INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Combine is officially in the books, and the Miami Hurricanes flooded Lucas Oil Stadium with 10 prospects. But if you expected to see Francis Mauigoa sprint the 40-yard dash or Rueben Bain Jr. toss up 225 pounds on the bench press, you left disappointed. The elite tier of Miami’s 2026 draft class skipped the physical testing, choosing to control the environment at their March 23 Pro Day in Coral Gables.
Still, the tape speaks louder than the stopwatches. Bain measured in with historically short arms, yet scouts still peg him as a top-five talent. Meanwhile, transfer quarterback Carson Beck stepped onto the turf to throw, aiming to solidify his spot as the third quarterback off the board this April in Pittsburgh.
The Arm Length Panic and Bain’s Raw Power
Bain checked in at 6-foot-2 and 263 pounds. The internet immediately panicked over his 30 7/8-inch arms—the third-shortest for a defensive end in combine history. You could almost feel the tension in the air as evaluators scribbled the numbers down. But turn on the 2025 film. Bain plays like a battering ram.
He fits the run with violence and routinely collapses the pocket through pure force. He does not need elite length when he possesses elite technique. Teams trying to slide him down the board over a tape measure will regret it when he is resetting the line of scrimmage on Sundays.
Mauigoa and the Offensive Line Anchors
Francis Mauigoa stood tall at 6-foot-5 and a half, weighing 329 pounds. He met with several front offices, including the Cleveland Browns, and carries a quiet confidence. He claims he will break the 5.0-second mark in the 40-yard dash at Pro Day. If he does, he effectively locks up the first offensive tackle spot in the draft.
Then you have Markel Bell. You cannot teach 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds. Bell was the lone Hurricane to fully test in Indy, clocking an eye-opening 5.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash. A man that massive moving that fast turns heads. He bullied defenders all season, and his combine performance firmly pushed him into Day 2 territory.
Beck’s Arm and Mesidor’s Rise
Carson Beck skipped the athletic testing but gripped the football during the throwing sessions. Coming off a 2025 season where he led Miami through a gauntlet schedule, Beck looked sharp. His deep ball lacked elite velocity—a lingering effect of his late-2024 UCL surgery—but his compact release and timing stood out. He linked up with his college target CJ Daniels on several crisp, tightly-contested routes.
Akheem Mesidor did not run, but his ACC-leading 10.5 sacks in 2025 keep his name hot. He turns 25 before his rookie season starts, which bothers some front offices, but his speed-to-power transition routinely crushes offensive tackles.
“Yeah, everybody over here wants to be the best offensive lineman, and it’s kind of a competition. That’s what I like, the competition. And to be the number one offensive lineman coming out of the draft… it’s a blessing and it’s something, of course, everybody wants.”
— Francis Mauigoa, Miami Offensive Tackle
Draft Implications / What Comes Next
The road now leads to Coral Gables on March 23. This intimate setting gives scouts one last shot to verify the athleticism that pops off the game film. For Bain, the Pro Day serves as a platform to prove his footwork and burst mask the arm length deficiency. For Beck, he needs to uncork deep shots to ease concerns about his arm strength and secure his Day 2 draft capital.
If Miami’s stars perform as expected under the Florida sun, we could see multiple Hurricanes walking across the stage in the first round when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off in Pittsburgh on April 23.
