The Miami football program is trending for three-star 2022 offensive linemen Anez Cooper and Matthew McCoy ahead of National Signing Day on Wednesday. Cooper is from Pleasant Grove, Alabama and McCoy Creekside High School in Saint Augustine, Florida. Cooper and McCoy are both rising in the rankings.
The Miami football program is competing with Oregon to sign Cooper. McCoy took his official visits to Central Florida, Florida, Maryland, Miami and Mississippi. Miami does not have any OL signed in its 2022 Class. The Hurricanes did add former Oregon OL Logan Sagapolu as a transfer last week. Miami needs depth upfront.
When Mario Cristobal was hired as the head coach in December he stated the importance of improving the play on the line of scrimmage. Cristobal and his staff have secured four defensive linemen in the last two months and Sagapolu on the OL. Miami is also expected to sign defensive tackle Ahmad Moten on Wednesday.
Cooper gives Miami exceptional size at 6’6, 352 pounds. McCoy is 6’6, 285. Cooper is the 1,503rd ranked player and 150th OT in the Class of 2022. McCoy is 1,252nd, 121st and 166th in Florida in the Class of 2022. Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal have done an exceptional job recruiting late in the cycle.
It is looking more and more like 3⭐️OT Matthew McCoy will commit to Miami FL over his other Top 6 (Florida, UCF, Maryland, Mississippi State, and Minnesota)
— CFB Home (@CFBHome) February 1, 2022
Cooper and McCoy will likely be developmental players. With three starters returning on the OL and Jalen Rivers back from a 2021 season-ending injury, Miami can afford to allow Cooper and McCoy time to develop. Jakai Clark and Zion Nelson will be good mentors for Cooper and McCoy.
Clark and Nelson were both three-star 2019 signees without a lot of expectations. Both have become three-year starters. Nelson was recently named the 10th best returning 2022 OT in College Football by Pro Football Focus last month. Cristobal and Mirabal should help improve the Miami OL.
Penei Sewell became the seventh pick in the 2021 NFL Draft under the tutelage of Cristobal and Mirabal at Oregon. The Ducks also had two OL chosen in the 2020 NFL Draft. Miami has not had an OL drafted since guard Danny Isidora who was a fifth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. Isidora played with Arizona in 2021.