Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal keep stacking bodies in the trenches, and the latest addition comes from the transfer portal: East Tennessee State offensive lineman Johnathan Cline.
Cline comes to Coral Gables as a big-framed, strength-forward lineman comfortable doing the unglamorous work. ETSU listed him at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, and that size alone is a welcome addition to the locker room. He picked the Hurricanes over Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Cline’s path circles back to Miami in a way that feels familiar. Back in high school at Cartersville in Georgia, he built an early relationship with Mirabal and even took an official visit to Coral Gables in 2022. He committed to UCF in August 2022, but the connection never disappeared.
After two seasons with the Knights’ program, Cline transferred to ETSU in late 2024 and positioned himself for a move up another rung. Now, he lands in an offensive line room that sells reps, development, and an NFL pipeline in the trenches, and Cristobal’s staff trusts Mirabal’s evaluations enough to keep taking swings on linemen with size and upside.
What will Cline bring in 2026? Start with flexibility. Miami can plug him into multiple practice groups, cover injuries without reshuffling the entire two-deep, and push veterans.
Miami fans love splashy portal headlines. Cline doesn’t generate that kind of noise, but championship rosters need these adds. The Hurricanes want durable depth that sharpens Saturdays long before kickoff — and Cline gives them another legit body to throw into the weekly grinder.
Comments