Miami Hurricanes tight ends had a down year in 2023. Can they bounce back this season?

There can be some confusion at times in the Miami Hurricanes’ tight end room. Having two players with the same first name — redshirt junior Elijah Arroyo and true freshman Elijah Lofton — can do that.

“We get mixed up all the time,” Arroyo said. “It’s hard.”

What won’t get mixed up: Just how important Arroyo and Lofton will be to the Hurricanes getting production out of the tight end position after getting almost nothing from the group a year ago.

Miami has produced its share of great tight ends, from Kellen Winslow II and Willie Smith to Greg OLson and Bubba Franks to the more recent group of David Njoku, Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory.

But last year, Hurricanes tight ends accounted for just 18 catches, 154 yards and one receiving touchdown — far from the standards the group has been known to produce.

“Tight ends have always been big in this offense,” Arroyo said. “I feel like we had a little setback last year with injuries and everything. I’m just excited for this year. I’m excited to see where we can take it.”

Arroyo can speak to the injury portion of his response first-hand. He has been relegated to the sideline for the better part of the past two seasons after sustaining a torn left ACL in September 2022.

He hopes those days are behind him, though. The bulky brace he wore during spring practice is gone. For the first time in a while, Arroyo feels fully healthy.

“Man, it feels great,” Arroyo said. “I feel like myself again. It’s just good being able to play without thinking about any injuries or anything that’s going on. Just being able to focus on the task at hand. … I feel like with injuries, confidence is a really big thing. Being able to get back to doing everything that I’m doing has been great for me.”

But it won’t just be Arroyo tasked with picking up the position. Lofton, a versatile true freshman who was a four-star prospect out of Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, is expected to be an immediate contributor in his first season on campus. Beyond them are Cam McCormick, who is entering his ninth season of college football, and sophomore Riley Williams. The two handled the bulk of Miami’s tight end duties in 2023.

“The group can be really, really productive,” McCormick said. “We all have different skill sets and bring something different to the table. We’re a very unselfish room and we like to celebrate the success of others in the room. Whenever someone in the room makes a big play that’s not ourselves, we’re all super excited. cheering, getting loud for each other just because we know the hard work that we put in this offseason. When we get out there on Saturday, those big plays are gonna find us.”