Bryant McKinnie explains key change involving Canes greats and staff. And recruiting news

At times in recent years, it has been an uncomfortable, at times awkward, predicament for former Hurricanes premier offensive linemen who want to help the Canes players who are now trying to fill their shoes.

According to one of those former Canes stars, a Hurricanes offensive line coach would be reticent, sometimes skittish, to permit one of them to offer tips that didn’t completely align with that coach’s philosophy.

Bryant McKinnie, a 2001 All American and Outland Trophy winner and a longtime NFL offensive tackle, said he expects that to change.

McKinnie recently spoke with coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal and emerged believing that former players no longer will need to walk on eggshells when they try to guide contemporary Canes linemen.

This wasn’t an indictment of Garin Justice - Mirabal’s immediate successor - or longtime former coach Art Kehoe as much as some of Justice’s predecessors.

Mirabal “is very welcoming,” McKinnie said. “Some in the past started off welcoming you the first two encounters, and then [there were issues]. With Mario here, we feel welcomed back.”

McKinnie -- who assisted at UM’s Legends Camp for recruits on Saturday -- said Mirabal “is the person I had to have the conversation with. With o-line coaches in the past, it would be like, ‘come, come, come’ but…”

In other words, McKinnie felt like the former players’ advice on technique wasn’t necessarily appreciated by some of the former coaches.

Mirabal “gets it,” McKinnie said, who added - laughing - that “I can talk to Mario to make sure [Mirabal] does. I believe [Mirabal] understands.”

With linemen, offering counsel on technique or anything can be tricky, because coaches have different approaches and a bunch of smart former UM stars– such as McKinnie, Joaquin Gonzalez or Brett Romberg - and qualified coaches could see things differently, or have different solutions.

Gonzalez said no former UM offensive line coach ever told him “don’t do this or that” but explained one key change with Cristobal and Mirabal:

“Alex is a lot more open than coaches have been,” Gonzalez said by phone this week. “It’s been a lot more inviting now. I went to four practices this spring. Alex takes guards and centers. Mario takes the tackles.

“They called me in there and said ‘Joaquin, jump in there [during a practice drill] if you see something to add [or say] one on one. I’ve taken the opportunity to talk to DJ Scaife and Zion Nelson and told them, ‘Why don’t you think about this or that?’ Not necessarily technique but what to do in this situation or that situation.”

That’s a healthy environment to foster, because Gonzalez, Romberg and McKinnie all have something beneficial to offer. And it’s helpful that Cristobal knows - or played with - all of these players and was a former offensive lineman himself.

UM alums who played other positions also are being welcomed back by Cristobal.

“Mario played here. He’s one of us. He was part of that brotherhood,” Buffalo Bills defensive end and former UM standout Greg Rousseau said. “He understands how much it means for maybe these kids to see me, Jaelan Phillips, to see us come back.

“For them to see that we’re actually coming back, it shows this is a special place. To see NFL players take time out of their day to come back here, it means a lot. He has that attitude of we’re all a brotherhood.”

RECRUITING UPDATE

UM - which has eight nonbinding 2023 commitments after quarterback Jaden Rashada’s pledge last weekend - appears very much in the mix with several top prospects. Among them (and there are others not listed):

Four-star Orlando based linebacker Malik Bryant liked his UM visit last weekend - according to 247 Sports - and is considering UM, Florida, Alabama and Maryland, with a July 23 decision expected.

Four-star Miami Edison receiver Nathaniel Joseph plans to announce a decision on Tuesday afternoon; UM and Louisville are the top contenders. [UPDATE: Joseph committed to the Hurricanes late Tuesday afternoon.]

California-based four-star defensive end Collins Acheampong plans to announce on Friday; UM, Michigan and LSU are all contenders.

Jaxon Howard - a four-star defensive end/tight end from Minnesota - is considering UM, LSU, Michigan and Minnesota, with a decision expected Friday.

Like Acheampong and Howard, a Friday decision also is expected from Bradenton IMG Academy four-star prospect Riley Williams, considered one of the top tight ends in this 2023 class. He has visited UM, Ohio State and Alabama. If he picks UM, he would be the Canes’ third nonbinding tight end commitment for 2023, joining Reid Mikeska and Jackson Carver.

UM, FSU, LSU and Georgia are among contenders for Gulliver Prep receiver Jalen Brown, who has a good relationship with Rashada.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Here’s what struck Rousseau after participating in UM’s Legends Camp last weekend:

“The energy that’s being brought to the program, the urgency, the seriousness. It’s a no-nonsense approach. These kids are working real hard. Head down, no talk. They’re grinding.”

▪ Rousseau - whose time at UM intersected with defensive ends Jahfari Harvey and Chantz Williams - said Harvey’s “motor and his twitch” stand out. “He’s only going to get better. I’m excited for him and his future. With Chantz, his fundamentals are real smooth. That effort, attitude and approach is constant.”

Rousseau spoke with West Virginia transfer Akheem Mesidor and said he can play end or tackle.

▪ Phillips (now with the Dolphins) and Rousseau were technically teammates for two years but never suited up together because Phillips sat out the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer rules (when Rousseau had 15.5 sacks for UM) and Rousseau opted out the next year - the 2020 COVID-impacted season - during which time Phillips had eight sacks for the Canes.

“We text more as friends than rivals,” Rousseau said. “It’s less about us beating each other than me wishing he had a good game and him wishing I have a good game.”

But they never had a bet about who would have more sacks as a rookie - or bet on anything, for that matter. (Phillips had 8.5 sacks as a Dolphins rookie; Rousseau had 4.0 as a Bills rookie.)

“It’s always love between me and Greg,” Phillips said. “There has never been a competition to us. We never really played with each other. We’re obviously playing against each other now. It always has been mutual admiration and support for each other. It’s really fun to hang out with him.”

The hope is that Cristobal and the staff can find and develop pass rushers as skilled as those two. Incoming freshmen Cyrus Moss and Nyjalik Kelly certainly have a chance, and Harvey impressed everyone in the spring. Newcomer Mitchell Agude - a UCLA transfer, like Phillips - also bears watching.