CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Matt McCoy is a veteran offensive lineman who understands the importance of conditioning, of hydrating, and of taking care of himself, particularly in South Florida’s sweltering conditions.

But even with all his experience, there was a point during Miami’s 77-7 win over FAMU last week that McCoy couldn’t help but worry he might be at risk of overexerting himself – while celebrating the fact so many of his younger teammates were making big play after big play.

“I felt like a proud uncle. It was amazing. I was so hyped I almost caught a calf cramp just jumping out there, just being happy,” McCoy said with a big grin after Thursday’s win. “It’s amazing seeing all those guys out there. They did a phenomenal job. They stepped up to the test. We just want to see, ‘Can you guys hold up the standard?’ and they did. They did a phenomenal job.”

Through Miami’s first two games of the season – wins over Stanford and FAMU – 28 true freshmen have already earned playing time for the Hurricanes. Fifteen of those freshmen appeared in both games, and plenty of them have already made an impact.

Running back Javian Mallory, a former four-star prospect out of West Boca High School, earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors on Monday after totaling a game-high 142 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns in the win over FAMU.

He currently leads a deep and talented running backs room with 173 rushing yards and an average of 13.3 yards per carry.

Not exactly a bad way to start his Miami career.

“Being able to get in the game while being in the best running back room in the country is just a blessing,” Mallory said. “I feel like the older guys, Mark [Fletcher Jr.], Jordan Lyle, Marty [Brown], Girard [Pringle Jr.], they’ve all helped me from my first day here during the playoffs. They have all taken me under their wing and they’ve guided me to get where I am today. I’m just very thankful.”

Mallory wasn’t the only freshman to make his presence felt against the Rattlers.

Wide receivers Vance Spafford and Somourian Wingo both caught touchdown passes. Defensive back JJ Dunnigan made the first start of his Hurricanes career and finished with a team-high five tackles.

Fellow freshman Cortez Redding broke up a pass and notched three tackles, quarterback Dereon Coleman completed five of the six passes he threw, while offensive linemen Jackson Cantwell, Ben Congdon and Rhys Woodrow logged significant playing time and helped the fifth-ranked Hurricanes set a new school record with 856 yards of total offense.

For all the freshmen, those contributions were worth celebrating.

“It’s really exciting to see all my dogs in the freshman class making plays,” said Dunnigan, a former four-star safety who hails from Manhattan, Kansas. “Those are my brothers. I’m really excited for this class to see what we can do … It means a lot. These are the guys that I see every day and to see Vance and Wingo and Javian score on the offensive side – even though I don’t play offense – is great to see and it gets me pumped up.”

Added Mallory, “That was real special. If you ask around, that’s the big trio right there, me, Spafford and Wingo. Coming into this game, we had talks about what we were going to do if we all scored, not really knowing what was going to happen. But it was just a blessing to be here with my brothers, ball out, and do what we did.”

That Miami is allowing freshmen to contribute is nothing new.

Since taking over as head coach at his alma mater in 2022, Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal has made it a priority to play freshmen who have earned the right to be on the field, regardless of how long they’ve been on campus.

Last season, wide receiver Malachi Toney earned ACC Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-American honors after a breakout season in which he totaled 1,622 all-purpose yards, including 1,211 receiving yards, 113 rushing yards and 298 yards on punt returns.

Fellow freshman Bryce Fitzgerald also earned Freshman All-America honors after collecting six interceptions – a number that tied him for second among all FBS players.

And in 2023, former Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa made 13 starts at right tackle and earned All-ACC honorable mention recognition after helping the Hurricanes average 431.2 yards per game.

“The guys that have played in some way, shape or form, they earned that time,” Cristobal said. “And over the course of four years, we played a lot of freshmen, and we’ve had a lot of success with Freshman All-Americans, the guys that have gone and played at a high level here and then in the NFL. Hopefully, it speaks loudly to our recruiting grounds, and I know it was a very important aspect to be addressed when we arrived here back in ’22. Hopefully, that action is speaking loudly enough where we don’t have to speak it.”

Every expectation is that as the season continues, more of Miami’s freshmen will continue finding their way onto the field.

They’ll have their next opportunity on Friday when the Hurricanes travel to Winston-Salem for an ACC showdown against Wake Forest.

And if they’re called on against the Demon Deacons – or any of the other opponents on Miami’s schedule – the freshmen say they’ll be ready to continue finding ways to make a difference, even as they gain more experience and continue growing.

“When I committed, I said that’s what I was going to do and I have to keep my word. I came in here and [said] I’m going to work hard,” Mallory said. “That’s all we do here at Miami, work hard. Being able to fit right into the culture and the system was just amazing for me. I came in with my head down and worked.”

Added Dunnigan, “It’s something I always dreamed of doing, so just to be out here is a really great opportunity for me, a big blessing. I’m ready for the games to come.”