Max Buchanan didn't go down without a fight, but unfortunately, the Miami Hurricanes guard is going to be down for a while. And even on a bye week, Mario Cristobal is going to have to navigate another injury that will shake up the depth chart.
Buchanan's absence leads to a lot of questions about where Miami can go with the starting offensive line. There will be a full reset of the depth chart in a few days, but for now, let's just focus on the five guys up front.
Here's where Miami's offensive line currently stands:
Starters
Samson Okunlola (LT)
Ben Congdon (LG)
Ryan Rodriguez (C)
Matthew McCoy (RT)
Bench players
SJ Alofaituli (G/C)
Jackson Cantwell (T)
Jamal Meriweather (T/G)
The Buchanan injury is devastating not just because he was a quality starter, but because Miami appeared to have finally solved a problem by starting Congdon and allowing the struggling Alofaituli to focus more on being the second-team center.
Cantwell, who didn't play in Week 5 against Clemson, also struggled at guard, and the Hurricanes smartly decided not to rush the former five-star recruit and let him develop at his proper position of tackle. So, Miami is limited in what they can do, but there are some options.
3 options for Miami's offensive line moving forward
Someone has to play guard, and that could be Alofaituli, an undersized player who has struggled at the spot, or one of the two tackles. The way I see it, the Hurricanes have three choices:
Insert Alofaituli back into the starting lineup at guard
This is the easiest option and the coaches can decide whether they want to keep Alofaituli on the left side and move Congdon to the right or just put Alofaituli as a direct replacement for Buchanan. Clearly, the staff likes Alofaituli and believes he'll be a major contributor in the future, but he was not good as a starting guard. So, while this is the easiest move, it doesn't necessarily make the Hurricanes better.
Move McCoy back to guard and see if Centwell is ready
McCoy has over 20 starts at left guard already, so moving back to the inside shouldn't be a problem for the fifth-year senior. There's always a big risk of changing tackles, especially since McCoy has been solid on the right side. Cantwell hasn't worked out at guard, so this move gets him back on the field, and we'll see if he can sink or swim at his natural position. This move would give Miami what I believe is its best starting five up front.
Move Rodriguez to guard and insert Alofaituli at center
This is the least likely option, in my opinion, because even though Rodriguez has previously started at guard, he is a better center. Also, changing centers could have a ripple effect on the overall operation of the offense. There's nothing more important than the quarterback-center exchange, and Darian Mensah would be forced to make an adjustment to a new center during the most important stretch of the schedule. That doesn't seem ideal.
Jackson Cantwell should move into the starting lineup
Putting McCoy back at guard and Cantwell at right tackle gets the Hurricanes' best five healthy linemen on the field. It's time for Miami to take the training wheels off Cantwell because the true freshman will get better as he gets more live reps in games. If the move is made now, Cantwell will have a few growing pains, but he'll be well seasoned by the time the playoffs begin.
Add us as a preferred source on Google