Miami Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal has fully embraced the challenge of replacing four starters from last year’s unit.
While Miami’s 2026 crop features less experience than the O-Lines of 2025 and 2024, the room is filled with elite size and talent.
Before training camp began, my projected starting unit featured freshman Jackson Cantwell, senior Samson Okunlola, senior Ryan Rodriguez, sophomore Max Buchanan, and senior Matt McCoy. My prediction could certainly come true, but battles have been raging in practice.
Cantwell is not the only true freshman grabbing headlines. Remember the name BEN CONGDON.
Congdon has turned heads by earning prominent reps in practice. The 6-8, 330-pounder has been getting in work as guard, but can also factor heavily into competitions at offensive tackle. Mirabal loves to cross-train his players and get them ready for multiple positions when needed. Congdon has seriously raised his stock since spring football.
A factor that has eased Congdon’s transition into college-level trench play is his background as an elite high school wrestler. He’s a former Inter-Valley Conference champion (Ohio) who qualified for the state championship tournament in back-to-back seasons. I’ve long felt wrestling to be the ultimate second sport for offensive lineman. Top wrestlers gain leverage and strength that translates perfectly to the line of scrimmage. The grind of wrestling training is one of the few things that can rival the intensity of a Mario Cristobal football practice.
We will also keep our eyes on sophomore IOL SJ Alofaituli. His name constantly comes up among those who practice well.
Circling back to Jackson Cantwell, the former five-star recruit was named to the top ten on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” on The Athletic.
Feldman defines freaks as “the guys at whom teammates and coaches marveled” for any combination of their size, athleticism, strength, and motor. Cantwell, 6-8, 335, is the son of two Olympians in shot put. He looks like a dinosaur but moves with the grace of a swan.
We will continue to follow Miami’s OL during training camp. Coach Cristobal will not reveal the starting five until shortly before kickoff against Stanford. Miami’s season opener at The Cardinal on September 4th is less than four weeks away!
Is Miami about to move conferences?
Conference realignment buzz is growing again thanks to a proposed amendment to the yet-to-be-passed Protect College Sports Act. In the amendment, US Senator Ashley Moody (FL) proposes a 180-day grace period for schools to move from one Power Four conference to another after the act passes. After the 180 days, they would be locked into their current situation, meaning Miami being stuck in the ACC.
Talk of that six-month grace period has led to speculation that Miami could jump conferences when given that opportunity. Theoretically, they could, but there’s a serious hurdle. Actually, there could be up to 165 million hurdles.
Somewhere between $129 to $165 million would be the price for Miami (or anyone else) to buy their way out of the ACC’s Grant of Rights, depending on when exactly they officially join their new conference. Not only that, but they would either forfeit their TV rights to the ACC or be forced to buy them back.
Could there be leeway for a negotiation on terms? Perhaps, but the ACC would likely fight as hard as they can to keep their top revenue schools locked in.
Moving conferences is not impossible, but the reality is that it would cost over $100 million.
If the Protect College Sports Act doesn’t pass, Miami could run the clock out and pay a lesser buyout in 2031. This might be the scenario that Hurricanes fans need to root for.
I polled my X followers on which conference they’d like Miami to join if they’re able to leave the ACC. 1,926 votes came in between three choices of the SEC, Big Ten, and Big XII. The Big Ten won a notable majority of those votes at over 55 percent.
There would be pros and cons to a Big Ten move. That conference has a high academic profile, which fits Miami’s institutional ambitions. That’s a pro. Another pro would be the conference quality and potential footprint of teams spanning from Washington State to South Florida.
That footprint also brings a serious con, though. The travel miles for any given season would be exhausting. Also, the Big Ten happens to be a primarily cold-weather conference. Coach Cristobal definitely builds the type of team to function well in any temperature, but possible November trips to Minnesota, Michigan, or Ohio could get absolutely frigid.
If Miami ever leaves the ACC, would you prefer the regionalized SEC or the ambitious coast-to-coast footprint of the Big Ten?
