30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Francis Mauigoa anchors offensive line
The Miami Hurricanes kick off the 2025 season on Sunday with a marquee matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes’ roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season.
Today: The No. 2 player on our list, Francis Mauigoa
What to know
Position: Offensive lineman
Hometown: Ili’ili, American Samoa
Year: Junior
How he got to Miami: 2023 recruiting class
Key stats: 26 starts, all at right tackle, in two seasons at Miami
In summary: Francis Mauigoa has been an impactful player on Miami’s offensive line since he stepped foot on campus. He has started every game of his career at right tackle, was a Freshman All-American in 2023 and second-team All-ACC last season. Mauigoa has been tabbed a preseason All-American by multiple outlets and is viewed as one of the top offensive line prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. A third consecutive strong season could lock up Mauigoa’s future as a first-round draft pick.
What they’re saying
“I’ve been grinding, I’ve been working. Nobody can perfect their game, but if you can improve every day, that’s more than enough for me.” — Francis Mauigoa on his approach to improving
“He’s striving for perfection, for absolute excellence. He just goes. He’s got his foot on the gas. He is unbelievably fun to coach because every single day, he brings it, and he brings it with a great attitude. ... I think we all know that he’s a special young man. He’s a special talent with elite power, elite mind-set, elite upbringing, elite parenting. He’s been pushed. He’s been challenged since the beginning. I think what he does is he challenges himself as a person to be a better leader. He challenges himself to be a better community presence. He does a lot of work with every possible community service opportunity. And then with him, he understands the game really well now, so we do want to see that next level.” — Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal on Francis Mauigoa’s next steps
“As a player, he’s been pretty steady since he’s been here, to be quite honest. He’s a big, physical, strong guy. Obviously everybody keeps getting better, but ultimately, I do see him being more vocal, which we need him to be more vocal. He does a really good job of that.” - Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson on Francis Mauigoa
The rest of the series
No. 3: Defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr.
No. 4: Linebacker Wesley Bissainthe
No. 5: Cornerback OJ Frederique Jr.
No. 6: Right guard Anez Cooper
No. 7: Safety Zechariah Poyser
No. 8: Linebacker Mohamed Toure
No. 9: Running back Mark Fletcher Jr.
No. 10: Tight end Elija Lofton
No. 11: Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor
No. 12: Wide receiver Joshisa Trader
No. 13: Offensive lineman Markel Bell
No. 14: Defensive back Xavier Lucas
No. 15: Defensive lineman Justin Scott
No. 16: Wide receiver CJ Daniels
No. 17: Defensive lineman David Blay
No. 18: Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten
No. 19: Center James Brockermeyer
No. 20: Wide receiver Keelan Marion
No. 21: Defensive back Jakobe Thomas
No. 23: Defensive back Keionte Scott
No. 24: Running back Jordan Lyle
No. 25: Defensive back Damari Brown
No. 26: Defensive lineman Armondo Blount
No. 27: Wide receiver Malachi Toney
No. 28: Defensive back Ethan O’Connor
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
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