Miami fills big needs with 4 transfers. Cristobal assesses additions, what’s still needed
The 25-plus players in the Miami Hurricanes’ Class of 2023 are important to the future of the program, but only a select few of them will truly play a game-changing role at Miami next season.
The instant difference-makers for Mario Cristobal will have to come through the transfer portal and the Hurricanes officially added four transfers Wednesday, too. There’s a hope all four will be major contributors for Miami right away and at least a few should contend for starting spots from Day 1.
The four-player haul — so far — is headlined by Javion Cohen, who started 25 games across the last two seasons for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Hurricanes also got defensive lineman Thomas Gore from the Georgia State Panthers, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa from the Washington State Cougars and cornerback Davonte Brown from the UCF Knights to complement their top-five 2023 recruiting class.
Cohen, at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, is the highest ranked of the incoming transfers, according to 247Sports, and counts as part of a potentially program-changing haul on the offensive line.
Out of high school, Miami landed five-star tackles Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola, three-star tackle Frankie Tinilau, and three-star interior linemen Antonio Tripp and Tommy Kinsler, and then added Cohen, who was the No. 9 transfer available.
A second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection by SEC coaches this year, Cohen should step into a starting guard spot. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
“He’s the top offensive lineman in the portal,” Cristobal said. “He did not allow a sack in 1,600 snaps at Alabama.”
Brown is the other incoming four-star transfer after starting every game last season for UCF and nabbing two interceptions. In 1,900 snaps across two seasons, the defensive back allowed only four touchdowns, Cristobal said.
With Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey both departing, Miami is looking to replace two starting cornerbacks. The 6-2, 185-pound also has two seasons of eligibility remaining and is coming Coral Gables to play corner with brother Damari Brown, who signed out of Plantation American Heritage on Wednesday.
“He is a large defensive back, with a lot of range, great hips, great feet, great hands,” Cristobal said.
The Mauigoas are also part of a family affair and the older brother fills a major need with the Hurricanes trying to bolster their linebackers corps.
The 6-3, 230-pound linebacker had 60 tackles and 5 1/2 tackles for loss this year at Washington State. He also has two seasons of eligibility remaining and Cristobal said he believes he’s a “top-three linebacker in the Pac-12” Conference.
“His grades are off the charts in both defending the run and in pass coverage, and he’s a large guy,” Cristobal said. “He’s a striker, a knock-you-back tackler; uses hands really, really well; diagnoses plays extremely, extremely well — just a very seasoned football player and a guy we’re very excited about.”
Those three all fit with a larger priority for Cristobal in this 2023 class.
“We’re working our way toward a roster that is physically getting to where it needs to be,” he said.
Gore, at 6-foot and 270 pounds, is the outlier — an undersized, but hyper productive lineman from the Group of 5 conferences with 14 sacks in the last three seasons.
Like the others, Gore has two seasons of eligibility remaining and will be asked to help immediately with defensive linemen Darrell Jackson Jr., Antonio Moultrie, Jordan Miller and Elijah Roberts all departing. It’s a similar pick-up to Moultrie last year as a defensive lineman transferring up to play a higher level of football after thriving in the Group of 5.
“He’s just a really productive player on film, great with his hands, technician, plays with a lot of power — all-conference player,” Cristobal said. “He was great to connect with, shares the type of mind set and DNA that we’re looking for.”
Cristobal won’t be done working the portal, though. Miami still needs more help at wide receiver and defensive tackle, he said.
At receiver, the need is particularly with bigger outside receiver, as four-star wide receivers Nathaniel Joseph and Robby Washington are both 5-10 or shorter.
“We still need a couple of guys just to have a balanced roster and just to have normal numbers,” Cristobal said. “Those are the two areas that we haven’t fully addressed yet in this recruiting class.”
