Francisco Mauigoa opens up on adjustment to Miami defense

This offseason, star linebacker Francisco Mauigoa transferred from Washington State to Miami. He was a big addition who is now adjusting to a new defense.

Despite being at a new school with a new defensive system, Mauigoa explained that the systems are similar enough that it isn’t too difficult to learn.

“I think we run [the] same terminology,” Francisco Mauigoa said. “Same terminology, making it easy for me to understand easier. Basically, same defense, just different ways of running it. But, I feel like I’m comfortable with this defense.”

Miami is on its third defensive coordinator in as many years after Kevin Steele left for Alabama and head coach Mario Cristobal hired Lance Guidry to replace him. So, Francisco Mauigoa isn’t alone in learning a new system on Miami’s defense.

With him, Guidry brings a unique defense that’s designed to confuse offenses.

“People say that we run a hybrid defense, a 2-4-5, and it’s not. It’s two defensive ends that are standing up, like outside backers. A lot of times we stand up so we can see where the back’s at in case the back jumps because we have different assignments. But it’s four down linemen, two backs, and five DBs. Now, we will go 4-3 with three backers when they go heavy personnel,” Guidry said.

“And we do a lot of different things [with the ends]. We can drop them, we can rush them, that’s a bit unorthodox.”

A former three-star recruit in the Class of 2021, Francisco Mauigoa hopes to be a key figure on that new look Miami defense. Last season, with the Cougars, Mauigoa played in 12 games and had 60 tackles. He also made 5.5 tackles for a loss and had an interception.

Mauigoa’s younger brother Francis Mauigoa enrolled at Miami in 2023 as a freshman offensive lineman.

Francisco Mauigoa reacted to Pac-12 realignment

After Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff failed to produce a media deal that the conference’s schools could agree on, schools started looking to move out of the conference. Once the dust settled, only four schools were left in the conference. That included Washington State, Francisco Mauigoa’s former school.

Following this movement, Mauigoa reacted to what’s gone on in the Pac-12. He lamented it and wishes that Washington State could have found a better outcome.

“It was good competition,” Mauigoa said. “Great teams. And now seeing what is going on right now is said to hear for my past school because Washington State is in a bad position. But it is what it is. I’ll let them do what they do but hope for better outcomes.”