The turnover with the Miami Hurricanes won't be limited to players from the roster entering the transfer portal. Mario Cristobal will have to make some changes to his staff after tight end coach Cody Woodiel is expected to go to Ole Miss to be the Rebels' tight end coach and co-offensive coordinator.
Woodliel has been at Miami since 2022 and before that worked under Cristobal as a graduate assistant at Oregon. Before joining Cristobal's coaching circle, Woodiel was an offensive line coach on the junior college circuit. He has been well regarded for his ability to recruit.
Strong hires for Ole Miss in Todd Cooley and Cody Woodiel.
— Derrick Deen (@derrick_deen) January 21, 2026
Woodiel was the TEs coach for Miami since 2023, joins the Rebs as the TEs coach and co-OC.
Cooley has been the head coach for Delta State since 2013, accruing a record of 82-49. Was the GCS COTY in 2013, 2014, and 2022. pic.twitter.com/pnN4hj5BKN
Miami loses tight ends coach to Ole Miss
The production at tight end has generally been underwhelming in the three years that Woodiel coached the position. He walked into a bit of a mess in 2023 and didn't have much to work with. In 2024, Elijah Arroyo was healthy and had a breakthrough season with 35 catches for 590 yards and seven touchdowns. He left after his redshirt junior season and was a second-round pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This season, the production at the position dipped again. Elija Lofton has legitimate NFL upside and caught 23 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns before he was hurt in the Fiesta Bowl and forced to miss the CFP Championship Game. Senior Alex Bauman had 18 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, but was better known for his blocking ability. Unfortunately for Bauman, his worst moment as a blocker came Monday night when he whiffed on his punt protection assignment, leading to a blocked kick and an Indiana touchdown.
Lofton is expected to return and the next tight ends coach will also have former four-star prospect Luka Gilbert in the room as a redshirt freshman. Don't be surprised if Cristobal moves quickly to fill this vacancy. He might look to do it internally from one of the analysts currently on the staff.