Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 4 Xavier Restrepo
The Miami Hurricanes have massively reshaped the roster from a year ago with five primary offensive starters gone (QB Tyler Van Dyke, RB Henry Parrish, WR Colbie Young, OL Javion Cohen and Matt Lee) along with seven on the defensive side (DT Leonard Taylor, DT Branson Deen, DL Jared Harrison-Hunte, S Kam Kinchens, S James Williams, CB Jaden Davis and CB Te’Cory Couch).
50. RB JORDAN LYLE … 49. RB CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON … 48. DE COLE MCCONATHY … 47. S ZAQUAN PATTERSON … 46. TE CAM MCCORMICK … 45. NY CARR … 44. JUSTIN SCOTT … 43. OT Markel Bell … 42. RB AJAY ALLEN … 41. TE RILEY WILLIAMS … 40. OL MATTHEW MCCOY … 39. LB CAM PRUITT … 38. DT JOSHUA HORTON … 37. LB RAUL AGUIRRE … 36. S MARKEITH WILLIAMS … 35. S JADEN HARRIS … 34. QB EMORY WILLIAMS … 33. WR JOJO TRADER … 32. D’YONI HILL … 31. RAY RAY JOSEPH … 30. ISAIAH HORTON … 29. MARLEY COOK … 28. JAYLIN ALDERMAN … 27. JADAIS RICHARD … 26. SAMSON OKUNLOLA … 25. ELIJA LOFTON … 24. ELIJAH ALSTON … 23. DAMARI BROWN … 22. REESE POFFENBARGER … 21. ZACH CARPENTER … 20. SAM BROWN … 19. CJ CLARK … 18. ELIJAH ARROYO … 17. WESLEY BISSAINTHE … 16. DARYL PORTER, JR. … 15. DYLAN JOYCE … 14. MARK FLETCHER … 13T. TYLER BARON/MISHAEL POWELL … NO. 12 SIMEON BARROW … NO. 11 AKHEEM MESIDOR … NO. 10 ANEZ COOPER … NO. 9 JACOLBY GEORGE … NO. 8 FRANCIS MAUIGOA … NO. 7 ANDY BORREGALES … NO. 6 JALEN RIVERS … NO. 5 FRANCISCO MAUIGOA
Which brings us to our annual series breaking down the top 50 players on the current roster. As we go along on this list you’ll get an idea of the overall depth of talent on Mario Cristobal’s team this year as he seeks Miami’s second 10-win season in the last two decades.
Today we are at No. 4:
NO. 4 WR XAVIER RESTREPO
Why He’s No. 4
Restrepo was No. 19 in the nation in receiving yards last season with 1,092, a bigtime breakout season for the then-junior who had never surpassed 373 yards previously. Restrepo showed a knack for quickly getting open off the line of scrimmage out of the slot with precise route-running, sure hands and the ability to make defenders miss and battle for every extra yard. And that was despite erratic play from QB Tyler Van Dyke, regardless of how often Restrepo was targeted (a team-high 119 times per Pro Football Focus, with Jacolby George second with 90 targets). With Cam Ward now on board and his NFL arm talent, Restrepo could be in line for even bigger numbers – the two showed a good rapport in spring ball. As for Restrepo’s PFF grades last year? As you’d imagine, they were excellent. He had the best overall grade on the team at 87.4 percent, including an elite 89.0 receiving grade. He was noted with just four drops and 4.2 yards after the catch. It was a far cry from his prior output. Restrepo’s first season as a starter in 2022 essentially stopped before it could begin due to an early season injury. He started just two games prior to the injury and played off the bench in five others after he returned. Restrepo had a disappointing 21 catches for 240 yards and two TDs that year. He was a backup his first two years at Miami.
What he needs to do to move up this list
Restrepo is one of the nation’s most dangerous slot receivers, and with Cam Ward’s playmaking ability … and the way he can extend plays … we think Restrepo is in store for another 1,000-yard campaign regardless of how many talented options there are on this offense. There really isn’t any weakness in Restrepo’s game, and he’s going to be a handful for any nickel to deal with. Perhaps the only real challenge for him is making sure he’s on the same page with a new QB, but their chemistry was excellent this spring.
Realistic season objective
A tireless worker, Restrepo is a guy who has a knack for catching anything in the vicinity and making highlight catches. We can see Restrepo averaging over 100 yards per game (he averaged 96.7 last year in games that Van Dyke started), with perhaps the only thing diluting his numbers an offense with a lot of weapons, from Jacolby George to Houston transfer Sam Brown and a tight ends room that gets back Elijah Arroyo healthy and adds freshman standout Elija Lofton. But certainly 1,000 yards would be the bar to set here, and one Restrepo should again surpass.
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