CaneSport Roundtable: Three true freshmen that will make the biggest impact for the 2024 Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes are stacked on offense heading into the 2024 season, with QB Cam Ward and RB Damien Martinez top portal additions, returning WR standouts Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George plus portal addition Sam Brown, TE Elijah Arroyo back healthy and four offensive linemen with starting experience. On the other side of the ball you have star DE Rueben Bain back plus Akheem Mesidor working his way to health along with standout portal DL additions Tyler Baron, Simeon Barrow, CJ Clark and Elijah Alston. LB starters Francisco Mauigoa and Wesley Bissainthe return, joined by Louisville starter Jaylin Alderman. In the secondary Daryl Porter, Jr. and Damari Brown have starting experience at corner, and Washington arrival Mishael Powell could start at nickel or safety. Otherwise there are some safety question marks. Given all the above, pretty much across the board, you see experienced talent at the top end of the depth chart.
Which leads to the question: What about the true freshmen?
Because you know some will emerge as playmakers from a highly rated class. A year ago we saw several of them make impacts, with starts coming from QB Emory Williams, RB Mark Fletcher, OL Francis Mauigoa, DE Rueben Bain and CB Damari Brown.
So which freshmen will be the ones to show out in Year 1? The CaneSport staff share their top three true freshmen poised to break out:
CANESPORT ROUNDTABLE SERIES: Is the season-opener at Florida a must-win game for Mario and Miami? …. Will the Miami Hurricanes defense finish 2024 ranked higher nationally than it did in 2023? … Who starts in the secondary, and is it an area that can get the job done? … Will Cam Ward break Miami’s passing records? … Who will be the No. 2 QB behind Cam Ward, and will that be an indication of the starting QB in 2025? … Does Damien Martinez surpass 1,000 yards and get past 1,500 to push Willis McGahee and Duke Johnson for school record?
GARY FERMAN
Can I say Elija Lofton, Elija Lofton and Elija Lofton? You get the point. I love what I have seen of Elija Lofton. The versatile TE/RB/H-Back is going to be a matchup problem as soon as offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson decides it is the right moment to inject him into his wide assortment of play-calling options this season. But let’s look beyond that. JoJo Trader has looked extremely polished for a true freshman and should get opportunities to contribute this season. Other skill players like receiver Ny Carr and safety Zaquan Patterson should also get some chances to get on the field. Maybe running back Jordan Lyle progresses to that point. But this discussion does start and end with Mr. Lofton, who unquestionably is the most game ready of the young guys.
MATT SHODELL
First on my list of true freshmen ready to break out is TE Elija Lofton. He was the first team H-back in the spring, splitting out wide and lining up in the backfield and getting carries as a running back. He’s got a little bit of that Deebo Samuel in him, and I can’t imagine Shannon Dawson won’t look to get him at least a few touches a game after the tight end position was a nonfactor in the passing game last year. Elijah Arroyo could steal a lot of the tight end reps, of course, but regardless I see Lofton getting action and being productive. No. 2 on my list of breakout freshmen I’d put WR JoJo Trader. I don’t care that the team added Houston’s top receiver Sam Brown, or that Isaiah Horton is looking for a breakout season. I think Dawson will play his most talented receivers, and I think Trader even in Year 1 has the kind of explosive playmaking on the outside you don’t want to keep on the sideline. I can see him with 500+ receiving yards in what should be a high-powered offense. The No. 3 guy on my list as a breakout freshman is on the other side of the ball. Before the team added Jaylin Alderman I would have gone with Cam Pruitt, but now it seems his reps are likely to be limited. S Zaquan Patterson is also tempting to put on here given the lack of safety depth and his pure talent level … but Lance Guidry made it clear this spring that he doesn’t like using safeties that haven’t been learning in his system for a full year or more. I also am tempted to throw DE Cole McConathy out there as a third down rush end, but I’m just not sure he gets a lot of reps. So I’m going with a rarity: A defensive tackle who makes a splash as a true freshman. It’s tough to compete on the interior defense with guys that can be four or more years older, but I think Justin Scott is just a rare talent who already has upperclassman size, strength and quickness. It hurts that the 5-star signee didn’t get to Miami for spring ball, but given the team’s talent/depth issues on the interior I see Scott pushing onto the two-deep and perhaps starting at some point as the season goes along. Projected DT starters Simeon Barrow and CJ Clark are good enough, but I’m not sure they have the kind of NFL-level ability you’ll see when Scott gets on the field.
IZUBEE CHARLES
Last season we saw true freshmen Mark Fletcher, Francis Mauigoa and Rueben Bain make instant impacts for the Canes, and I think we will see something similar this fall. When looking, I have chosen two offensive players and one defender as my three true freshmen who I believe will make the biggest impact. The first guy I am going with is almost a no-brainer, tight end Elija Lofton. During the spring it seemed like every day he was either making a big play or doing something out of the norm. His versatility is something that stood out to me, with him being used in different positions throughout the offense, which I think will give him the chance to contribute early and often. The second guy I went with was safety Zaquan Patterson. I expect the former four-star prospect to play a meaningful 15-20 snaps each game and have a big role on special teams this upcoming season, and a handful of people inside the Hurricanes program think so as well. Patterson is a physical, instinctual defender who I think will have no issue adjusting to the college level. The last freshman I think will turn some heads next fall will be JoJo Trader. Yes, the Miami receiving room is as deep as it has been in some years, but after watching him play this fall, it looks like it will be hard to keep him off the field. While I do think there will be a handful of 2024 class members who will play vital roles this year, those are the three that I think we will see the most of.
STEPHEN WAGNER
Man, I’ve gotta go with Elija Lofton, Zaquan Patterson and JoJo Trader. All three were really high-floor prospects at their positions in the 2024 recruiting class, and Patterson and Trader are at positions that generally lack proven depth. I originally wanted to include Justin Scott in the list, but I think it’s pretty unlikely he’s ready to go after not being able to enroll early this spring. I think Patterson and Trader can both be starters at their respective positions by the start of ACC play if all goes well, and Lofton is a versatile enough chess piece he’ll be able to be moved across the offense in different roles. Heck, he can line up at H-back, be split out wide or take handoffs like he did this spring. Patterson and Trader didn’t have wild spring games, but I think both will come along nicely after seeing a few snaps early in the season and could develop into key starters down the line.
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