Why Mario Cristobal's DL and OL Comments Were Important
Sometimes a second look at something gives a different perspective.
Having gone back through the March 28 post-practice press conference, it was interesting to see Miami head coach Mario Cristobal discuss the play up front for both sides of the football.
The line play at UM needs to get better compared to last season, and that’s what this portion of his interview from practice was generally about, with some thoughts from Cristobal’s overall comments as well.
First off, he was definitely happy about the big boys in the trenches, and quite frankly, Cristobal was happy overall. His body language told the story.
It was obvious by the look on his face. More specifically, he was very complimentary about Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback and Henry Parrish, Jr. at running back, which was great to hear.
But before diving into questions, Cristobal also discussed another vital topic regarding UM athletics before any reporter asked him a question.
“How about those basketball teams, both of them huh? Awesome! What awesome competitors. What a great example.”
It was also awesome for Cristobal to acknowledge that the women’s and men’s basketball programs have been tremendous. They deserved his support, and Cristobal provided it. Well done.
As for football, Cristobal opened with the following comment about last Saturday’s scrimmage.
“Okay, so practice, we had what I we’d say were 35-40 plays of scrimmage work on Saturday, after just about a full practice ends. It’s very productive. We see progress.
“We see progress in particular areas we primarily mentioned last time. So that’s not a surprise at all.”
There was some good injury news for the defensive line, an area that’s been hindered by the injury bug dating back to the 2022 season.
“So we’re going to get (defensive end) Akheem Mesidor out there healthy again. We’re getting more work because we are banged up at the defensive line position. All in all, we’re throwing a lot at them, in terms of schematics, technique, fundamentals, culture, and just flat out toughness, that’s where we’re looking for gains, looking for progress at. Looked like we had some really good progress.”
“Really good practice today. We were in shells. Just about (the same as going) live, except we’re not on the ground, and a good practice. With that, questions.”
The fact that Cristobal went out of his way to talk about Mesidor provided an indicator that UM absolutely needs him back. It’s not just about Mesidor’s productivity from last season, but also his leadership and experience around young players.
Keep in mind, freshmen like Jayden Wayne, Collins Acheampong, and Rueben Bain, Jr. all enrolled early. Each of those young men seeing how Mesidor hits the sled, communicates with the coaching staff, goes all-out, that’s going to positively impact the future of the Canes in more ways than many might expect.
First question to Cristobal was regarding the transition of former Alabama offensive lineman Javion Cohen, how he’d adapted to The U?
“He’s a huge acquisition. We really wanted to continue to develop our players at that position (of offensive guard), but also increase the level of size, girth, explosiveness, strength at the point of attack; power.
“He’s got a ton of experience playing at the University of Alabama. He’s just an awesome, awesome guy to be around because he has great energy. He works hard, and he lets you push him hard.
“He’s very, very smart. Naturally just blended in right away, and also just has really good leadership skills so we are expecting big things from him. Couldn’t be happier to have a guy in the (Transfer) Portal like that. He’s great to be around.”
With Cristobal going out of his way to compliment Cohen’s intelligence and his toughness, it’s no surprise that he’s been a mainstay with the first unit. Yes, he’s certainly experienced coming from Alabama, but he’s also done well to transition to Miami, i.e. getting to know the other players and adapting without any issues. That’s a sign of a leader.
Sticking with the big guys along the offensive line, All Hurricanes Alex Donno asked about Francis Mauigoa and his status.
“Good, he’s taking most of his reps with the ones. You know, he’s been playing some right tackle. The good thing about these guys is, they’re highly talented, but they’re also trying to play to their talent level, pushing themselves and grinding.
“They are just seeing a lot of scenarios that they haven’t seen. I think him, Samson (Okunlola) and Antonio (Tripp, Jr.), they’re all new here with the offensive line. Matt Lee has a ton of experience so he has seen just about everything.
“But those young guys, they are progressing very well. We are throwing a lot at them, and we tell them, ‘We need you to be sophomores. We don’t need you to be a mid-year early enrollee freshman.’ And they’ve responded really well.”
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As a follow up, Cristobal was asked to compare Mauigoa to Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell. He was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions after playing for Cristobal at Oregon from 2018-2020.
“I’m cautious about comparing guys to being like the seventh overall pick in the (NFL) Draft when they’re like 19-years old. You know, but do you see the qualities, an elite player? Absolutely. Absolutely you do.
“There’s power. There’s a really good knowledge of the game at his young age. He plays with leverage, he plays with toughness, he’s heavy handed. He moves his feet really well. He understands ball. And you get after him. And we need to get after him to prepare him, you know?
“Just like Samson (Okunlola). All these guys are taking a lot of reps with the ones and with the twos. So, he’s (Mauigoa) going to be an elite, elite football player. And he’s an elite human being. His family is awesome, and we’re super happy to have him here.”
Where to start? Having seen Mauigoa up close multiple times, it’s hard to define just how athletic this massive human being truly has become. Calling him athletic, honestly, does not do him justice.
Just as importantly, Mauigoa adapted to coaching during his prep career at IMG Academy in Bradenton. He absorbed things faster than most players did.
Perhaps that’s why Cristobal, offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson have been giving Mauigoa – as well as some of the other young offensive linemen – a lot to learn.
With many talented young offensive lineman like Mauigoa, a big-time college program just teaches them technique and basic concepts during Year 1. With Mauigoa, he’s already in the starting lineup for a good portion of the plays. That’s a great sign.
It cannot be stated enough how important that is. Cristobal and his staff were not going to just blast Mauigoa with information and watch him melt. They knew he could handle a lot or they would not have given him that much to learn.
Will Mauigoa’s head still spin at some points? Of course. Same with Okunlola and Tripp, two other players that definitely could see live action this fall. It’s not about talent with any of them.
They can all play from a physical standpoint. With Mauigoa as the example, it will be up to these young linemen to figure out the schemes and technical points that keep Parrish running through holes and allow Van Dyke time to use his powerful right arm.
Overall, Cristobal’s comments made it obvious that Miami has begun to change their roster from last season, and the early practices have been a step in the right direction at The U.
