Miami Hurricanes Spring Game Wrapup: What Mario Cristobal, players are saying

The Miami Hurricanes held their annual spring game this afternoon at Cobb Stadium. Here’s what coach Mario Cristobal and the team were talking about afterward:

Top Takeaways from Miami Hurricanes 2025 Spring Game: Depth Chart, Standouts & More

MARIO CRISTOBAL

ON THE SPRING: The guys did a really good job of attacking a very demanding regimen and we played – a couple of guys were held out due to being nicked up, nothing major, but overall a very good spring. A lot of progress, a lot more to go. … We have a ways to go but progressed. We’re excited. We feel like every single spring we’re getting better, and I feel the same way about this spring.

ON LUKE NICKEL: He keeps his eyes down the field; he’s very natural. I don’t think he’s fazed in any way, shape or form. He understands protections really well and can therefore slide in and out of stuff. He feels it well and he’s not afraid to let it go. He understands what is being played behind that front, where the holes are. He understands where he can go with the ball. He made some really big plays. He had about two he would like to have back, held onto the ball a little bit longer than he wanted to. Really good football player. You can coach him hard. Tough son of a gun so really happy for him and the spring he had.

ON HIS INT: They are trying to challenge the safety, and it’s a snap decision. A good throw can make it happen. He trusts himself enough, is gutsy enough to test the waters now. We’ll learn a lot with film, learn a lot with him continuing to make reps. Decision-making, that one was dicy – throw to the flat, scramble. … He did some really good things.

ON MALACHI TONEY: His maturity and preparation is what sticks out. 5:30 in the morning he’ll be catching extra balls. Make a mistake and he’s going to come in and watch some extra films, spend time with some of the veteran players and spend time with the coaches and learn what he has to get better at. You can push him hard. Great culture at home. He knows he has a ways to go, but he’s had a great start to spring, and we are going to push him really hard this summer to make sure we maximize his potential. Really fired up about him.

ON A GOAL LINE STAND EARLY IN THE DAY’S WORK: As an offensive line coach, what do you think I’m going to say? I want to projectile vomit on the offensive side. But on the defensive side great job from a schematic standpoint, finding a way to expose certain gaps, timing it up really well. Couple guys putting their feet in the ground, knocking people back. We kind of needed that. We hadn’t done a bunch of goal line in the spring. That was overall a great job by the defense.

ON CARSON BECK: The good part is as player led practices come up, he’s going to be fully cleared for all of it. We’ll have the opportunity to have about 16 of those before we even head into fall camp. There’s a lot of opportunity coming up, he certainly took care of whatever he could mentally, the physical part begins on Monday (when he starts throwing). We’re excited for that.

ON GIRARD PRINGLE: You saw the elusiveness of Pringle. He’s really got a burst that’s pretty elite. He got nicked up in the spring, missed some time. He’s got to make up for that time. Chris Wheatley-Humphrey continues to improve, will be a really good player.

ON MARKEITH WILLIAMS: He got bigger, he got stronger, learned the system. He’s been around a little bit – is he going to do the things necessary to improve? He’s committed himself more. But he’s a guy that has a long way to go also. We think he can be a really good player.

ON IF PLAYERS WANT TO HOLD OUT/RENEGOTIATE NIL DEALS ALA NICO IAMALEAVA: You stay true to the program, make the decisions that are best for the program. Told you the other day, everybody is in the portal, the portal is always open. So it all depends on what you are going to accept, where you draw the line in your program. Once you allow that to happen, prepare for a line of 80 guys doing the same thing. We’re not going to do that at Miami, and I say that without any hesitation. If anyone’s thinking that — and they could be the best player in the world — if they want to play holdout, they might as well play get out. We don’t want to do that, and we don’t want Miami to become that. Too many guys have sweat and bled and laid it on the line on that field to ever become that kind of program.

WESLEY BISSAINTHE

ON HOW THE DEFENSE DID IN THE SPRING GAME: The defense’s performance was great. Just running basic things, trying to get our feet wet, just make plays. That’s it.

ON RAUL AGUIRRE: Since Popo came in he’s developed huge. Seeing him come in and watch film with me more, transfer it to the field, it’s amazing to see. Can’t wait to see what he does in the season.

ON COREY HETHERMAN’S DEFENSIVE SCHEME: It has been simpler, we’re able to play more free and fast.

ON DIFFERENCES IN THE DEFENSE: Just more freedom. We’re able to check things. We see something we’re able to check that, have more freedom to check things. That will carry the defense a long way, lead to making more plays.

