Miami HC Mario Cristobal visits elite 2025 OT Owen Strebig

Programs are turning up the heat on recruiting the 2025 class. Coaches are out on the road visiting prospects in January as Junior Day visits are occurring all around the country.

Miami skipper Mario Cristobal is staying active on the recruiting trail. The Hurricanes head coach was up north in Wisconsin on Wednesday alongside OL coach Alex Mirabal to visit one of the best offensive linemen in the nation.

Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial four-star offensive tackle Owen Strebig included Miami in his latest list of top schools back in December. The Canes are keeping close contact and are continuing to show that he’s a priority for the 2025 class in Coral Gables.

Thank you @coach_cristobal and @CoachMirabal for making a trip to Memorial. #ItsAllAboutTheU 🙌🌴 pic.twitter.com/XONeKjlkwL

— Owen Strebig (@OwenStrebig) January 17, 2024

Strebig visited Miami in July. Upon trimming his list of top schools, he discussed what he liked about the Hurricanes and that trip with On3’s Chad Simmons:

“I really think there’s a lot of opportunity out there,” Strebig said. “The visit I took was probably one of my favorite visits I’ve had in my recruitment because of the way the staff talked to me. We were able to talk ball and talk about life. They just keep trending up.” 

The towering 6-foot-7, 295-pounder ranks as the No. 125 overall prospect, No. 12 OT and No. 1 player in Wisconsin in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Strebig discusses other contenders in his recruitment

There’s still plenty of competition for the Hurricanes in the race for Strebig, as 10 other programs also made his first cut on Dec. 28:  Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Notre Dame, UCF, USC and Wisconsin.

Notre Dame has had him on campus the most, while the Gators and in-state Badgers are among those who have had him in for multiple visits. Here’s what Strebig told Simmons about the rest of his contenders:

Florida: “It’s SEC football. I really like the staff and a good thing about them is they’re a program with two offensive line coaches. So, you’d be able to learn and get developed.” 

Florida State: “They had a dominant year. Coach (Alex) Atkins is very good at developing offensive linemen and being able to play at a championship level is a big deal.” 

Illinois: “They started off that relationship pretty early. It’s Big Ten football. Coach (Bart) Miller and coach (Bret) Bielema are offensive line-driven, so it’s a good place to be if you’re a tackle.” 

Iowa: “Coach (George) Barnett has been recruiting me since the summer of my freshman year. I’ve had a relationship with him and he’s a great man. I’m really comfortable around him. My family is too, so it’s just another place I can see myself.” 

Michigan: “They are a dominant school and had a great year. Coach (Sherrone) Moore has done a really great job recruiting me and I had a really nice time up there in March. That’s definitely another school I want to get back to.” 

Missouri: “They’ve kept my recruitment really simple. Coach (Brandon) Jones and I talk often. They offered me back in August and I’ve been wanting to get there. They had a good year and it’s a program that’s trending upwards and it’s SEC football, so I’m excited to get there and check it out.” 

Notre Dame: “I really like Notre Dame’s culture. I can lock down a degree from there and then, I really have a good relationship with not only the staff, but also a good amount of the commits in the 2025 class.” 

UCF: “They just keep trending up. We’re also in Orlando a lot as a family, so destination-wise, it would be a good place to be.” 

USC: “There’s a lot of opportunity out there. I think coach (Lincoln) Riley has a lot of good things going on. Moving to the Big Ten, it’s a good football conference and that’d be like coming back home for me since I’m from Wisconsin.” 

Wisconsin: “I would be able to represent my state. That’s another school where I can lock down my degree and carry on that tradition of offensive line play.”