Hurricanes and Notre Dame Set for Notable College Football Showdown

The imminent season of college football brings with it a wave of anticipation, marked by the impending confront of the Hurricanes and Notre Dame at a critical home game on August 31. Miami, following a solid 10-3 scoreline in the past season, holds high expectations. Despite the promising start, the final sting came with two late-season losses, depriving UM of an ACC title and an opportunity at the College Football Playoff. Their journey last season ended with a defeat against Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

The narrative of the 2024 season has now been completed and placed on the shelf for retrospective examination. Earlier in the current week, the discussion revolved around the Hurricanes’ wide receivers, eyeing some large shoes to fill. Similarly, Miami’s tight ends roster is called upon to compensate for the loss of some key players. The ones who played the most in the last season for UM were Elijah Arroyo, Cam McCormick and Riley Williams, all of whom exited in the offseason.

Arroyo stood out in particular, overcoming injury-related hurdles from two seasons to deliver an exceptional final college season. He caught attention with 35 receptions amassing 590 yards and helping with seven touchdowns. In recognition of his talents, Arroyo got picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL draft’s second round.

McCormick, another crucial player for Miami’s tight ends, also made his way to the NFL. However, his avenue diverged from on-field action – he is currently a scouting assistant with the Patriots’ front office. Williams, once a touted four-star recruit, completed the season with seven receptions spanning 115 yards – a critical catch against Virginia Tech deserves a noteworthy mention for bolstering Miami’s comeback. His next college football journey would commence with Oregon State.

Following the departure of these crucial figures, Miami had to rely on several returning tight ends from their previous year’s squad. Elija Lofton, who initiated much preseason conversation before the 2024 kick-off, was among them. Lofton, who was then making his debut as a freshman, impressed his peers with his athletic prowess.

Despite not getting as many offensive opportunities as Arroyo, McCormick and Williams, Lofton utilized his limited time exceptionally well, setting an impressive track record. His season ended with nine catches accumulating a total of 150 yards and a touchdown. Showing off his versatility, he also ran 30 yards across two carries, leading to another touchdown.

Lofton’s overall performance secured him an 81.5 total offensive grade from Pro Football Focus, along with a 72.9 receiving grade, a 72.9 pass-blocking grade, and an 81.6 run-blocking grade. Now that Lofton has grown comfortable with offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s system, a more significant role seems certain for him.

In addition to Lofton, Miami also saw the return of redshirt sophomore Jackson Carver, with thirteen offensive plays to his credit over the last two seasons, as well as depth tight end Owen Ruskavich. The off season also saw Miami welcoming four new tight ends.

Among the new faces, Alex Bauman and Jack Nickel have transferred to Miami, while Luka Gilbert and Brock Schott are incoming freshmen. Bauman, having spent three playing seasons at Tulane, brings in the most experience among the quartet.

His catches for Tulane tallied up to 20, spanning 212 yards. Interestingly, seven of his catches resulted in touchdowns. Pro Football Focuslated his overall offensive grade at 55.3, with a receiving grade of 66.4. However, his skills in pass-blocking and run-blocking were evaluated at 61.3 and 43, respectively.

Despite the slightly lower blocking grades, Bauman brings valuable potential as a receiver. Nickel, albeit only having played 130 snaps over the last two seasons and a single 6-yard catch under his belt, is another addition.

The remaining new entries, freshmen Gilbert and Schott, hold promising futures for the Hurricanes. Gilbert, ranking as the No. 22 tight end per 247Sports’ composite rankings, boasts a sizable build at 6-7 and 245 pounds.

Schott, however, comes with a dual high school tenure in tight end and defensive end positions, featuring as the No. 13 tight end in his class. He is a potent player with a 6-3 stature and a weight nearing 215 pounds.