OL Mauigoa: Facing Bain, Mesidor fueled growth

INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa has heard the buzz about teammate Rueben Bain Jr.'s supposed short arm length here at the NFL combine.

And as far as Mauigoa is concerned, he doesn't want to hear it. In fact, it is Miami's pair of defensive ends, Bain and Akheem Mesidor, who have helped Mauigoa develop into the force he's become, he said.

"Nobody comes close to what we got," Mauigoa said when asked about his toughest matchups last season. "I mean, Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, they gave me all the work. They built who I am right now."

Mauigoa, the projected first offensive lineman to be selected in the April draft, helped anchor a dominant Miami offensive line. But their unit was rivaled by their own team's defensive line, headlined by Bain and Mesidor.

Bain has been the subject of some debate at the combine because of his arm length, measured at 30⅞ inches. That's much shorter than teams prefer for the position, but it shouldn't be a factor in evaluating one of the most dominant players in the country in 2025, Mauigoa said.

"That don't matter," he said. "I mean, if you look at the tape, it doesn't matter... Rueben Bain, he's got that mentality. He's got that heart to do whatever it takes."

As for the practice matchups between the Miami lines, Mauigoa borrowed an analogy from his head coach.

"Every day, we're going head-to-head," he said. "Like coach [Mario] Cristobal said in one of his interviews, it's like Jurassic Park."

As for his own prospects, Mauigoa said he'd like to be the first lineman selected and believes his willingness to play any position will help in that endeavor.

Mauigoa is a candidate to play tackle or guard in the NFL, something he said teams have discussed with him during his combine interviews. He responded by explaining that he would embrace the idea and had requested his college offensive line coach give him practice reps at guard in preparation for the possibility.

"They all talked to me about how do I feel if I move to guard," he said. "And it's the same thing. I mean, Coach [Alex] Mirabel can attest. I asked Coach Mirabal if I can get some reps at guard. I already know I'm going to play right tackle [at Miami], but for the next level, I mean, I'm not sure. If they want me at whatever position, I'm going to do it. And like I said, it's five positions. I'll make sure I take one of them."