CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mario Cristobal is enthusiastic about the work that has gone into helping his Miami program rebound in 2023 after Year 1 under his watch fell short of expectations. Known as one of the top recruiters in the sport, Cristobal has applied his prowess on the trail to the modern methods of roster construction, building a team he believes has the right blend of players to push the Hurricanes in the right direction.
"I think what makes this roster work well is that the blend," Cristobal said Tuesday at the ACC Football Kickoff. "The blend is the right percentages of the different kinds of roster make-up components. By that I mean you have some seasoned veterans that have been here that have seen a lot of football, played a lot of football. You have an elite freshman class where some guys are going to be able to contribute and be impactful members on the field while others continue to develop.
"Then you have some seasoned, experienced transfer portal guys that have joined our team. These guys can tell you more than anything the transitions have been seamless because we've been open and honest from the beginning that we are building and rebuilding. We didn't sell any lofty expectations or any BS dreams. We're very real about it. When you do that, and you are introduced to the level of work that these guys are introduced to, it works well."
The fluidity of college football is also something Cristobal has embraced. He noted this week that there's a lot of ways to build a roster in 2023, and he's in the business of adapting to the new environment. That's evident in the transfer portal where Miami's 16-player haul ranks No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC, according to 247Sports. The group includes Javion Cohen from Alabama and Matt Lee from UCF, both expected to be starting for the Hurricanes along the offensive line, and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, who in addition to being one of the top defensive players at Washington State is the brother of five-star freshman offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.
While Cristobal has utilized the transfer portal to infuse some instant-impact talent to the roster, he has still remained true to his recruiting roots on the trail while landing one of the best classes in the country over the offseason. The Hurricanes ranked No. 7 nationally and No. 1 in the ACC for the 2023 cycle with a 26-player class that includes two five-star and 14 four-star prospects. Cristobal has a few players that could have as much of an instant-impact on the Hurricanes as any transfer portal addition in that class, notably Mauigoa and fellow five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola.
To get that blend just right, Cristobal also had to make some changes to his staff from Year 1 to Year 2.
"Whenever you start up at a program again, and it has a rebuilding aspect, you have to sometimes go through a season like that and not make any excuse or sugar-coat it, but you go directly at the things that need to be addressed, and it starts with people," Cristobal said. "People in the locker room, people on the coaching staff, people in a support staff role."
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis was relieved of his duties in January and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele left to join the Alabama staff in February. Cristobal found his new offensive coordinator in Shannon Dawson, who brings an Air Raid approach honed under Dana Holgorsen at both West Virginia and Houston. On defense, he hired Lance Guidry, who had just been hired by Tulane weeks earlier after two successful seasons as defensive coordinator at Marshall. The staff transition extends beyond the two coordinator changes; the ensuing fallout also included the exits for four position coaches.
If Miami football needed a reboot after the disappointments of 2022, the rebuilt roster and reshuffled coaching staff have given the Hurricanes a second chance for a first impression of the Cristobal era.
