Miami Hurricanes Position Preview: Tight End

By Miami Hurricanes standards, 2021 was a down year for the tight end position. The group combined for a total of 36 catches, 440 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Will Mallory accounted for most of the production with 30 catches, 347 yards, and 4 touchdowns. In order to be a serious contender for the ACC Championship in 2022, Miami’s tight end group needs to step up and provide Tyler Van Dyke with reliable pass-catching that keeps the chains moving. With Will Mallory being the most experienced and best of the bunch, I am going to focus much of this preview on him.

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The Coach:

Miami’s tight end room is led by Stephen Field. He came to Miami in 2019 after spending the previous season with the Oregon Ducks as their director of recruiting. Coach Field helped the Ducks land their highest ranked recruiting class in school history in 2018. I hope his recruiting acumen picks up now that he is reunited with Coach Cristobal. Coach Field did well working with Brevin Jordan, helping him make All-ACC First Team in 2019, All-ACC Second Team in 2020, and becoming a fifth-round NFL Draft pick of the Houston Texans. That said, only bringing in Elijah Arroyo last season while knowing Mallory could’ve left for the NFL was a mistake.

The Room:

Will Mallory - Senior

Elijah Arroyo - Sophomore

Kahlil Brantley - RS Freshman

Dominic Mammarelli - RS Freshman

Jaleel Skinner - Freshman

I have been a big Will Mallory fan since he enrolled at Miami five years ago. His overall stats are solid, and he seems to make important catches in big games. Further, he plays tough and from what I have seen and read, his teammates love him. These are all qualities you want in your starting tight end. The media thinks so too, as Mallory was named to the 2022 Preseason All-ACC First Team.

With the departure of Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley, Mallory is TVD’s most experienced pass-catcher. Chunk pass plays were a big part of Miami’s offense last season, with Rambo and Harley being on the receiving end of many of those passes. Those plays need to be replaced. We need more of the 55-yard touchdown catch-and-run Mallory had in the Pittsburgh game last season. He also needs to be more involved in the overall game plan in 2022. When Mallory snuck out of the backfield for a pass, it always seemed to work! I also expect TVD to lean on him on third downs and in the red zone. Averaging around four to five catches a game would be huge for Mallory and the Hurricanes as a whole. If Miami has any chance of competing for the ACC title in 2022, Will Mallory needs to be the newest face of TEU.

Elijah Arroyo showed flashes last season as TE2. He was a consensus four-star prospect coming out of high school, so the pedigree is there. Arroyo’s lone touchdown came on a slick, sliding catch against Pittsburgh from a nice throw by TVD. His playing time should increase this season with Josh Gattis’ multiple look offense. Kahlil Brantley should be next on the depth chart. Expect Brantley to get on the field more in passing situations. Our own Justin Dottavio was impressed with the above pair during Miami’s spring game and sees them both as threats in the passing game.

A practice squad player last season, RS freshman Dominic Mammarelli could be a factor as a blocker in the running game in 2022. A fake block by him followed by a catch for a chunk play would be nice once in a while. True freshman Jaleel Skinner came in as a consensus four-star prospect from IMG Academy, was the No. 3 tight end in this year’s class, and chose Miami over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and others. Skinner is light at 210 pounds, but has the athleticism to make up for it. However, with the guys ahead of him, I think it will be much more learning and lifting than playing this season.

2022 Statistical Predictions:

Will Mallory - 50 catches, 700 yards, 6 touchdowns

Elijah Arroyo - 20 catches, 350 yards, 3 touchdowns

Kahlil Brantley - 10 catches, 125 yards

Jaleel Skinner - 4 catches, 50 yards, 1 touchdown

Dominic Mammarelli - 2 catches, 30 yards

Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images

Closing:

I truly believe new OC Josh Gattis will get the most out of Miami’s tight ends this season. His unique play-calling and ability to repeatedly expose mismatches should get Will Mallory and company the opportunities to get open and make plays. A bounce-back year for the tight end room will make Miami a more potent offense. It will also attract future top tight end recruits in the country to come to Coral Gables and keep the legacy going at the one and only TEU.

GO CANES!