July Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 18 TE Elijah Arroyo

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster based on projected production, and today we’re at No. 18, Elijah Arroyo .

THE BIG PICTURE

If you believe Miami coaches, Arroyo has all the talent in the world. The problem here? We haven’t had a chance to see it due to injuries that have cost him most of the last two seasons. Without Arroyo last year the tight end passing game all but disappeared, as no one at the position had more than 72 receiving yards (true freshman Riley Williams). Arroyo was back this spring looking no worse for wear, and if he can stay healthy he is that all-around guy at the position who can be a blocking and receiving threat. He’ll be complemented well by true freshman H-back Elija Lofton, who can split out wide and even get carries at running back. Cam McCormick returns as a blocking tight end, and Williams can also function as a solid backup off his Year 1 experience. So this position is well stocked … if Arroyo can remain healthy.

JULY PLAYER PERFORMANCE INDEX: No. 30 Elijah Alston , No. 29 Josh Horton , No. 28 Raul Aguirre … No. 27 D’yoni Hill … No. 26 Samson Okunlola … No. 25 Jaden Harris … No. 24 Markeith Williams … No. 23 Akheem Mesidor … No. 22 Jaylin Alderman … No. 21 Damari Brown … No. 20 Wesley Bissainthe … No. 19 Simeon Barrow/CJ Clark

THE ANALYSIS

We projected Arroyo as the starter each of the last two seasons, but in his three-year career he’s only been healthy enough to play 348 total reps. Regardless, his potential remains sky high. At 6-4 and 245 he has the combination of pass receiving skills and physical blocking ability that Mario Cristobal and Shannon Dawson covet. He could finally be in line for a breakout season, although his reception targets could get eaten into if freshman Elija Lofton continues to show out the way he did in spring ball. As for Arroyo’s background? He missed most of last season injured (played 69 reps in five games), and was also out most of 2022 (he played in four games that year and had 66 yards receiving). 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). Pro Football Focus graded him out at 61.0 percent in 141 reps as a freshman, 54.9 percent in 138 reps in Year 2 and last season had him at a lowly 48.3 percent in 69 reps.

THE PROJECTION

Arroyo is a big, rangy target who can help as a receiver and blocker … if he can just stay healthy. With Lofton perhaps cutting into his production we see Arroyo in the range of perhaps 300-400 receiving yards with an especially big impact as a red zone target. The need for him to excel as a blocker also can’t be overstated, and last year when Cam McCormick was in the opposing defenses didn’t really have to account for him as a receiver. That should change with Arroyo lining up at tight end this year. He and Lofton can form a heck of a 1-2 tandem … think back when Miami had Chris Herndon at H-back and David Njoku at tight end, right? Njoku had 362 yards and Herndon 237 in 2015 and then 698 and 334, respectively, the following season.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

Last year no tight end had more than 72 receiving yards, and Arroyo has the ability to be a great overall threat as a tight end helping as a blocker and receiver. He simply has to stay healthy and live up to his high ceiling, and we really want to see him moving around without limitation all of fall camp to get that feeling he can make it through the season at 100 percent. We are excited to see how Shannon Dawson will utilize him and Lofton in games.

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