Francis Mauigoa has been Miami’s starting right tackle the entire season, and the true freshman had some growing pains to get through early in the year.

But over the past several weeks, the touted former five-star prospect has grown more comfortable and shown development on the right side of the Hurricanes’ offensive line.

“I feel like he has grown a lot in the past few weeks,” his brother and UM linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, said. “He’s been very steady. I feel like he’s grown more comfortable now. It’s all part of our preparation, our D-line getting at them and getting them better. Iron sharpens iron. That’s what we do here at Miami. … I feel like he’s been in a good position now. He’s comfortable playing his position at this level as a freshman.”

In his college debut against Miami (Ohio), Mauigoa allowed four total quarterback pressures and a sack. He was also called for a penalty. Pro Football Focus gave him a 58.6 run-blocking grade and a dismal 27.2 pass-blocking grade.

Things did not get easier the following week against Texas A&M. He had a 64.7 run-blocking grade and a 58.9 pass-blocking grade, allowing three pressures and a sack. The officials also called three penalties on him in UM’s win.

But since then, Mauigoa has shown improvement. He earned his first overall offensive grade above 60 against Bethune-Cookman, then eclipsed 70 against Temple. In his two ACC games against Georgia Tech and North Carolina, he had overall offensive grades 67.7 and 68.5, respectively. He graded out as the second-best offensive lineman, behind center Matt Lee, against the Tar Heels.

After allowing seven pressures and two sacks in his first two games, he has allowed seven pressures and only one sack in the last four combined. He has not been called for a penalty since Week 2.

Mauigoa, who has played the third-most snaps of any freshman lineman in the nation, has a 65 offensive grade, a 65.6 run-blocking grade and a 64.5 pass-blocking grade for the season. The overall and run-blocking grades rank sixth out of 28 freshman linemen with at least 100 snaps, while the pass-blocking grade is ninth.

“He’s been all ears and eyes and just listening and learning,” tight end Cam McCormick said. “But as the season’s gone on, he’s gotten a lot more comfortable with being out there, and you can obviously see that. I definitely feel like he’s stepped up to be in the role that he’s in. He’s doing a phenomenal job, and a lot of people salute him for that. Now it’s just about keep stacking those weeks and performing at that high level that he’s been performing at every week.”

Right guard Anez Cooper, who lines up next to Mauigoa and was thrust into a similar starting role as a freshman last year, credited the freshman’s learning ability and said that is what helped him adjust to life as a starting college offensive lineman.

“If he messes up on something, as the game goes on, he adapts to it,” Cooper said. “Francis is a great learner. He’s a great listener. But the farther we get in the season, he’s just getting better and better. So I think he’s going to be very good by the end of the season … By Week 8, Week 7, he’s going to be, I think, at his full potential because he learns more and more every game.”