With many of the Hurricanes top receivers either transferring or getting signed by NFL teams, questions were raised throughout the offseason as to whether or not their revamped receiver room will be able to recreate the production of Miami’s 2024 receivers.
Miami’s 2024 receiver room certainly had no shortage of talent. Headlined by shifty slot receiver Xavier Restrepo and outside threats Jacolby George and Isaiah Horton, Miami’s diverse receiver room struck fear into opposing DB rooms throughout the 2024 season.
Restrepo alone amassed over 1000 yards as Miami’s “Y” receiver, while both George and Horton put up well over 600 yards respectively. Restrepo and George are both currently free agents in the National Football League while Horton transferred to Alabama.
Despite these losses, Miami’s reconstructed receiver room still looks more than threatening.
Whether it be through homegrown talents or transfers from other schools across the country, new UM quarterback Carson Beck will still have a plethora of weapons to target in the 2025 season.
Notable receivers who will be expected to make big impacts in the Miami offense include transfer CJ Daniels, true freshman Malachi Toney, and returning sophomore Joshisha Trader.
Daniels, a prolific receiver from Lilburn, Ga., began his career at Liberty before transferring to LSU. His best season came in 2023 with the Flames, where he amassed over 1000 receiving yards and scored double digit touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Daniels dealt with injuries in 2024 which limited his production to only 480 yards as part of the Tigers receiving core.
Despite his less than ideal 2024 season, Miami promises to be a fresh start for Daniels as he looks to be the alpha wideout on a revamped Hurricanes roster. Replacing the likes of players like George and Horton will certainly be a tough task, but there is no doubt that Daniels has the talent and skill set to put up big numbers as Miami’s starting X receiver.
A homegrown talent from Liberty City, Florida, Toney is an impressive 17 year old receiver with immense potential for UM. Toney accumulated over a 1000 yards in his final high school season, named Florida High School Player of the Year by MaxPreps.
As part of this rebuilt Miami receiving core, Toney will look to carve out his own role in the Hurricanes offense. While he is a relatively undersized wide receiver at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Toney has the agility and top end speed to be both a deep ball threat and weapon in the screen game.
Another versatile receiver who can play inside or outside, Trader is returning to UM after a freshman year in which he only produced 6 catches for 91 yards. However, Trader’s lack of production his freshman year is the consequence of a crowded 2024 Hurricanes receiver room rather than a shortage of talent.
Trader impressed college football fans across the nation during last year’s Pop Tart Bowl vs Iowa State, where he impressively stiff-armed an Iowa defender on route to a 40 yard game tying touchdown.
Trader has extreme quickness and lateral movement that allows him to be a big run after catch threat for Miami, an ability that Restrepo showcased throughout his career. That being said, Trader will certainly be looking to carve out his own path as a Hurricane.
Coming out of high school, Trader was ranked the 17th overall player in the nation and the number 4 overall player in Florida. Despite offers from notable schools such as Alabama and LSU, Trader decided to stay in his home state and committed to Miami.
With the chance to finally step out of the shadows of his mentors and showcase his full ability to the nation, Trader will look to make massive strides in his game and put up big numbers along with Daniels, Johnson, and the rest of the Miami receiver group.
Other notable receivers Miami will utilize this season include BYU transfer Keelan Marion, junior Ray-Ray Joseph, and true freshman Joshua Moore.
Glimpses of their talent were already on show during UM’s opening game vs Notre Dame, where Daniels made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch and Toney caught six balls for 82 yards and a touchdown.
While once staple wideouts like Restrepo and Horton will undoubtedly be missed by Hurricanes fans this season, the talent of this year’s revitalized receiver room has the potential to reach even greater heights alongside new Miami quarterback Carson Beck.
