Mario Cristobal explains how to translate having a talented roster into success

The Miami Hurricanes have some serious talent on their roster heading into the 2023 season. So much so, multiple Hurricane players are projected to go in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with one projection suggesting that four will be taken on the first night of the NFL Draft.

With all this talent comes huge expectations. So, how is Miami head coach Mario Cristobal planning on using all that talent for a successful 2023 season? According to the Hurricanes’ headman, he has a plan for his program to be successful next season. Still, he’s not worried about mock drafts or any other outside noise.

“I think it always starts and ends with personnel. So, you know, we don’t pay much attention to the mock draft stuff, but we also at the same time make sure that any type of publicity and brand enhancement that we can have for our players, we emphasize,” said Cristobal.

“That’s important. So there’s no question that we do have some really talented young men that are really hard, and we are surrounding them with more and more and more. When Miami looks a certain way, the locker room is littered with that caliber of player and person.”

For most, the buzz surrounding the Miami program centers around their two starting safeties, Kam Kinchens and James Williams. Kinchens and Williams are both regarded as two of the best safeties in college football this season, with Kinchens widely regarded as a lock in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

While the players get the bulk of the attention, they are not the only part of the equation Cristobal recognizes. For Miami to continue producing top-tier talent and NFL-quality players, the Hurricanes will need a strong coaching and development staff. And that is another aspect of Cristobal’s process to rebuild the Miami program.

“Then, also, littered with a coaching staff that knows how to put personnel to good use. Put guys in the right positions to make plays, making sure that we’re teaching at a high level, that the onus of learning the system is as much on the player as it is a coach, by doing it together. So it’s as simple as that.
“Our track record we’ve had great success developing some guys to really high levels to go on and play long careers in the NFL. That’s certainly a huge part of our goals as well as the academic component and graduating with a big-time diploma from Miami.”

While Cristobal and the Hurricanes have a roadmap on how to cultivate NFL-level talent, their next step is to ensure that that talent is all on the same page, and it results in wins for the program. Otherwise, regardless of how many players make it to the NFL, Cristobal might find himself ousted from the program that developed him into a pro.