Mario Cristobal raves about rebuilt Miami offensive line, former Alabama transfer Javion Cohen

The Miami Hurricanes‘ front five will have a new look this season. Head coach Mario Cristobal discussed the revamped offensive line at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff.

“It starts with a guy that has his hands on the ball on every single snap, and Matt Lee embodies everything you want in a center; tremendous confidence because he’s earned it through work. And because he knows what he’s doing, how to do it, and why we’re doing it that way. And he holds those other guys accountable.”

Lee transferred to Miami this offseason after spending the first four seasons of his collegiate career at UCF. Despite coming from a smaller school, Lee brings serious talent. Pro Football Focus ranked Lee as the third-highest center nationally in 2022.

Lee isn’t the Hurricanes’ only fresh face. The team also folded in Alabama transfer Javion Cohen through the transfer portal. Cohen spent his first three seasons with the Crimson Tide. The 6-foot-4 guard started 10 games in 2022. League coaches named Cohen a member of the All-SEC Second Team for his excellence on the field.

“You add a guy like Javion Cohen, who’s had 20-plus starts in the SEC and one of the better guards in that conference with a returning starter in Jalen Rivers and a guy like Anez Cooper, and then you throw in Francis [Mauigoa] and Samson [Okunlola],” Cristobal said. “It’s exciting.”

Miami’s offensive line desperately needed the change. The Hurricanes’ front five allowed 36 sacks last season, ranking 109th in the nation. Furthermore, the team committed 85 penalties, many of which fell on the offensive line.

Cristobal knows change won’t be easy. Nonetheless, he knows the process will be worth it.

“It’s all about putting your hand in the dirt and going to work, and there’s a lot of other pieces of guys that have worked really hard to develop. But we feel that, without blocking and tackling, you’re not playing football. You’re playing seven-on-seven, right? And so we feel really good about the progress of our offensive line,” Cristobal said.

The offensive line isn’t the only facet of Miami that must improve. The team went 5-7 last season and 3-5 in conference play. After closing the season on a disappointing 42-16 blowout loss to Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes will have extra motivation in 2023.

The Hurricanes will kick off their season when they take on Miami (OH) on Sept. 2 in Hard Rock Stadium.