The 2024 Class: Offensive lineman Nino Francavilla signs with Miami

Since Cristobal and company arrived in Coral Gables, Miami has focused on building quality depth in the trenches.

Nino Francavilla’s signing with Miami on Wednesday is evidence of that. The Connecticut native comes in already with great size at 6’3″ and nearly 300 pounds, and head coach Mario Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal will be excited to develop another trench monster.

He was an attendee at a Miami camp over the summer, and the coaches trust their evaluation that he will become an essential piece of the future of the offensive line. The former Harvard commit excels at guard and center.

“I chose Miami because, from the minute I set foot on campus, everything felt genuine,” Francavilla said. “From the head coach to a lower-level assistant, everyone treated me like family, and it never once felt like the “phony” recruiting that you hear about at so many schools. Coach Cristobal and Mirabal had a lot to do with my decision as well. Their reputations and resumes speak for themselves. And at the end of the day, if you can play football with great people in such a wonderful area like Miami, how could anyone ever say no.”

Miami knows the importance of having an intelligent offensive lineman at the center position, with what Matt Lee meant for the offensive line in the 2023 season.

Miami added Zach Carpenter as a plug-and-play player, but developing a player from high school is the long-term route that Miami would prefer to take.

Francavilla’s high school, Cheshire Academy, averaged 5.9 rushing yards per carry and its 263 passing yards per game is well over the national average of 105.

Lee did just declare for the NFL draft, but the similarities to Lee are striking. Lee is now 6’4″ and 295 pounds, almost a mirror image of Francavilla.

Lee was also a two-star prospect coming out of high school but developed into one of the top centers in college football. Lee is currently projected as the fifth-ranked center, according to ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr.

If Lee can develop into a draft pick after one year at Miami, imagine Francavilla with three or four years of development.