Francis Mauigoa Scouting Report

You know exactly what you’re getting with Francis Mauigoa: Power, explosiveness, and violence. He’s a day-one, decade-long starter

Draft Grade: Round 1 - Pro Bowl Caliber

Strengths:

Power/Explosiveness: From the stance to the start to the finish, Mauigoa’s identity as a blocker is in his violence, power, and explosiveness.

Hands in Protection: While he lacks some of the length you’d want at tackle, Mauigoa is assertive with his hands. He plays long, consistently meeting defenders with great extension.

Frame/Fluidity: Mauigoa has the ideal frame of an offensive guard. Combining this with the fluidity of his lower half, changing direction, foot quickness, and twitch, you get a prototypical profile for an interior lineman. 

Concerns:

Range in Protection: Mauigoa lacks some of the range in protection to set out and beat speed rushers to the spot. His thick lower half makes it difficult to redirect or attack with his feet.

Getting Tall: Whether it’s setting out to wide rushers or even just being high-hipped in the run game, Mauigoa will rely too much on his natural power to win, rather than his posture and leverage.

Angles: I want to see Mauigoa take better, more consistent angles. His landmarks are behind on occasion, which leads to poor body positioning in the run game.

Francis Mauigoa Summary/Projection:

Francis Mauigoa enters the 2026 NFL Draft as one of the most experienced young offensive tackles in college football. Originally from Iliʻili, American Samoa, he played his high school ball at IMG Academy, emerging as a consensus five-star prospect and one of the highest-rated offensive line recruits in the country. Mauigoa signed with Miami as part of the Hurricanes’ 2023 class and immediately earned a starting role as a true freshman. Over his first two seasons in Coral Gables, he started 26 games at right tackle and played nearly 1,800 snaps, becoming a cornerstone of one of the ACC’s most productive offensive units. Entering the draft as a true junior, Mauigoa brings early playing experience, blue-chip pedigree, and national exposure to the next level.

Francis has been a reliable ACC tackle, but I believe his ceiling—and future—lies at guard. Mauigoa possesses a thick, squatty frame, with exceptionally developed legs that are almost over-proportioned. He has a sturdy upper half and adequate length. Despite his stocky appearance, he moves extremely well. He shows excellent foot quickness and general lower-body fluidity, though he tends to be a short-strider. While his lower-body mass can occasionally make movement more challenging, he compensates with violent, intentional movement, twitch, and effort.

In the run game, Mauigoa excels. He’s an innately powerful blocker, with strength and mass in his legs and rear supplementing a potent power profile. He’s a consistent displacer and an effortless finisher. Even with these strengths, there’s still room to grow. Maintaining better posture and taking cleaner angles consistently will be key to taking his game to the next level in the NFL.

Mauigoa’s athleticism translates well to the interior. In pass protection, he shows a strong ability to get out of his stance and gain ground quickly. He has physical limitations that surface against speed rushers—he isn’t naturally going to widen the pocket without a jump set—but he compensates by playing long and assertive with his hands. When his feet aren’t perfectly positioned relative to the rusher, he uses timing and hand accuracy to create extension and maintain control.

Mauigoa isn’t a natural-born tackle. What he shows on the edge is impressive, but it’s even more indicative of the potential he has as a guard. Guard is not inherently easier, but Mauigoa’s combination of power, violence, and natural strength—paired with the patience and polish he’s demonstrated at tackle—points to a future star at OG.

Projecting Mauigoa to the NFL, he just looks like a guard. He’s talented enough to be an elite college tackle, but his ceiling clearly lies inside. Mauigoa is a day-one, plug-and-play solution for any NFL offense. At minimum, he projects as a decade-long starter.