Center Matt Lee spent only one season at Miami, but he made a big impact.
Lee, who transferred from UCF before the 2023 season, anchored the Hurricanes’ offensive line for a season, and now he is going to the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals picked Lee with the 237th pick in the seventh round of the draft on Saturday.
Lee was the third Hurricane to be picked in this year’s draft, following safety Kam Kinchens and cornerback Jaden Davis.
Lee, an Oviedo native, was an unheralded prospect out of Hagerty High. He was listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 1,895 player in his class. But after signing with UCF, he developed into a top center.
Lee took over as the Knights’ starting center in 2020 and spent three seasons at that spot. In 2021, his 75.1 offensive grade was 27th in the nation out of the 127 centers who played more than 500 snaps.
In 2022, Lee was even better. He had an 82.5 offensive grade, which was tied for third nationally. He did not allow a single sack.
Lee transferred to UM before the 2023 season, and he brought that skill with him. Last year, he had a 79 offensive grade, which was sixth in the nation. For the second season in a row, he did not allow a single sack.
Lee credited Miami offensive line coach Alex Mirabal with helping him develop as a lineman.
“He’s the best,” Lee said. “Got to be the best coach I’ve ever been around. Just from everything, on the field, off the field, how he treats the meeting room, how he treats practice, how he treats working out, how he treats drills in the offseason.”
Lee also garnered attention for his personality on and off the field, including a viral video of him getting upset during Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech.
“I think what the video was . . . a just a display of passion and emotion and the heart that I got and exemplified our team and the character of our guys,” Lee said.