Following shaky pass-blocking performances and a daunting road trip to Clemson, the Miami Hurricanes face a critical decision: stick with struggling starters or pivot to promising reserves.
MIAMI, Fla. – In the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes’ newly constructed offensive line, veterans such as left tackle Samson Okunlola, center Ryan Rodriguez, and right tackle Matthew McCoy have held up mostly well, but questions come at both guard spots.
So far, sophomores Seuseu “SJ” Alofaituli and Max Buchanan have started every game in the interior, but changes shouldn’t be ruled out. In Saturday’s 52-3 win over Central Michigan, freshman Ben Congdon (left guard) and redshirt junior Jamal Meriweather (right guard) showed promising signs in limited snaps as reserves.
In a head coach Mario Cristobal-led program, everything starts in the trenches.
Last season, the Hurricanes had a huge interior offensive line:
- Right guard Anez Cooper: 6-6 and 345 pounds
- Left guard was split between McCoy and Okunlola; both listed at 6-6 and over 320 pounds.
Alofaituli is noticeably undersized for an interior offensive lineman. He’s listed at 6-2 and 298 pounds. In a 33-20 win over Wake Forest, Alofaituli finished with a horrendous 14.8 pass-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. In the same game, Buchanan tapped at 22.8 in the same category. Unlike Alofaituli, he possesses traditional guard size; listed at 6-4 and 310 pounds.
However, Congdon and Meriweather could provide more stability for the starting unit ahead of an extended Atlantic Coast Conference schedule. The Hurricanes will have five days to evaluate before this upcoming Saturday’s road trip to South Carolina, facing Clemson in Death Valley on prime time.
Meriweather transferred from Georgia with three years of experience all over the field. He’s logged snaps at every position on the offensive line, except center. Meriweather is listed at 6-7 and 305 pounds. He finished with a 70.9 offensive grade against Central Michigan (83.3 pass-blocking and 68.2 run-blocking) – eighth-best among the Hurricanes and third-best from the offensive line.
Congdon, who has a wrestling background, is among the standouts from the 2026 high school recruiting class. The 18-year-old has earned immediate trust from the coaching staff behind the scenes. Congdon, a natural 6-8 and 330-pound tackle, has managed to adjust to the interior. It’s a testament to the Hurricanes’ offensive line cross-training. He finished with a 73.6 offensive grade (77.6 pass-blocking and 72.8 run-blocking) against Central Michigan – sixth-best on the team and second-best among trench players.
Neither Congdon nor Meriweather played against Wake Forest, despite being available, which was when Alofaituli and Buchanan’s struggles were exposed.
Last season, the Hurricanes’ offensive line dominated, and part of the success came from its enormous size. Congdon and Meriweather help reintegrate that alongside McCoy, Rodriguez, and Okunlola.
Anthony Aguirre covers the Miami Hurricanes and Miami Heat for Roundtable Sports. Contact info for tips/info: [email protected] & 305-987-3290 | Follow on Instagram/X: @AnthonyA_Sports
