Miami Hurricanes OL Anez Cooper: I’m improved off last year, and line is coming together well in new offensive system with communication key

Miami Hurricanes right guard Anez Cooper got his first taste of bigtime college football last season, starting games toward the end of the year. It was quite a feat for a true freshman … who some programs were also recruiting as a defensive lineman some nine months earlier.

Cooper had his ups and downs last year but is all the better for it … and is penciled in as the starter for Miami to begin this season alongside LT Jalen Rivers, LG Javion Cohen (an Alabama transfer), C Matt Lee (a UCF transfer) and RT Francis Mauigoa (a 5-star freshman).

Providing depth, and competition for reps: 5-star Samson Okunlola and second-year lineman Matthew McCoy, among others.

It’s a solid line group that is healthy and ready to be a much different-looking and physical unit compared to the Miami OL that struggled opening holes and pass protecting a year ago.

“Our chemistry is very good – our first, second and third O line, everything we do, we do it together,” Cooper said. “It’s a whole unit. … We are way smarter in protection, do a whole bunch of communicating. We communicate while we are protecting, like in the middle of the play. So I feel like it’s going to be very good this year.”

He also said of Mauigoa that “He’s very smart. People probably see him like a second-year guy, but he’s a freshman. He knows what he’s doing.

“All our freshmen linemen are learning quick, are going to be very good coming up.”

The Miami run game will benefit from the revamped line, of course. And the addition of Nebraska transfer Ajay Allen and true freshman Mark Fletcher in addition to returning starter Henry Parrish make that a deep unit.

“All our running backs are very good – all of the running backs are fast, see holes,” Cooper said. “We open the holes, they can hit the holes.”

The idea is that this team will be able to have a vertical passing attack protecting QB Tyler Van Dyke while also putting together a potent run game.

“All of us, the whole O line group, work very hard,” Cooper said. “We’ll start early (before practice), coach (Alex) Mirabal has our entire group working as one piece. … Time will tell, but we can be very good if we stay together.”

As for Cooper? Last year he wound up starting four of the final five games son at right guard after injuries decimated the line. While he didn’t grade out particularly well (59.9 percent overall per Pro Football Focus, 60.5 as a pass blocker and 64.4 as a run blocker with 70 considered a good grade), he was a fairly consistent performer and drew a lot of praise from Miami coaches.

“Last year I wasn’t experienced, got thrown in the sixth game of the season unexpectedly,” Cooper said. “Now I’m going in, hope to start the first game, feel it’ll be a good experience.”

Indeed. He’s looking to build on last year in a new offense under Shannon Dawson.

“I feel like I have to be way better than last year since I know more stuff than last year,” Cooper said. “Hopefully I’m able to start off the season, be more experienced than last year when I was just thrown in the game.

“I’m ready, I’m built up to start the season off, feel I’ll do a good job.”

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