Scouting Report: Elite Miami Hurricanes OL Commit Francis Mauigoa
Photo: Francis Mauigoa; Credit: Zach Goodall
From the national perspective or hyper-local, Francis Mauigoa committing to Miami over Tennessee, USC, Alabama and others was as big a recruiting deal as there was over the holiday weekend. Firework puns aside, the pledge represents the ceiling of what Mario Cristobal and company want to covet at every position -- national talent.
The move was so well received The Rock even jumped in on the congratulations. So yea, it was truly national news as the Hurricane recruiting momentum continued with the addition of the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy offensive lineman.
That's where the profile on scouting Mauigoa begins.
The Ascenders have been a factory for offensive linemen jumping into the Power Five, with plenty of recent success stories including Evan Neal going top 10 in the NFL Draft in April. He began his career as an underclassman at IMG, working at guard, before moving to tackle. Mauigoa is on a similar path, only he's making the move from right tackle to left tackle as a senior ala 2022 SI99 recruit Tyler Booker.
Like Booker, Mauigoa has the floor of arguably the top interior offensive line prospect in the country. The ceiling, though, could be right at the left tackle spot, where his agility, strength and anchor could allow him to be the blindside protector for multiple Miami quarterbacks down the line.
We have seen Mauigoa in every setting over the last year, including multiple games, a pro day and several camps -- where he flashes dominance along the way. Where it counts most, Friday nights, the pop upon contact is hard to miss in person or on tape. Working at right tackle, whether on straight-on assignments, chip-and-goes or pulls, Mauigoa has great range and footwork to play leverage and explode towards the intended assignment.
The pass blocking has come a long way for the newest Hurricane, too, something we saw again in May during IMG's spring game. Working against elite edge athlete Samuel M'Pemba, the two each had their shining moments against the other. When the defender lost, though, it was because of the latching ability of Mauigoa, who is hard to shake once both hands are set inside a defender's pads.
Earlier in the spring, the body composition and the agility impressed scouts most without the pads on. Mauigoa redirects very well for his size, and transitions without wasted motion -- critical no matter where he lines up in the ACC. The skip pulls he showed at IMG's Pro Day (video above) screamed right tackle or interior player in order to maximize his elite run-blocking ability. We'll see how much Cristobal and Alex Mirabal pull the left tackle at The U this fall.
The other spring setting he showed up at was as dominant as it gets (video, top of story). It was an underclassmen showcase put on in Orlando by the UC Report, and Mauigoa overmatched any and all competitors he lined up against this time around. The sample was semi-viral with his punch and pancaking ability, but also offered a chance to see his kick step and just how much ground he could give as a pass blocker.
As per usual, Mauigoa did it with aggression and worked as the initiator more times than not. While coveted, it opens up the conversation for counter moves when dealing with polished pass-rushers, something he is more likely to see on Friday night's when he works at left tackle for the first time this fall. But on this day, it was plenty enough, and he even got two defenders to the turf as a result.
One easy win came against a shorter, stockier rusher who presented a high base to Mauigoa, to which he matches with both hands to corral the defender and funnel him well outside the pocket. The second rep was a long-arm attempt on defense, to which Mauigoa spotted and attacked internally (as instructed) for an easy finish that had the defender on one knee by the time the whistle blew. A smirk and scoff later, he moved back to right tackle for more dominant work thereafter.
It was from the right side where Mauigoa impressed most, going against an FBS prospect who worked an inside-out move to get him off balance. It worked, but the Miami pledge redirected out in time to run the defender beyond the pocket in a show of stunning recognition and agility. At that moment onlookers knew it was his camp event, something he emphasized with an easy takedown on the rematch rep.
While we wait on the possibilities and experience to be added on at left tackle in 2022, Mauigoa's floor looks as good as any trench prospect we have evaluated in the class of 2023. Sure, cleaner pass protection should be desired, but that is a statement every offensive line coach echoes on every incoming prospect.
Off the field, it should be noted that the newest UM commitment has that "it" factor about him. Most associate the term with the quarterback position, relating to personality or a demeanor that is to be well-liked and/or followed at the next level. Whatever it is, Mauigoa seems to have it in his combination of confidence and personality, something that surely won't hurt Miami's chances of making the 2023 class one of the best in the country.
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