Left guard position to watch for Miami football team during training camp
The Miami football team returns starting right guard Anez Cooper and tackles Francis Mauigoa and Jalen Rivers in 2024. Indiana center Zach Carpenter will be the starting center. That leaves left guard as the sole remaining starting position to be filled for Miami during August training camp.
On Thursday, David Lake of Inside the U reported that offensive line coach Alex Mirabal told the media on Tuesday that redshirt sophomore Matthew McCoy will take first-team snaps at left guard at the beginning of August training camp. McCoy played in all 13 games in 2023 after redshirting in 2022.
Per Lake "McCoy played 141 offensive snaps in 2023 with 70 of those snaps coming at left guard. He allowed three pressures and zero sacks." McCoy was a key reserve for Miami on the offensive line and played a key role on special teams during the 2024 season. Lake reported that McCoy allowed no pressures or sacks in 2023.
Junior college transfer Markel Bell, Samson Okunlola and Tommy Kinsler will also compete to be the starting left guard for Miami in 2024. Miami had one of the best offensive lines nationally in 2023 with room to improve in 2024. Pro Football Focus ranks Miami with the eighth-best OL entering the 2024 season.
Okunlola seems like the most likely challenger to McCoy for first-team snaps. Per PFF via Brian Smith of All Hurricanes Okunlola played only 30 snaps in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury after three games. Okunlola was able to preserve his redshirt season.
The only two snaps Kinsler received in 2023 were versus Bethune-Cookman. Kinsler was the 567th signee, 49th interior OL and 98th prospect in Florida in the 2023 class. Kinsler was a three-star prospect who the Miami staff was very high on. Expect Kinsler to be a key OL reserve in 2024.
Bell is the biggest player on the Miami football team at 6'9 and 340 pounds. With his length, Bell projects more as a tackle than inside. Bell was the 16th-ranked 2023 junior college prospect, top JC OT and seventh in Mississippi in the 2023 class. Bell projects having a major chance to be a starting OT in 2025.
Miami offensive line named top 10 nationally by former NFL tackle. Miami offensive line named top 10 nationally by former NFL tackle. dark. Next
Miami has a much deeper OL in 2024 with McCoy and Okunlola developing and signing Bell. Miami stayed healthy on the OL in 2023. Whoever emerges for Miami at left guard in 2024 will be surrounded by multi-year starters at the other four positions.