Pair of Linemen Named Outland Candidates

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami Hurricanes offensive linemen Anez Cooper and Francis Mauigoa have been named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Outland Trophy recognizing the top interior lineman in college football, the Football Writers Association (FWAA) announced Tuesday.

Cooper, a 6-foot-6, 345-pound senior, started all 13 games at right guard in 2024 and helped anchor a front that powered Miami to the No. 1 offense in the country in both scoring (43.9 points per game) and total yardage (537.2 yards per game). He earned All-ACC honorable mention recognition and helped guide the unit to a midseason spot on the Joe Moore Award Honor Roll.

Mauigoa, a 6-foot-6, 335-pound junior, also started every game last season at right tackle and was named to the All-ACC Second Team. Mauigoa, who was a Freshman All-America selection in 2023, played a pivotal role in seven 500-yard team performances last season – only the eighth time an FBS team has compiled 10-or-more such games in a regular season in the last decade.

Their appearances on the Outland Trophy Watch List continues Miami’s tradition of excellence in the trenches, joining a legacy that includes past winners Russell Maryland (1990) and Bryant McKinnie (2001). The selection of Cooper and Mauigoa to the watch list for the Outland Trophy brings Miami’s preseason watch list honoree count to four, as they join Carson Beck (Maxwell Award) and Rueben Bain, Jr. (Nagurski Trophy) as major award list selections.

The Outland Trophy, celebrating 80 years since its founding, is the third-oldest major college football award.