Leonard Taylor And Francis Mauigoa Describe Their Battles At Miami Hurricanes Practice
Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal always tells his players "iron sharpens iron." As the talent level rises, so do the competition levels at Greentree practice fields.
There's a certain matchup in practice that peaks my interest: Leonard Taylor vs. Francis Mauigoa. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
We spoke to Taylor and Mauigoa after Tuesday's session and they spoke highly of one another.
Taylor said of Mauigoa: "I go against (Francis) all the time. He's good. He's very athletic. I've never seen an O-lineman move the way he can."
That's strong praise coming from Taylor, an All-ACC honorable mention selection last year. If Mauigoa, a true freshman offensive tackle, is earning his respect already, it means great things for the former IMG Academy standout.
When I asked Mauigoa if he and Taylor have had some good battles, he grinned from ear to ear and said, "oh yeah!"
"He's a strong dude," Mauigoa said of Taylor. "He is strong. He's physical. He comes off the ball. Sometimes he tries to make his moves. Sometimes I get (him,)" sometimes I don't. He comes off physical and fast."
Mauigoa also enjoys going up against freshman defensive lineman Rueben Bain.
"Rueben Bain's something else," he said. "He's been developing his skills since we played against each other at Central vs. IMG. He's been really improving. We go up against each other every day. He gets me sometimes and I have to recover from it. He's really fast, twitchy, everything."
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