Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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44 PRESEASON 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: MIAMI "Is it the same? Is it different? Is it changed at all? Is it a similar philosophy?" This summer was spent studying Minnesota's 2024 defensive philoso- phies and approaches, meanwhile. "And then we'll have to get a feel for the personnel from Miami tape and who they've got coming back and how that fits," Denbrock said. "And then you merge those things together as much as you possibly can, and say, 'Here's what we're planning for,' and then be ready to adjust everything that you do if you have to and hopefully play some solid football." On the other side of the ball, with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash, there was a lot of Carson Beck examination. Beck transferred from Georgia to Miami, so Ash buried himself in the Bulldogs' 2024 offensive film the same way Denbrock exhausted his review of Minnesota's 2024 defense. "What were his strengths, what were his weaknesses, what did he do well?" Ash said. "How does that fit into what Miami did last year? And maybe try to identify some things they could do dif- ferently with him." Ash believes in the due diligence of that process. As a coach at this level, you have to. You'll get run over if you don't. It's also possible, though, to run your- self over. As much as Ash has concerned himself with Beck and what's around him and who's calling the shots and how the shots are being called for the Miami offense, he's even more focused on what his own Irish will be up to northwest of South Beach Aug. 31. "At the end of the day, for me, it's more important about how we show up, how we play, how we execute, the fundamentals we use and how we bring those calls to life on defense," Ash said. Spoken like a true disciple of Free- man, even if the two have only been linked for a matter of months. Ash is right, and Freeman would back that up; if the Irish are to evoke the same emo- tions from their Orange Bowl win, the same emotions they'd like to trigger in the same stadium on Jan. 19, 2026, then it is going to have to be all about them. It can't be about the Hurricanes. "I look at that big game and say, 'OK, what do I need to do to prepare this team for that big one?'" Freeman said. The answer is a lot. But what matters most is ultimately doing enough to just get out of the Sunshine State with a win — and, subsequently, a better chance of returning in mid-January. ✦ 1. A Veteran Offensive Line Leads The Way Miami head coach Mario Cristobal values offensive line play, and he should have a unit worth being proud of in 2025. The Hurricanes return three of- fensive linemen who finished last season as starters — right tackle Francis Mauigoa, right guard Anez Cooper and left guard Matthew McCoy — and two others who started at least one game. Miami also added TCU's starting center last season, James Brockermeyer, through the transfer portal to fill the hole in the middle of the line. That group will be asked to protect a new starting quarterback and pave the way for a running game that finished 31st in the FBS last season with 188.9 rushing yards per game. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Mauigoa leads the unit and is receiving preseason All-America buzz. "Like Coach Cristobal touched on, we're a team that likes to work hard, and for the O-line, we like to set the tone for the whole team," Mauigoa said at ACC Media Day. "We like to set the standard, as [offensive line] Coach [Alex] Mirabal always pounds on us every day to set the standard for the team. We're the type of guys that go out there and try to dominate everybody, even on our D-line side." 2. Defensive Improvement Remains Paramount Cristobal hired Minnesota defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman to revamp a defense that hindered Miami's ability to make the College Football Playoff last season. Only defensive line coach Jason Taylor remains from last year's defensive coaching staff. The overhaul included a transfer portal focus on defense, particularly with defensive backs. The defensive line might be good enough to cover up for some mistakes, but Miami can't settle for allowing 25.3 points per game like it did last season. "We have depth, versatility, powerful guys, guys that can knock people back and stop the run and guys that can affect the quarterback," Cristobal said. "When you have versatility you can move guys around, make it more difficult for offenses to get a beat on what you're doing." 3. Wide Receivers Need To Step Up Cristobal believes Miami will be getting the best version of quarterback Carson Beck, who transferred in from Georgia, but his pass catchers need to rise to the challenge as well. Miami lost all of the team's top four wide receivers in receptions last sea- son, with Xavier Restrepo (69 catches for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns), Jacolby George (53-752-8) and Samuel Brown Jr. (36-509-2) now in the NFL and Isaiah Horton (56-616-5) now at Alabama. The Hurricanes tried to re- stock the room through the transfer portal. Former Liberty and LSU wide receiver CJ Daniels, who caught 42 passes for 480 yards last season for the Tigers, will be asked to play a major role. Keelan Marion, who is a talented kick returner, will need to expand his offensive production after two seasons each at UConn and BYU. Tony Johnson, who played at Florida Atlantic and Cincinnati, is coming off a career year of 48 catches for 449 yards and 6 touchdowns for the Bearcats. If they can't succeed, inexperienced players like sophomore Joshisa Trader or freshman Malachi Toney may be in line for regular action. — Tyler James Junior right tackle Francis Mauigoa — who earned preseason All-America acco- lades from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Athlon, Lindy's Sports and Phil Steele — leads the way for an experienced Miami offensive line PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETICS Three Things to Know About Miami