’s another to flip positions on Saturdays. He understands the game at a high level. That gives him a leg up on a freshman like Jackson Cantwell.
He could also trim a little weight and lean into quickness the way Markel Bell did. But physically, the tools are there.
Max Buchanan
DMoney: If McCoy’s at left tackle, you could slide Max Buchanan to left guard. Redshirt freshman from Sanford. 6’4”, built like a guard. He didn't start out 400 pounds like Cooper was — he came in 285-plus building toward 300 the right way.He’s nasty. He talks. He finishes. That’s why I compare him to Cooper. I’ve heard if they needed him last year, he could’ve played with minimal drop-off.
You could also grow him and Jackson Cantwell together on the right side — similar to how Cooper and Francis Mauigoa developed together. There’s value in pairing two young guys and letting them ascend together.
Ryan Rodriguez
DMoney: At center, Ryan Rodriguez finally gets his turn. I first saw him at a camp before COVID where he was the only guy blocking Leonard Taylor consistently. Manny’s staff offered him after that.Injuries slowed him. But he’s been developed under Mirabal for years now. If he hadn’t dealt with injury, he probably starts last year instead of bringing in Brockermeyer.
He’s big for a center. Wide, physical, mature. You saw it in goal line packages — double pancakes, finishing blocks. He gives you size and power at center.
Peter Ariz: And continuity matters at center. Even if he wasn’t the starter, he knows everything. He lives in the film room. That position requires knowing the strengths and limitations of the guys next to you. He has that built-in familiarity.
Samson Okunlola
DMoney: Samson had a great year. Former five-star. Wrestler. Graduated in two and a half years. It was an expensive investment, but when you spend on smart players it has a higher chance of panning out.It didn’t click right away. But once he got consistent reps, you saw it. Watch his Ohio State tape. The torque, the footwork, the leverage. He’s more natural inside at guard in my opinion, but he can play tackle if needed.
Expect All-ACC level play from him. That’s the standard now.
Peter Ariz: I think his ceiling jumps another level this year. Once he strung reps together, the confidence showed up. Now you expect dominance.
Jackson Cantwell
DMoney: Cantwell is a unique prospect. Five-star. Both parents Olympians. 33 ACT. He put up 33 bench reps of 225 pounds at 6'7 with a plus wingspan. Great shuttle time, 4.7. Freak power. He's the best shot putter in the country at his age, maybe ever.History tells you these five-star tackles usually hit. Paris Johnson. JC Latham. Kelvin Banks. Francis Mauigoa. The hit rate is high.
He’s been on campus since December. Living in the weight room. Studying the playbook. The early reports are exactly what you’d hope to hear.
If he starts as a freshman, that’s not a red flag. That's what you hope to get from these expensive five-star tackles.
Jamal Meriweather
Peter Ariz: Meriweather is someone they believe in. Played some rotational snaps at Georgia. Versatile — guard and tackle. Length and athleticism are real at 6'7, 310.The Georgia side speaks highly of him. With Mirabal’s development, there’s confidence he can be a factor.
DMoney: His position coaching at Georiga was subpar, but he's been in an elite culture. Now you plug him into the best OL coach in America.
SJ Alofaituli
DMoney: Don’t sleep on SJ. He played real snaps as a freshman in CFP games, not just special teams.Yes, he’s not huge for a center. But center is one position where elite quickness can offset size. Think Jason Kelce and the monsters he played alongside. Brett Romberg was the same away.
SJ was a guard in high school, so snapping has been an adjustment. But the athletic testing numbers are off the charts. He’s strong. He stays low. If Rodriguez goes down, I think SJ may be ready to step in.
Jaden Wilkerson / Demetrius Campbell / Juan Minaya
DMoney: These guys are developmental traits bets. Big frames. Former basketball backgrounds in the case of Wilkerson and Campbell. They look the part.Now it’s about availability and progression. If one of them hits, that boosts your depth significantly.
Joel Irvin
DMoney: Irvin might be the most physically impressive freshman of the group. 6’7”, huge frame, not sloppy. Long arms and 11-inch hands. Super athletic. Nasty streak.When all those top tackles were on campus during visits, he stood out physically the most.
He's recovering from a minor injury before spring, but if he develops quickly, he could factor in sooner than people expect.
Ben Congdon
DMoney: Ohio heavyweight wrestler at 6’7”. That’s legit competition. Mirabal loves wrestlers because they have leverage, torque, and balance. It's unique to have that with Congdon's height and length.He moves well on his pulls, flexible stance. Long frame that can add weight the right way. This is a high-upside, NFL type prospect.
Canon Pickett
DMoney: He's built like a true wide-body guard at 6'4, 320 and he still played Wildcat quarterback in high school. Athletic for his size. Injury is the only reason we’re not talking about him as an early factor. But he should be back.
Rhys Woodrow
DMoney: Orlando kid (Boone). Baseball background. Flexible, athletic, tough. Probably a future center. He is getting early buzz.
JJ Sparks
DMoney: One of the earliest enrollees. Guard/center flexibility. He's broad, physical, and serious about development.DMoney (closing): This room has elite coaching. It has high-end young talent. The question is development and cohesion.
The last three years were the best offensive line stretch in the country. To maintain that, you need veterans like Rodriguez and Samson to anchor it — and you need one or two of these young guys to hit early.
The ceiling is there. Now it’s about stacking days and letting Mirabal do what he does.
Projecting Miami Hurricanes OLine! FULL BREAKDOWN
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