Miami Hurricanes WR Tyler Harrell has eye on 1,000-yard season: “We’re going to blow it up this year”

Those that have tried to cover Miami Hurricanes WR Tyler Harrell pretty much echo one theme.

“He’s the fastest receiver I’ve faced,” CB Davonte Brown said.

Brown goes on to add that “He’ll give those cornerbacks he goes against a headache. … It’s hard to stop him.”

It’s a familiar refrain about the one-time Louisville Cardinal who sat out most of last year injured at Alabama before transferring to Miami this summer. He was timed at 4.24 seconds at Louisville’s Pro Day a couple of years ago. And, as Harrell is quick to point out, “That’s a laser time.”

“The hand time was 4.19 seconds,” he says.

So yeah, he can flat out run.

And that adds another dimension to Shannon Dawson’s new offense that should scare the heck out of opponents. His speed even surprised Tyler Van Dyke when they first threw together in the summer.

“I said `I heard you can throw,’ and he said `I heard you can run,’” Harrell recalls. “So we ran some routes, caught some balls. He didn’t know how fast I was at first, it took a minute to get right but he got it down pat now. We’re going to blow it up this year.”

Harrell says there’s one other guy on offense that he thinks has similar jets to him: Miami freshman RB Christopher Johnson, who won state track titles in the 100 in high school.

“He did run a 10.2 (in the 100) – I have to see that for myself,” Harrell says. “I told him we’ll have to race after the season. We are definitely going to race.”

Despite his speed, Harrell hasn’t had a true breakout season yet.

The best he’s done was a 523-yard performance in 2021 at Louisville. Following that season Harrell transferred to Alabama, but he was sidelined to start the year by a foot injury and then never got into the receiver rotation.

As for his background prior to that?

Originally from Miami Columbus High School (Mario Cristobal’s alma mater), he signed with Louisville as a three-star out of high school. His first years there didn’t result in a lot of production – as a freshman in 2018 he caught two passes, then redshirted in 2019 and only played nine reps in 2020. But he started to show his game breaking ability there in 2021, when he finished with the 18 catches for 523 yards (29.1 yards per catch) and six TDs.

Last season at ‘Bama he played just 33 reps and had two catches for 18 yards. A 6-0, 194-pounder, in his one season with more than 39 reps played (2021) per Pro Football Focus he graded out at 70.4 overall (70 is considered a good grade) with a 70.9 receiving grade. He caught 18 of 36 targets that year with 11 reps in the slot. Of his 523 yards, 176 came after the catch (9.8 yards per catch) and included a 92-yarder vs. Virginia. He had three drops as well.

This year he’s playing outside on both sides but so far this fall has Jacolby George and Colbie Young working as the two first-teamers. So he has his work cut out to be more than just a speed guy, to become a complete receiver.

Asked what has held him back in the past from that breakout year, Harrell says “At Louisville I don’t know, they were still trying to figure out what I can do for real. I had my ups and downs with injuries going on, too. It’s a big question mark for me. I’m just ready, keep working. I know my time will come, and that I’ll get that 1,000 yards for sure. This year, I see it.”

That’s in part because he says the offense fits him perfectly.

“I fit in well – I’ve been in a lot of playbooks – Alabama, Louisville – I know a lot of schemes,” Harrell said. “Just knowing defenses too, being in the SEC, it made me tougher, faster and smarter. I feel like I’m ready.”

He adds that the Miami WR room “has a lot of guys working hard, a lot of talent. We are all good in our own little way, each have our own special talents. All of us are so good, it’s competition.”

So Harrell has his sights set on doing his part to help the offense flourish. And beyond that he wants to open some eyes once again at his next Pro Day.

“Since that 4.24 (at the Louisville Pro Day) I feel I got faster,” he says. “I feel I get faster every year. When I get ready for the combine I’ll go for a 4.1.”

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