Former fullback Seuseu Alofaituli transitions to the interior offensive line, aiming to anchor the Miami Hurricanes' line and replicate last season's dominant performance.
The Miami Hurricanes' offensive line from last season was among the best in the nation. On the path to a National Championship appearance, the lineup of left tackle Markel Bell, right guard Anez Cooper, center James Brockermeyer, and All-American right tackle Francis Mauigoa, plus Matthew McCoy and Samson Okunlola splitting snaps at left guard, provided high-quality protection from quarterback Cason Beck. As four starters declared for the upcoming NFL Draft, the program is preparing the next group to take over, including Seuseu Alofaituli.
The Las Vegas native primarily played as a fullback, appearing in 10 games, including two College Football Playoff Bowl games. Despite doing what was best for the team, the 20-year-old seeks to return to his natural position.
“I’m working interior, just the whole interior,” he told reporters on Saturday, April 4. “Wherever they [the Hurricanes] need me, left guard, center, right guard, I feel like this spring ball, I’m really trying to work all of it.”
Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal is experimenting by moving key pieces to different positions, including McCoy at right tackle. However, one specific spot could maximize Alofaituli’s ability.
“I feel very comfortable at center this year,” he added. “Learning a lot from Ryan Rodriguez and James Brockermeyer, those guys were very, very great leaders. I felt like just them taking me under their wing and just learning from what they’ve done last year. It was a very good experience and just learning from professionals was a very big thing for me.”
Part of playing center is being in sync with the quarterback. The Hurricanes acquired All-ACC Darian Mensah through the transfer portal, looking to lead the program to another significant winning season.
The reshaped offensive line is expected to produce similar production to last season. The program is confident about the in-house talent, including Alofaituli, stepping into bigger roles. Jamal Meriweather was the only offensive lineman to come through the transfer portal, previously playing the last three seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs.
Alofaituli is Polynesian, which created a deeper relationship with Mauigoa, who is projected to be an early first-round NFL Draft selection. Despite only being teammates for one season, the sophomore learned a lot from the All-American veteran.
“Sisi was a brother to me,” he said. “Just took me under his wing and wherever he went, I was at. I learned a lot, just being a pro. Coming in as a freshman, I didn’t really know as much as I thought I did. Just watching Sisi and how he went into every day, getting here early, getting his body recovered, and just going into practice like every day was game day. That was the biggest thing I took, for me. Having the intent to do something every single day, learn something every single day, every single rep you do just has to have an intent to it. That’s really what I learned from Cisi. He always had a purpose in what he did and that’s the biggest thing for me.”
As spring training unravels, Alofaituli will have opportunities to cement himself in a role within the offensive line, potentially as a starter.
Regardless, the Hurricanes seek to remain competitive, which starts by dominating matchups in the trenches.
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