Miami already among the top schools for 5-star OL Mario Cristobal would love to land

Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes are already identifying the major targets in the 2028 recruiting class and not many fans would think that a potential pipeline could be coming from Orem, Utah. But Cristobal will not place border restrictions on the Hurricanes when it comes to finding elite talent and the city next to Provo and less than an hour south of Salt Lake City has the two top-rated offensive tackles in the class. 

Both Maui Tonata, the top-rated tackle, and his second-rated teammate Mataio Fano were in Coral Gables this week for the Miami elite camp. Both players are major targets for Cristobal, and they had a chance to get some hands-on work with offensive line coach Alex Mirabal.

Miami stands out for 2028 5-star OT Maui Tonata

Cristobal is always going to target the elite guys in the trenches. Francis Mauigoa was the first big-time tackle prospect that the coach targeted for the Hurricanes, that definitely worked out (more on that later). In the 2026 class, Miami signed five-star tackle Jackson Cantwell, who has already locked down one of the starting tackle spots as a true freshman . A successful recruitment of Tonata would continue the trend of the Hurricanes finding the next guy that would naturally step in to replace the current guy when he goes off to the NFL.

READ MORE: Former Miami Hurricanes star Francis Mauigoa is already making noise with the Giants

And don't think location is a problem for Miami. Mauigoa came to Miami from southern California, even though he played his senior year of high school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Cantwell played high school football outside of Springfield, Missouri.  Tonata also seems like he's ready to go across the country to play for the Hurricanes. 

"I want to go outside of the West Coast. I want to go to the East Coast, and Miami caught my attention," Tonata told Gaby Urrutia from InsideTheU. "A lot of good competitors out here, and I know I got better. West Coast to the East Coast, I know it's a little bit different. I worked some things out and got better."

The Francis Mauigoa connection could be big for Miami in the Maui Tonata recruitment

Mauigoa's success at Miami and subsequent top-10 selection in the NFL Draft is something that should play favorable for Miami in their pursuit of Tonata. There's a major kinship with the Polynesian players in high school and college football. They are all fairly close and the success of Mauigoa (and his older brother Kiko Mauigoa, who played at Miami in 2023 and 2024) opens the door for other Polynesian players to know that Miami is a program that they can succeed at and a place that can provide a cultural connection. 

The sight of Mauigoa walking across the stage in Pittsburgh after being selected, representing American Samoa and the Polynesian community, and then talking about the great experiences he had at Miami and playing under Cristobal and Mirabal, is something that resonates in that community. It could be the factor that helps the Hurricanes land Tonata when the time comes. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow