STATE OF THE U 2024: Miami Hurricanes TE analysis
CaneSport continues its State of The U series with a closer position by position look, unfiltered and objective, based on what Miami has returning, the projections and whether this will be an improved unit or not.
Today we are focusing on Miami’s tight ends:
OVERVIEW
If you want a sign of just how much the tight ends became irrelevant in Miami’s passing game last year, you can either turn on the tape or just look at the stats – no tight end had more than 72 receiving yards on the year. It was a stunning drop-off at a position that typically has top tight ends putting up big numbers, most recently Will Mallory’s team-high 538 yards in 2022. So what happened last year? Well, it was expected that Elijah Arroyo would fill Mallory’s shoes, but he missed almost the entire season injured. With Jaleel Skinner suffering drops, Miami started blocking TE Cam McCormick and also turned to true freshman Riley Williams, who was hit or miss (he led the room with 72 yards on eight catches, playing 316 reps as a backup). As we look to this season? It’s a much more promising room from a receiving production standpoint. Arroyo was back this spring and is rounding into form, and the team also has Williams with a year under his belt looking bigger and faster. McCormick also returns. But perhaps the biggest wildcard at this position is a true freshman, Elija Lofton. Lofton lined up split out wide, in the backfield as a running back and attached to the line this spring. He very much looks like he can be a major offensive weapon even in Year 1. So things are very much looking up at this spot.
STATE OF THE U SERIES: Gary Ferman’s series introduction overview as Miami looks to turn around program … 2020 recruiting class analysis …. 2021 recruiting class analysis … 2022 recruiting class analysis … 2023 recruiting class analysis … Year 3 for a coach can be a flashpoint for success, so pressure is on Mario Cristobal and Miami … Where Miami Hurricanes stand in the college football landscape … QB analysis … RB analysis … WR analysis
BIGGEST QUESTION
We are assuming the tight ends will be integrated a lot more into the offense, that’s not really a question on our end. So the biggest question mark we see is how the reps get split. Lofton is likely the starting H-back with Arroyo the starting tight end, but we can’t imagine there are going to be a ton of two tight end sets given the team has a very talented wide receiver room (i.e. having just two wide receivers on the field doesn’t make a ton of sense). Our guess is that Lofton and Arroyo wind up splitting time fairly evenly with Arroyo the better blocker/receiver combo but Lofton the better pure receiving/playmaking talent. But a lot of that will be determined in fall camp. And then you also have to wonder where Williams and McCormick fit in. Do either get many reps this year? There’s talent here, but a lot to be determined in terms of which guys play how much and how they are utilized.
BOLD PREDICTION
That freshman Elija Lofton will rush for over 100 yards and have over 400 receiving yards. He’s got too many offensive tools to keep him on the bench, and we started to see in spring drills the myriad of ways in which Shannon Dawson can utilize him. Yes, Damien Martinez is going to be the guy at running back, but after him there’s questionable depth. And Lofton has the kind of playmaking with the ball in his hands that we can see him lined up a bit in the backfield going out for passes and getting the occasional rush attempt. He’s ultra-talented and there’s just no reason not to use him a lot when the rest of your tight ends have question marks. A lot will, of course, also hinge on what Elijah Arroyo can show in the fall and if he can finally stay healthy and live up to his potential.
PROJECTION: POSITION WILL BE BETTER/WORSE THAN LAST YEAR?
Last year the tight ends simply weren’t a part of the passing offense. We fully expect that to change this year with a much more talented room that includes a healthy Elijah Arroyo and newcomer Elija Lofton. The feedback we get on Arroyo has always been that he can be a bigtime tight end, and with Lofton looking ready for a big immediate impact both those guys can combine to cause a lot of headaches for opponents. With all-conference talent at QB and RB from the transfer portal and a stacked WR room led by top returners Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George, imagine how hard it will be to stop this offense if Arroyo and Lofton are also making plays? As far as if this position is in better or worse shape than last year, the answer is obvious from what we’ve already discussed. 2023 GRADE … D; 2024 PROJECTED GRADE … B+
The post STATE OF THE U 2024: Miami Hurricanes TE analysis appeared first on On3.
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