CaneSport’s Inside The Lines: Up close with Miami Hurricanes OL Luis Cristobal, Jr.

If Mario Cristobal is looking to instill the culture he wants on this Miami Hurricanes program, he probably doesn’t have to look too far for a player that already intimately understands just the kind of work ethic and lifestyle that’s needed to fit that culture.

That would be Luis Cristobal, Jr., son of Mario’s brother (and Luis Sr. and Mario of course overlapped playing together with the Hurricanes).

Luis Jr. transferred to Miami from Georgia State, where the 6-0, 274-pounder enrolled in 2019 and redshirted that year.

As Luis puts it, playing for his uncle “is a pretty interesting situation.”

“It’s awesome for the family, but within these walls and even the walls in my house and his house it’s strictly business,” Luis says.

Luis says he’s well acquainted with Mario the person and Mario the coach and that “it’s a different demeanor how coach goes through things and it’s contagious, it really is. It makes you dialed in, makes you want to be a part of what is going on, and it drives me. It really does.”

Luis says his goal at Miami is to “work my butt off every day” and that he wants that to also be contagious with his teammates.

“My role is to push everybody, put every ounce of existence into being the best teammate and best role player I can be for this team, this University,” Luis said. “And to beat out as many guys as I can.”

As for his time at Georgia State? In 367 reps last year Cristobal graded out at 52.5 overall with a 79.0 pass blocking grade and 52.6 run blocking grade (70 is considered a good grade). That’s per Pro Football Focus. He only played in 41 combined reps his three prior seasons there.

Cristobal was primarily a guard there but is a center at Miami, and he was a two-time first team All-Dade County selection at Miami Columbus High, helping lead the team to a 14-1 record and state title game berth in 2018.

Cristobal was a three-star prospect out of high school.

Now he’s learning behind Matt Lee.

“He knows what it takes, has played a lot of football,” Luis said. “He does an awesome job, he really does.”

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