A deep receiver and tight end room has been historically synonymous with University of Miami football, producing college football legends like Michael Irvin in the 1980s and Andre Johnson in the early 2000s.
LSU transfer CJ Daniels and true freshman Malachi Toney have lived up to these high standards, putting up big numbers as the Hurricanes’ top two receivers this season.
However, there is a significant drop in receiving production beyond what Daniels and Toney have done this season.
Toney has exploded into the college football scene from the slot with 562 yards and three touchdowns in his first seven games, while Daniels has been on the receiving end of over 300 yards and six touchdowns.
No other Hurricane has over 200 receiving yards or two touchdown receptions.
For a Miami offense that has struggled at times to move the chains this season, the emergence of a true number three target for quarterback Carson Beck could pay massive dividends later in the year as the Hurricanes look to make a deep playoff run.
Here are just a few of Miami’s talented pass catchers that have the potential to step up for the remainder of this season.
Jojo Trader
A five star recruit out of high school, South Florida native Joshisa “Jojo” Trader was expected to emerge as a tremendous deep ball threat for the Hurricanes in his sophomore season after putting up 91 yards and a score as a freshman.
In last year’s Pop Tarts Bowl, Trader put the college football world on notice where he stiff-armed an Iowa defender on route to a 40 yard touchdown for Miami.
Despite his immense potential, Trader logged just one snap against Louisville and has been a non-factor this entire season.
“What happened to Jojo Trader?. I don’t see him out there for Miami,” posted NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson on X during the Louisville game.
The reason for Trader’s lack of snaps is largely unknown, but the UM coaching staff may consider giving the talented sophomore more snaps in this 2025 Hurricane offense.
Elijah Lofton
After the departure of superstar tight end Elijah Arroyo to the NFL, many Miami fans had hoped for a breakout year from sophomore Elija Lofton going into this season.
Unfortunately, such a breakout is yet to come. The Las Vegas native has put up 111 yards on 14 receptions in what has been a rather disappointing campaign for one of Miami’s promising young talents.
Lofton has even received some criticism from fans for his role in the game-ending interception against Louisville this season, a loss that ended UM’s once perfect season.
Regardless, Lofton is still an immensely talented tight end who could become a security blanket for Beck, providing a sense of stability to this sometimes turbulent offense.
Keelan Marion
BYU transfer Keelan Marion is currently third in receiving for UM with 176 yards on the year, but has averaged just 9.8 yards per reception and is yet to emerge as a true weapon for the Hurricanes.
In his freshman year at UConn, Marion averaged nearly 17 yards per catch on 28 receptions for 474 yards.
If Marion can rediscover his freshman year form as a redshirt senior, Beck could find himself with yet another deep threat receiver to target along with Daniels and Toney.
Joshua Moore
True freshman Joshua Moore has put up 114 yards on ten receptions this season, including an impressive performance against USF where he scored two touchdowns for Miami en route to a 49-12 blowout victory.
Following his breakout performance against the Bulls, however, Moore is yet to log a single reception, begging the question as to why he hasn’t received more snaps since.
The Miami native impressed as a high school senior with over 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns, choosing UM over schools including LSU, Ohio State, and Penn State.
If Moore can get more opportunities in the UM offense, he may be able to prove why he was so highly touted out of high school.
Tony Johnson
A redshirt senior from Ocala, Florida, Tony Johnson is still yet to break 150 yards on the year. Despite this lack of production, the Cincinnati transfer has proven his ability in the past with back to back 400 yard seasons in 2023 and 2024.
Johnson recently logged his best game in a Miami uniform at home against Stanford, catching three balls for 69 yards and finishing as the team’s receiving yards leader for the game.
UM fans will be hoping that Johnson’s recent performance is only the beginning of a second half resurgence for the highly skilled receiver.
While a true number three target for Beck may be yet to materialize, there is clearly a wealth of talent in this Hurricanes wide receiver room. Time will only tell as to who exactly it will be to stamp their mark on Miami’s 2025 college football season.
