How versatile Hurricanes lineman Jalen Rivers adjusted to his new role at left tackle

CORAL GABLES — Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal and his staff worked to drastically overhaul Miami’s offensive line after the 2022 season, and they succeeded.

Only one starter from the Hurricanes’ 2022 season opener is still on the team. That returning starter, Jalen Rivers, is doing a new job, as well. The veteran lineman is sliding over one spot from left guard, where he has spent most of his college career, to the ultra-important left tackle position.

“He’s really good,” Cristobal said. “And he’s really excelled at all five positions, which is rare, right? If you get one of those guys every five years, you feel really blessed.”

Rivers, who came to Miami as a four-star tackle prospect out of Oakleaf High near Jacksonville, has barely played the position in college. He played six snaps at left tackle and 24 at right tackle as a true freshman in 2020 before moving to guard in 2021. Rivers played all of his snaps that season at guard before suffering a season-ending injury knee injury. 

Rivers played in nine games last season before an injury against Florida State in Week 10 ended his campaign. Before the injury, he spent all of his 631 offensive snaps at left guard.

The veteran lineman performed admirably in his time on the field. Rivers earned a 73.3 grade from Pro Football Focus in pass blocking, allowing only two sacks, two quarterback hits and nine quarterback hurries all season. He had a tough time run blocking, earning a 53.6 grade.

With the departure of last season’s left tackle John Campbell Jr. via the transfer portal and the uncertain health of former starter Zion Nelson, Rivers, a fourth-year redshirt sophomore, spent the offseason preparing to play tackle. He said he changed his body to meet the demands of protecting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s blind side.

“I’ve dropped a lot of body weight,” Rivers said. “I’m at 23 percent, 24 percent (body fat). I’m still 328, 330 (pounds) but I feel even quicker. I managed to go from like 335 with 26, 27 percent body (fat) to where I am now, and that was my big point of emphasis going into the summer — to change my body up to where I can feel quicker and move faster and just change the direction.”

Working with offensive line coach Alex Mirabal, who has the linemen cross-train at different spots on the line, Rivers grew more at ease with playing tackle.

“I’m comfortable anywhere. But left tackle, I’ve been training myself to be comfortable,” Rivers said at the start of fall camp. “Even when I’m uncomfortable, get out of that state and just adjust.”

Rivers’ versatility brings another bonus, though it is one the Miami staff hopes they will not need. Because Rivers can play several positions on the offensive line, he could move to fill a void for an injured teammate if needed. That would allow the Hurricanes’ coaches to pick which player enters the game based on ability instead of just playing a lineman who can specifically play the injured player’s position.

“Because he’s so versatile, he allows you — if something were to happen to somebody — he allows you to put your next best guy into the football game,” Mirabal said in an interview on The Joe Rose Show.

Though he has trained at other positions, left tackle has been Rivers’ primary spot in training camp. He has earned praise from his teammates for how he has learned the new position.

“Jalen Rivers is an NFL tackle,” guard Javion Cohen said during spring camp. “I’m telling you that.”

Cohen is taking over Rivers’ old spot at left guard after transferring from Alabama to UM. He and Rivers have worked closely during the offseason to build chemistry on the left side of the line.

“When he came in that spring, it was just very adamant to build that chemistry,” Rivers said. “Of course, everybody coming in, we wanted to build that chemistry. … But with Javion, we made sure to build that chemistry together and just be able to talk and feed off each other and always learn from each other. He’s coming from a good program, too. He’s learned a lot from these coaches and whoever, so it’s good to learn from him.”

If the Hurricanes’ new offensive line is going to live up to its high expectations, then Rivers’ performance at left tackle will be a major reason why. But Mirabal said that Rivers is not a player he has many concerns about.

“You don’t worry about him,” Mirabal said. “He’s one of those guys that he’s got position versatility because he’s got mental versatility, mental flexibility. I could put him at center today at practice, left tackle, left guard, and he’s not going to blink at it. That’s what makes him so invaluable.”