Spoke to sources about everything around the team and recruiting. Some quick notes:

- The mood around the team is angry. No excuse-making or rationalization, even though they have a lot of respect for Wake Forest. Everybody knows the second half sucked and they need to get a lot better.

- The best way to describe the OL situation is "fluid." They need to find the best 5, and what we've seen so far isn't it. Based on what Mario said on WQAM, and what I've heard independently, the focus seems to be more on the guards than center or tackle. I would expect to see some different combinations this weekend. I've talked a lot about Ben Congdon and Jackson Cantwell, because they split the first-team RG reps all camp. But one young name to watch is Rhys Woodrow. He already has a ton of responsibility in punt protection and has C/G versatility. Canon Pickett is another guy who can get in the mix with the other three.

The concern with most freshmen (especially the big guys) is they may dominate on two reps and whiff badly on a third. And the that whiff could change the season. With that said, we aren't getting consistency from the older players, and they're only second-year guys themselves. Bottom line- this is a work in progress and I expect to see tinkering until it's playoff caliber.

- They're being extremely tight-lipped about injuries, although I don't sense a ton of concern aside from Marty Brown and Josh Moore. Those two are heartbreakers. Two names Miami wants to see step up in their place: Jordan Lyle and Somourian Wingo.

- Ezekiel Marcelin's injury was ill-timed because we need more at LB. I don't think those two starting spots are set in stone all year.

- In terms of recruiting, Miami is very purposeful in terms of watching senior film and grading their own prospects. Some guys who have really impressed: QB Israel Abrams, RB Ty Keys, WRs Nick Lennear and Eli Woodard, ATH A'mir Sears, DE Jaiden Bryant, DL Josh Johnson, LB Noah Glover and CB Sherrod Gourdine.

- There is no secret that the staff still wants to make another big splash in 2027. Three names stand above the rest: OT Mark Matthews, DE DJ Jacobs and TE Jaxon Dollar. Miami finished second for all three and will continue to push aggressively until the final whistle.

 

Kinsler wanted assurances he would start

Does he beat out McCoy for RT?

With the way he’s playing so far, it doesn’t appear that’s evident.

 

LOL see my post right above yours. Mans is staring generational wealth in the face. I’d just pull the trigger and retire if it was me.

@C A N S Show us your ticket, I want to see how much you wagered

 

Kinsler wanted assurances he would start

Does he beat out McCoy for RT?

With the way he’s playing so far, it doesn’t appear that’s evident.

He could’ve played guard

 

I've seen enough of the OL and defense to conclude this is a 2-3 loss team. The OL that get PT aren't talented enough and the back 7 cannot communicate or tackle enough consistently.

Not farfetched to expect the team to slip up somewhere and ND is probably 50/50. They don't look great either. I can see 10-2 and we would probably still end up in Charlotte with that playout.

But at the same time, this is far better than 2017 with a similar schedule set up. That team was undefeated in the last game and eventually slipped at Pitt. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see 12-0 even with what we've seen thus far.

We've long been a team that plays up/down to the competition and routinely have had quarter or half long lulls under Mario. WF was nothing new, but it was never in doubt. See FSU last year. Louisville in 2024 we went up 14 multiple times and couldn't ice it.

 

Not farfetched to expect the team to slip up somewhere and ND is probably 50/50. They don't look great either. I can see 10-2 and we would probably still end up in Charlotte with that playout.

But at the same time, this is far better than 2017 with a similar schedule set up. That team was undefeated in the last game and eventually slipped at Pitt. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see 12-0 even with what we've seen thus far.

We've long been a team that plays up/down to the competition and routinely have had quarter or half long lulls under Mario. WF was nothing new, but it was never in doubt. See FSU last year. Louisville in 2024 we went up 14 multiple times and couldn't ice it.

We were LOSING TO STANFORD 7-0 at the 2 minute warning on the first half last year. And we wound up 40 yards from a national championship.

Stanford was a 4-8 team with wins over Boston College, FSU, San Jose State, and Cal.

 

We were LOSING TO STANFORD 7-0 at the 2 minute warning on the first half last year. And we wound up 40 yards from a national championship.

Stanford was a 4-8 team with wins over Boston College, FSU, San Jose State, and Cal.

Stanford, Syracuse, SMU, Louisville, FSU 2nd half - all in 2025.

Games like Wake kill me because we were 1 score away from being able to start rolling in 2's and 3's if we went up 38-7 or even if it went to 34-7 and you could have got a stop and killed some clock. Need to focus on getting them quality reps on the road against a solid conference team. Games like those above in 2025 are exactly why we're still shuffling and trying to find out who is who this year... didn't blow teams out enough to roll in the reserves and get quality reps in those kinds of games.

Nickel, Wingo, Mallory, Mueller, and the young corners, etc. need those reps. Buchanan and Ryan Rodriguez could have been getting those reps last year and been more fine-tuned this year.