ON EARLY GOAL LINE STAND: It feels amazing. When the offense gets onto the goal line it’s hard to defend, and I feel like we’ve been doing a good job of that this spring. I feel like we excelled on it as a whole defense. I can’t wait to see what it does during the season.

ON PLAYING MLB AND OLB: I don’t care where I am as long as I’m on the field, getting opportunity to make plays. Mike, WILL, it doesn’t matter as long as I’m on the field.

ON THE YOUNGER LBS: They are going to be good like Kellen Wiley, Bobby Pruitt. Just keep getting them in and watching film with them and keep mentoring them and I feel they’ll rise to the occasion.

MALACHI TONEY

ON PERFORMING WELL AND SCORING A TD (WITH ANOTHER TD CALLED BACK BY PENALTY): I felt great, it was my first spring and I just like I did what I do. I was just myself with my God-given talent.

ON SCORING A TD: It was very exciting. Coaches gave me an opportunity to come in as a freshman and show my talent and that’s what I’m doing right now. We had a great spring, now it’s time to transition over to summer. We’ve got to keep going.

ON HOW HE SEES HIMSELF: Malachi Toney on the field is a game-changer. Just put the ball in his hands and just let him do what he does. He’s a team player. He’s going to do whatever’s best for the University of Miami. And that’s why I feel like it was a great fit for me to stay home and do what’s best for my city, my state, and just to put on and show out.

ON NFL PLAYERS HE COMPARES HIMSELF TO/ADMIRES: I take things from everyone’s game – Davante Adams’ releases, Stefon Diggs’ route-running, (Amon-Ra) St. Brown different things, Jameson Wiliams’ swag. I just steal different things from different players.

ON HIS FRESHMAN CLASS: This freshman class can be great.

ON CARSON BECK BEING CLEARED FOR WORKOUTS AND WHAT HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH BECK: Getting to know Carson Beck, he’s a genuine dude, very smart on the field. Off the field, he’s laid back and doesn’t really talk too much unless you have to joke around with him. I’m most excited to just get to know him as a person, different things to learn.

WHAT HE LEARNED THIS SPRING: Stay even-keeled, don’t get too high or too low.

ON HOW HE FITS IN SHANNON DAWSON’S OFFENSE: I love coach Dawson’s offense. He puts the ball in his playmakers’ hands and gives you a chance to make a play and that’s what I love about his offense. It’s not about just one person, it’s about everybody. He gives everybody a chance.

MARKEL BELL

ON HOW IT WENT FOR HIM IN THE SPRING GAME: I’m still improving and I think today was a success for just me and the whole offense.

ON WHAT WORKED/DIDN’T: On the goal line (stand by the defense) we have to hunker down, keep our pads low. That played a big part in that, the offensive line and tight ends as well.

ON THE DEFENSE AND THEIR SCHEMATIC CHANGES: Our defense gives us a lot of different looks that we didn’t see last year. I take advantage of it, because it’s something we’re going to see (from other teams) coming up in the season, defensive looks.

ON HIS GROWTH AS A PLAYER SINCE HE CAME TO MIAMI LAST YEAR: From the first time coach Mirabal came to my house, he said coming to Miami I can make the city as loud as I want to, as quiet as I want to. Meaning I can focus on my football, my technique, books or focus on everything else in Miami. So I take pride in focusing on things that will better me for football, and you can see the progress I’ve made.

ON CARSON BECK: I always watch Georgia football, and having him as a quarterback coming in, he’s not even playing yet but it’s going to be a blessing having him standing behind us.

ON YOUNG DEFENSIVE ENDS THAT STAND OUT: Marquise Lightfoot is a good player, I’d say Armondo Blount has one of the best motors I’ve seen for a defensive end. Hayden Lowe is a good player, too.

JUSTIN SCOTT

ON THE SPRING GAME: It felt good, the scrimmage was a lot of fun, just fun playing with the defense, the new guys.

ON THE GOAL LINE STOP: It was super exciting. Really it was just energy. We all came in there, told ourselves they aren’t getting in, and they didn’t get in.

ON WHAT STANDS OUT ABOUT COREY HETHERMAN’S SYSTEM: Coach Hetherman, he likes us to play fast and violent. He preaches that all the time, swarm and suffocating (defense). (When someone has the ball) he wants to make sure it’s white shirt after white shirt, there isn’t any breathing room. The playbook is simple. Really just kind of playing football.

ON HOW HE’S GROWN AS A PLAYER: I feel like I’ve gotten stronger, understand the game pre-snap, looking at little details to tell me whether it’s run or pass.