Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 11 Elijah Arroyo
No. 50 Miami DT Thomas Gore … No. 49 Malik Curtis … No. 48 Kaleb Spencer … No. 47 Ahmad Moten … No. 46 Jaden Harris … No. 45 Logan Sagapolu … No. 44 Markeith Williams … No. 43 Frank Ladson … No. 42 Chris Graves … No. 41 Keontra Smith … No. 40 Robby Washington … No. 39 Emory Williams … No. 38 Jacurri Brown … No. 37 Brashard Smith … No. 36 Terry Roberts … No. 35 Samson Okunlola … No. 34 Dylan Joyce … No. 33 Jared Harrison-Hunte … No. 32 Jaleel Skinner … No. 31 Corey Flagg … No. 30 Ray Ray Joseph … No. 29 Don Chaney … No. 28 Anez Cooper … No. 27 Branson Deen … No. 26 Zion Nelson … No. 25 Isaiah Horton … No. 24 Rueben Bain … No. 23 Daryl Porter, Jr. … No. 22 Te’Cory Couch … No. 21 Davonte Brown … No. 20 Andy Borregales … No. 19 Nyjalik Kelly … No. 18 Jahfari Harvey … No. 17 Francis Mauigoa … No. 16 Jacolby George … No. 15 Cam McCormick … No. 14 Henry Parrish … No. 13 Jalen Rivers … No. 12 Colbie Young
CaneSport is breaking down the top 50 post-spring players on the roster, a list that doesn’t include any post-spring roster additions. Today we break down No. 11, Elijah Arroyo.
NO. 11 MIAMI TE ELIJAH ARROYO
Why he’s No. 11
Arroyo missed the spring coming off an injury suffered during the early part of last year, but don’t let his absence fool you. Arroyo is a very talented tight end who we think fits in perfectly into the scheme that Shannon Dawson is implementing. He’s got enough physicality to help out as a run blocker/pass protector while also already showing in limited reps at Miami that he can make some plays down the field in the receiving game. To this point Arroyo has served as a backup in his two years at UM, but with Will Mallory gone it’s expected he will be the main guy … although Cam McCormick is a more physical option after transferring in from Oregon and Jaleel Skinner has some really good pass catching traits (it would be a stretch to think true freshmen Riley Williams or Jackson Carver will make big impacts in Year 1). Last season Arroyo missed the final seven games due to injury, and as a true freshman in 2021 he played in every game and started once (he had 5 catches for 86 yards and a TD as a freshman, then 5 for 66 yards in his four games last year). As for his Pro Football Focus grades? In 141 reps as a freshman he graded out at 61.0 overall with 70 considered a good grade (54.4 receiving, 57.9 pass blocking, 70.3 run blocking). This past season he played 138 reps and graded out at 54.9 percent (69.1 as a receiver, 53.4 pass blocking and 43.5 run blocking).
What he needs to do to move up this list
At 6-4 and 245 pounds Arroyo can be a receiving and blocking threat, although he needs work on his blocking mindset/technique. We think there’s a great chance he emerges as a weapon in the Shannon Dawson offense this year, and it’s expected he’s the next man up at Tight End U. Arroyo has the speed and size to present mismatches in the passing game, and he can also help as a run blocker if he really dedicates himself to that side of the game. Arroyo has the potential to be an outstanding all-around tight end, he just has to prove himself.
Realistic season objective
Arroyo hasn’t proven much to this point. He’s only played 279 total reps in his two years, and he hasn’t graded out particularly well or made a lot of plays in the passing game. So there are still question marks surrounding him. But we see him as the best overall tight end on this roster, and he should get plenty of opportunities to help win games. If you look at Will Mallory last year, he had 42 catches for 538 yards. We can see Arroyo putting up similar numbers in the new offense. His talent level is there, he just hasn’t gotten the consistent opportunities to shine yet.
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