CORAL GABES — The Miami Hurricanes’ biggest question starts with the offensive line, and their mastermind, Alex Mirabal, continues to stick pieces together with the Canes’ new offensive line.
“I feel invigorated,” Mirabal said. “I feel renewed. I feel refreshed. It’s awesome to start with a new group of young men. Obviously, you have Matt McCoy, you have Samson Okunlola, you haveRyan Rodriguez to help me, along with the other guys that are coaching on the offensive line staff, to help me establish the culture, the foundation, the principles of how we want to play football on the offensive line at the University of Miami.
“But I love it. It’s a challenge for me, and as I said, it’s reinvigorating and a rebirth for me. So, I love it. I love it. I go back to how I was when I was a high school coach, where you get a new group of kids every year and just, let’s go. Let’s roll.”
Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive line coach Alex Mirabal against the Mississippi Rebels during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
As spring practice continues, Mirabal also knows that challenges with a brand-new group of players can come with many pros and cons. However, the goal right now is to be better each day.
“Going great,” Mirabal said. “It’s going great. It’s a work in progress. It’s progress. They’re doing what they have to do to get better. They’re learning how when they get beat, to get back up and go back to the next rep. … You don’t win or lose practice.
“You get better throughout the course of practice. To me, that’s what practice is and I’ve always held that belief… They let you finish runs. So, to me, it’s just about progress and getting better as a program and that’s what we’re doing. We’re not keeping track of wins and losses during spring football. We’re just trying to get better, and we got better today than we were on Saturday.”
Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez (76) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Canes offensive line will have several young talents, highlighted by five-star freshman Jackson Cantwell, but it will also have a veteran presence of players who have been waiting their turn and will now get their chance to shine.
“We had a heck of a center here in James Brockermeyer and we had another heck of a center named Ryan Rodriguez,” Mirabal said. “And to Ryan’s credit, he loves the University of Miami, and he didn’t transfer. So, to me, he’s a guy that should be praised for choosing to stay at Miami.
“He waited his time, and you know what? He kind of did it [using] the old path, right? That’s what used to happen at Miami all the time, when guys would play when they were juniors and seniors and they weren’t playing as freshmen and sophomores and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Building a culture like this has taken some time, but returning to the “old path” will only benefit the Hurricanes in the long haul.
“Everybody makes their turn at a certain time, and this is Ryan’s turn and he’s got to keep competing,” Mirabal said. “But he’s doing a heck of a job from a leadership standpoint, and so we just felt confident that was the path we wanted to take.
“It’s a decision Coach Cristobal made as the head football coach and then he asked me and I said, ‘Coach, I agree with you 100 percent.’ I think Ryan is a guy that we can trust with the ball in his hand. We can trust him to lead that room, and we could roll from there.”
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