Miami Hurricanes C Matt Lee sees difference-making linemen alongside him for the coming season

When the Miami Hurricanes kick off the season against Miami (Ohio), there will be four new starters on the offensive line. Gone are 2022 starters John Campbell, Jakai Clark, Justice Oluwaseun and DJ Scaife, and new faces include Javion Cohen (Alabama transfer left guard), Matt Lee (UCF transfer center), and 5-star signees Francis Mauigoa (expected to start at right tackle) and Samson Okunlola (will compete to start at right tackle).

The lone holdover expected to start: Jalen Rivers, who could work at guard or tackle.

If Okunlola doesn’t start, then it’s likely the fifth starter would be guard Anez Cooper, who got four starts in the final five games last season as a true freshman.

It’s a much different-looking OL group, bigger, more athletic and it should be more physical.

And that’s a good thing after Miami ranked No. 95 in the nation in rushing offense and No. 108 in sacks allowed last year.

Lee will be the guy in the middle of it all. He arrives at Miami after allowing no sacks and no QB hits in 579 reps last year at UCF, per Pro Football Focus.

He shared his thoughts recently during a UM in-house interview.

“I knew I didn’t have any sacks, any hits either,” Lee said. “Last year we had over 1,000 total plays.

Lee has plenty of experience. He played 40 games in the last four seasons. Per PFF, Lee was at an elite 90.6 pass blocking level this past season with a very strong 80.6 run blocking grade and 83.7 overall offensive grade in 1,059 total reps (70 is considered a good grade).

He also graded out at 75.6 in 705 reps in 2021 (81.7 pass blocking, 70.8 run blocking).

His 90.6 grade is the highest for a returning center in college football.

“It’s cool,” Lee said. “It’s always good to see, a testament to work. But I don’t think about it too much. My mind is on getting to camp. Last year doesn’t matter, it’s what I have to do the next six months and do it better.”

Adding Lee was a big deal for Miami, and he provides a much more physical presence in the middle than Clark.

As for his picking UM? Helping the cause for Miami was QB Tyler Van Dyke spent a couple of days with Lee prior the decision, flying down from Connecticut to see him at UM in the off-season.

“Tyler flew down from Connecticut – once I got there and met Tyler … knowing he flew down to meet me, it was `That’s pretty cool,’” Lee said, adding that “several things” Van Dyke told him helped seal the deal along with his meetings with OL coach Alex Mirabal and Mario Cristobal.

“It was no specific couple of words that did it – the second night we were talking 30, 40 minutes about football. At the end of that conversation I was like `Yeah, I want to come here.’”

Lee said he also wanted to play for Miami because of “The opportunities here – get to the next level.”

This spring Mirabal called Lee “invaluable” and said, “He’s awesome, the epitome of a leader. He’s a leader, he’s urgent, he communicates. He’s everything that a center needs to be. He will be along those lines of (Brett) Romberg, KC Jones, a Bobby Garcia. That’s who that guy is. He’s talented as heck, a heck of an athlete. He was a tight end in high school, went to Central Florida as a tight end, they converted him to center. But he is a leader.

“He has all the intangibles, is a heck of an athlete. Great feet, can bend, can twist. Our offensive line is where it is from a chemistry standpoint, preparation standpoint because of Matt Lee. He is a difference-maker.”

Lee also spoke about several of his fellow linemen that could be difference-makers in their own right:

He said Javion Cohen is “a hard worker, good football player.”

Asked about Jalen Rivers, Lee said, “He’s one of the best all around guys. Super hard worker, super smart. Big, strong, athletic dude. Off the field a genuinely really, really good human being. A guy who can do no wrong. You can put him at guard, tackle, center – he’s done that before in practice. He’s super versatile.”

Regarding Francis Mauigoa: “Impressive, he’s a kid still, turned 18, is very advanced from a mental standpoint on the field and from a physical standpoint on the field and in the weight room. He’s still a kid, funny, immature, but he’s hilarious.

“Samson (Okunlola), the same thing as Francis. Physically imposing, smart.  He’s 18 also, funny, cool dude. On the field big, strong, athletic, same type as Francis. He’s a freak.”

Of Tommy Kinsler, Lee said, “Tommy, everything he says is something funny. But he’s big, super tall. Big dude, good feet.”

He said of Frankie Tinilau that “He’s from Australia, got that international experience. Good guy, impressive in a physical sense.”

And of Antonio Tripp, he said, “Tripp missed a lot of spring because he hurt his shoulder. In football terms can’t comment (due to that), but he’s a big, strong dude. A cool guy. He’s 18 too. All those young kids – they are all funny dudes, always joking around.”