The Miami Hurricanes have their first player taken in the 2026 NFL Draft – and it comes on a weekend where many Canes anticipate having their name called. OT Francis “Sisi” Mauigoa earned that distinction by being taken with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the draft on Thursday night by the New York Giants.
Mauigoa’s path to Thursday night began in ‘Ili’ili, American Samoa, where football runs through the bloodline. His brother Frederick was a three-year starting center for Washington State and spent time with the Panthers and Bengals, while his other brother Francisco – a standout linebacker who also transferred from Washington State to Miami when Francis committed to the Hurricanes – was drafted by the New York Jets in 2025.
Similar to teammate Rueben Bain, Mauigoa is a true Miami story from start to finish. Francis chose the Hurricanes over Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Penn State as the consensus No. 1 offensive tackle recruit in the 2023 class out of IMG Academy, and he immediately rewarded that faith: starting all 13 games as a true freshman, earning All-ACC Freshman Team honors, and never relinquishing the right tackle spot across 42 consecutive starts. He won the 2025 Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s top blocker and earned consensus first-team All-American honors, posting an 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade – the best among qualified right tackles in the country.
Many analysts note that Mauigoa could transition inside to guard at the next level, but Mauigoa himself noted during the pre-draft process that “[t]here are five offensive line positions; I just want one of them.” The one storyline that lingered through the pre-draft process was a minor back disc issue that prompted combine rechecks in Indianapolis, but Mauigoa performed fully at Miami’s Pro Day, is completely symptom-free, and was never considered a surgery candidate, although the situation was still being monitored up to last week.
The most decorated offensive lineman in the 2026 draft class is officially an NFL player. Congrats, Francis – and best of luck with the Giants.
