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Three Hurricanes drafted in 1st round for 1st time in nearly 2 decades (and there were plenty of tears)
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- Three Hurricanes drafted in 1st round for 1st time in nearly 2 decades (and there were plenty of tears)
There were plenty of Miami Hurricanes highlights during the NFL draft's first-round broadcast on Thursday night.
Three Miami players — Francis Mauigoa, Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor — were picked in the first round. It was the first time three Hurricanes went in the first round since 2007. UM was one of two schools that had three or more players picked in the first round; Ohio State had four.
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"You're doing a hell of a job," former Steelers coach Bill Cowher told UM coach Mario Cristobal during Pat McAfee's live broadcast at the draft in Pittsburgh .
Mauigoa was the first Hurricane off the board. The offensive lineman went 10th in the draft to the New York Giants.
Mauigoa, a former five-star prospect who started every game during his three seasons with the Hurricanes, was a consensus All-American in 2025.
The veteran offensive lineman showed his exuberance during an interview with ESPN after he was selected.
"I'll die about this s—, man," Mauigoa said. "I'm ready to die for you."
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There were questions before the draft about whether Mauigoa would fall down draft boards because of a herniated disc
"I don't pay attention to any of that," Mauigoa said on a conference call with Giants media. "I haven't really thought about it. I know my body. Physicians know more about me. I feel really good, and I'm ready to go day one.
"They were saying I'm good," he added. "They did all the testing and stuff, and they didn't find anything. So it's just an image at that point, but I'm ready to play ball."
Bain was the second Miami player picked on Thursday night. The Miami native fell past the hometown Dolphins' pick at No. 12, but he went to another Florida team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 15.
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After an emotional phone call with Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht and coach Todd Bowles, Bain embraced NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a bear hug on stage.
Bain, who was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American, ended his Miami career with 121 total tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks.
Before the draft, pundits docked Bain's pro potential because of his arm length . But that was not enough to keep him out of the first round.
"I know I'm the best in the country, and I'm going to show it," Bain said in an interview with ESPN.
"I'm telling you: I can do anything I put my mind to because of my mindset," Bain added. "I know when I get to the next level, it's on and popping."
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Mesidor was the last Hurricane selected in the first round, going to the Chargers with the 22nd pick . Unlike Bain and Mauigoa, he did not spend his entire college career at Miami. Mesidor, an Ottawa, Canada, native, started his college career at West Virginia. But like Bain and Mesidor, he signed up to play at UM when the program was at a low point.
Mesidor transferred to the Hurricanes in the spring before the 2022 season. Although the team struggled in his first year at Miami, he was a standout player on defense. After injuries relegated him to the sideline for much of 2023, Mesidor had a solid 2024 campaign and an excellent 2025 season.
Like Bain and Mauigoa, there were questions around Mesidor's pro potential — primarily regarding his age (he is 25 years old) and his injury history.
"I'm ready to come in, earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches and compete," Mesidor told The Athletic. "The age stuff, any of the negativity that people push into the media about me, it's all out the window. It does not faze me. I'm here to play football."
