Francis Mauigoa Credits Parents' Sacrifices for NFL Hopes
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INDIANAPOLIS — After years of sacrifice from the Mauigoa parents, the dreams for brothers Francis and Francisco will become true in April, when Francs will likely be selected early in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
After Francisco completed his first season in the league with the New York Jets, Francis is now projected to be one of the first offensive linemen selected.
The Maugioa parents sent Francis from California to IMG Academy when he was 16 in order for him to receive top-end training. Already, the brothers have begun to pay it back to their parents with their performance.
"They sacrificed a lot for me to be at where I was," Francis said Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Sending me all the way to IMG Academy at a very early age, I didn't even know no English, but they took a chance on me to go by myself. ... They sent me out there for a reason, and I'm making sure that I'm not letting them down.
With the Mauigoa brothers both becoming stars at Miami, the two made enough NIL compensation for their parents to be able to retire.
'My parents have missed a lot when I was in high school," Mauigoa said. "...Me and my brother were able to retire them and have them move to Miami to be able to be there for our games. And seeing them in the stands, I mean, it just gives an extra motivation, and to see them support us and be there for us, it wears down the anxiety."
Because of that, Mauigoa's parents had the opportunity to see first-hand their son develop into a consensus all-american for the Hurricanes.
A significant part of that development was being able to line up against some of the top edge rushers in this draft class, Rueben Bain Jr and Akheem Mesidor, each day in practice.
"Every day we're going head to head, like coach (Mario) Cristobal said in one of his interviews, it's like 'Jurassic Park,'" Mauigoa said. "...It's not like trash talk, but it's like talking like, 'Hey, man, you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing,' stuff like that. And it helps us be who we are."
With his 6-foot-6, 335-pound frame, there have been some questions as to whether Maugioa will be better suited at guard or tackle in the NFL.
Though all 42 of his starts with Miami came at right tackle, Mauigoa made sure to put in some work at guard to prepare for a possible transition inside.
"They (NFL teams) all talk to me about, like, how do I feel if I move on to guard," Maugioa said. "I asked (offensive line) coach (Alex) Mirabal if I can get some reps at guard. I mean, I already know I'm gonna play right tackle over there (Miami), but for the next level, I'm not sure. If they want me at whatever position, I'm gonna do it. It's five positions, I'll make sure I take one of them."
Mauigoa will have a chance to boost his draft stock even further Saturday during on-field workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine.
