Does the Miami Hurricanes' Offensive Line Need Immediate, Drastic Changes?

The Miami Hurricanes' offensive line had its fair share of ups and downs recently, but last Saturday's 31-24 loss to Notre Dame might have been the ultimate wake-up call.

For any program led by Mario Cristobal, everything starts at the line of scrimmage. Last season, the Hurricanes' offensive line as one of the more dominant in college football, which played a role in the National Championship run. They were led by All-American right tackle Francis Mauigoa, who was the No. 10 pick in this year's NFL Draft, selected by the New York Giants.

The current unit has given up pressure and sacks over the last four games consistently, but it's been overlooked, as quarterback Darian Mensah is capable of extending plays, escaping difficult situations, and remaining accurate. However, the Fighting Irish's defensive front proved to be too much for him to bail them out. They carved out 21 pressures and two sacks. Each of the Hurricanes' offensive linemen played a role:

- Left tackle Matthew McCoy: six pressures

- Left guard Ben Congdon: two pressures

- Center Ryan Rodriguez: one pressure

- Right guard Seuseu "SJ" Alofaituli: five pressures, four hurries, and a sack

- Right tackle Samson Okunlola: seven pressures

Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal haven't rotated the pass protection over the last four games. Meanwhile, this unit has allowed 57 pressures and seven sacks in that span.

This was the initial concern from spring practices to fall camp. The Hurricanes had to replace four starters and primarily stuck with the in-house talent. Only two offensive linemen were added through the transfer portal: Johnathan Clinche (East Tennessee State) and Jamal Meriweather (Georgia).

McCoy, Rodriguez, and Okunlola were viewed as the reliable veterans, given the amount of playing time they had previously. Although everything has been solid at center, it's the tackles that have started to crumble.

If the Hurricanes want to see different results, a change that could be a starting point is moving either McCoy or Okunlola to the interior. Both played left guard last season. It would open a tackle spot for freshman Jackson Cantwell to claim. Alofaituli would be the prime candidate to fall out of the starting lineup. He is undersized (6-2, 298) to play guard and opponents have taken advantage of the matchup.

After Saturday's loss, the Hurricanes are very likely to drop in the next College Football Playoff rankings, which will be released this upcoming Tuesday. The pressure to win the Atlantic Coast Conference and claim an automatic bid has risen. The margin for error is thinner, especially at the line of scrimmage.

Despite having a favorable remaining schedule, it's an area that desparately needs improvement:

-Nov. 14: Duke (12:00 p.m. E.T. kickoff; televised on ABC)

- Nov. 21: Virginia Tech

- Nov. 28: Boston College

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- "Shannon Dawson on Miami Hurricanes' Girard Pringle Jr. and Lack of Opportunity"