Mario Cristobal's Miami secures commitment of four-star OT to the Class of 2026

By Maliha

Modified Mar 05, 2025 14:08 GMT

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Four-star offensive tackle Ben Congdon committed to Miami's 2026 class on Tuesday. Mario Cristobal and his coaching staff made a strong push into Big Ten territory by securing Congdon out of Ohio despite interest from Penn State, Florida State, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana and Wisconsin.

The 6-foot-8, 285-pound prospect plays at Tuscarawas Valley High School in Mineral City, Ohio. Despite his size, he moves well and demonstrates solid flexibility in pass protection. He is the No. 25 offensive tackle in the 2026 class and the No. 17 recruit in Ohio, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Cingdon is also the No. 322 prospect in the nation. 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described him as a physical two-way lineman with a strong wrestling background, projecting him as a right tackle or interior option.

“He has a naturally wide base that allows him to overpower opponents,” Ivins noted. “If he gets his hands in the right position, he quickly establishes leverage. A solid addition to Miami’s offensive line class.”

With Ben Congdon's commitment, Miami is up to four players in the 2026 class, ranking No. 12 in the nation. He joins four-star quarterback Dereon Coleman as one of the key offensive recruits of the Hurricanes' this cycle.

Ben Congdon raves about Miami coaching staff

Ben Congdon's commitment to UM came after visiting the Hurricanes' campus on Monday for the start of spring practice. Offensive line coach Alex Mirabal is his primary recruiter, and he also bonded well with Mario Cristobal.

"I've really connected with coach Mirabal and coach Cristobal both over the last few months with me visiting them and them visiting me," Congdon told 247Sports. "I really love the OL base team and coaches such as Cristobal and how well coach Mirabal develops people like me."

Beyond the efforts of the coaching staff, Congdon was also impressed by Miami's facilities.

"How beautiful campus and the community," Congdon told On3. "I also just was blown away by how genuine the whole staff was they treated me along with my mom very elite."

The Hurricanes coaching staff will now shift their focus to other offensive targets in the 2026 class, including quarterback Nick Kinsey, wide receiver Derrek Cooper, running back Favour Akih, wide receiver Jabari Brady, offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and interior offensive lineman Breck Kolojay, among others.