Mario Cristobal details importance of offensive line, protecting Cam Ward

The Miami Hurricanes added one of the top available transfer quarterbacks this offseason, bringing in Cam Ward. Still, for him to be successful, head coach Mario Cristobal knows that getting a strong effort from the offensive line is going to be vital.

Cristobal detailed the importance of the offensive line and protecting Ward while at ACC Media Days while also emphasizing the value of having good personnel.

“Protecting the quarterback has always been the forefront of any and every place that we’ve been at,” Mario Cristobal said. “It starts with guys like Jalen Rivers over here. Complete pro from top to bottom. A mentor to the younger guys. His approach to his craft. It starts with the guys up front, making sure there’s complete alignment between the coordinator and the offensive line coach, right? Understanding what defenses do, what they do well. Where there personnel advantages and disadvantages might be, and scheming our plan as it relates to that.”

Now in his third season at Miami, Mario Cristobal has a background as an offensive line coach and played offensive line in his own days. With that, upgrading Miami’s offensive line was immediately a focus for him.

This offseason was a busy one for Cristobal as he addressed the offensive line. The Hurricanes had the fifth-ranked class in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. That included four offensive linemen. Meanwhile, in the Transfer Portal, Miami landed another lineman.

“To do that, you have to have good personnel up front, especially when you have a quarterback like we feel our quarterback and quarterbacks are to give him the right amount of time, to allow them to at a very high level operate within the system. Sometimes improvise on their own,” Cristobal said.

“We feel good about the personnel up front. We feel really good about the personnel outside on the perimeter, in the core, in the backfield. The combination of those things. Cam’s football IQ, his knowledge of protections, understanding where he is and isn’t protected, how to get to a protection to make sure he is, and everything built around it will allow him to be efficient, protected and allows us to keep him upright.”

Mario Cristobal is looking for both the offensive line and Cam Ward to have big seasons in 2023. After going just 12-13 in his first two seasons at Miami, expectations are high, and much of that falls on their shoulders.