Instead, you leave in the 1's and they keep getting banged up and taking blows.

 

This.

We went from "always trusting Mario and Mirabal" when it came to the offensive line to "they screwed it all up by cross training guys" in just three weeks.

We are always reading way too far between the lines when often the answer is pretty simple:

- Cantwell is a true freshman who came from a small high school with minimal competition. He isn't ready.
- Congdon also a true freshman, also not ready.
- Buchanan and SJ are still second-year players, so they are going to take their lumps and both look a little too small to be world-beaters at guard.
- Meriweather may not be very good. Also wasn't he injured during the spring or am I crazy?

The reality is that offensive linemen develop slower, probably because of the physicality needed to be successful. We lost three NFL guys in the offseason and as a result, the unit took a step back.

Of course it needs to get better, but reading the tea leaves to understand why the unit has struggled when you can just point to youth and inexperience seems like doing too much.

I get what you're saying but i'd rather play my uber physically gifted freshman over an undersized guy that's one year older. Why not? Worried he's a freshman and may whiff and get the qb hit? That's already happening.

 

This.

We went from "always trusting Mario and Mirabal" when it came to the offensive line to "they screwed it all up by cross training guys" in just three weeks.

We are always reading way too far between the lines when often the answer is pretty simple:

- Cantwell is a true freshman who came from a small high school with minimal competition. He isn't ready.
- Congdon also a true freshman, also not ready.
- Buchanan and SJ are still second-year players, so they are going to take their lumps and both look a little too small to be world-beaters at guard.
- Meriweather may not be very good. Also wasn't he injured during the spring or am I crazy?

The reality is that offensive linemen develop slower, probably because of the physicality needed to be successful. We lost three NFL guys in the offseason and as a result, the unit took a step back.

Of course it needs to get better, but reading the tea leaves to understand why the unit has struggled when you can just point to youth and inexperience seems like doing too much.

Sounds like roster mismanagement to me, obviously hindsight is 20/20 but if the answer is simple as you pointed out...one would think they would have addressed the question in the portal. Beating a dead horse as all this has been pointed out but it's disappointing.

 

Stanford, Syracuse, SMU, Louisville, FSU 2nd half - all in 2025.

Games like Wake kill me because we were 1 score away from being able to start rolling in 2's and 3's if we went up 38-7 or even if it went to 34-7 and you could have got a stop and killed some clock. Need to focus on getting them quality reps on the road against a solid conference team. Games like those above in 2025 are exactly why we're still shuffling and trying to find out who is who this year... didn't blow teams out enough to roll in the reserves and get quality reps in those kinds of games.

Nickel, Wingo, Mallory, Mueller, and the young corners, etc. need those reps. Buchanan and Ryan Rodriguez could have been getting those reps last year and been more fine-tuned this year.

Instead, you leave in the 1's and they keep getting banged up and taking blows.

In you opinion why do you think this keeps happening under Mario,does he ask our OC and DC to start working the clock and slow down.

 

In you opinion why do you think this keeps happening under Mario,does he ask our OC and DC to start working the clock and slow down.

I don't think we deliberately slowed down against Wake. Mali, Fletcher, Marty all got banged up/out OL was on skates...we got pretty limited due to those variables. I choose to believe Mario learned post SMU/Louisville as was shown last year, and this past week was preservation mode.

 

I don't think we deliberately slowed down against Wake. Mali, Fletcher, Marty all got banged up/out OL was on skates...we got pretty limited due to those variables. I choose to believe Mario learned post SMU/Louisville as was shown last year, and this past week was preservation mode.

Not only wake but FSU last year,I want the Mario from our last 4 games last year when he knew we had to win impressive to make the playoffs.

 

If that’s grueling, that’s embarrassing and we better just accept staying in the ACC lol

It doesn’t get easier than that in October anywhere. Including most ACC teams

Exactly- there is next to nothing that is grueling about that lineup.

 

In you opinion why do you think this keeps happening under Mario,does he ask our OC and DC to start working the clock and slow down.

To me it’s always looked like it’s being timid to take a kill shot on either side due to the risk of flipping momentum by giving up a big play on D or a turnover on offense.

Last week I think it was the injury to Brown and having Fletcher banged up. They didn’t feel like they had an option in pass protection to let Mensah sit back and make the throw for the kill shot. Wake was always bringing that 1 extra guy and stunting and twisting. Fletcher was just off on pass protection that day to begin with

 

Let's all breathe a lil bit and realize this is a lot of adversity being thrown on us and we're still coming out with wins. Long term this will make us a far stronger squad. One thing that can't continue throughout this phase though is **** playcalling. Dawson needs to get his ****** head out his *** and wake up. Look at all the ****** weapons he has and say never in life should he be consistently calling screens and rub routes. It's ****** infuriating. Past that let's all just breathe.

yes.