The CaneSport On3: Why it’s not crazy to think Miami can have two 1,000-yard receivers in 2024

Last season there were 33 players in college football that surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, and on that list was Miami’s Xavier Restrepo at No. 20 with 1,092.

Only three teams had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers – Washington’s Rome Odunze (1,640 yards) and Ja’lynn Polk (1,159), Oregon’s Troy Franklin (1,383 yards) and Tez Johnson (1,182) and James Madison with Reggie Brown (1,054 yards) and Elijah Surratt (1,191).

Restrepo joined a short list of Miami all-time receivers with that lofty number – only Charleston Rambo, Allen Hurns, Leonard Hankerson, Eddie Brown and Andre Johnson have pushed past 1,000 yards at Miami.

So is it feasible not just that the Canes will once again have a 1,000-yard receiver in 2023 … but possibly have two?

Last year let’s not forget that in addition to Restrepo’s big year that Jacolby George wasn’t far off, tallying 864 yards. And that was despite only having five receiving yards against Clemson and 13 in the bowl game vs. Rutgers. Average around 80 yards in those two games and he would have hit the mark.

Both players return, of course. Yes, it’s a pretty rare feat for any college program to have two 1,000-yard pass catchers. Prior to the three that did it last season there were also three programs that achieved it in 2022 – Arizona (Dorian Singer with 1,105 yards, Jacob Cowing with 1,034), Ohio State (Emeka Egbuka 1,151 yards, Marvin Harrison, Jr. 1,263) and Washington (Rome Odunze 1,145 yards, Jalen McMillan 1,098). For the Buckeyes, it was the team’s second consecutive year doing that – 2021 was the first time in school history it happened when Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba topped the 1,000-yard plateau.

As you look at the national passer rankings of the six programs that had the high-profile duos, all were ranked in the nation’s top 20 in passing in their respective seasons (last year Washington ranked No. 2 in passing offense, Oregon was No. 1 and James Madison 20th; in 2022 Arizona was No. 6 in passing offense, Ohio State 14th and Washington No. 1).

Cam Ward led Washington State to a No. 4 passing yards ranking last season … so why not replicate that at Miami with some really good top end WR talent, right? The combination of not just one but two go-to threats in conjunction with a top QB seems a prettty darn good formula.

So Miami might just have a pair of 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in program history this year.

Especially if coordinator Shannon Dawson follows a similar pattern to how he split up reps a year ago when the starters played the lion’s share of reps in lieu of a real rotation. Restrepo played 678 reps per Pro Football Focus, most on the team other than offensive linemen. George was right there behind him with 638 reps, and No. 3 receiver Colbie Young played 599 reps despite opting out of the bowl game (Sam Brown and Isaiah Horton are the likely big battle for the No. 3 job this fall). The top WR backup’s reps last season? That was Horton with 292, and 62 of those came when he started the bowl game with Young not playing.

So the starters should have every opportunity to put up big numbers.

Now factor Ward into the equation. He starred at Washington State the last two seasons, and last year there were three wide receivers on his team that put up big numbers – Kyle Williams had 842 yards, Lincoln Victor 860 and Josh Kelly 923. That was in 12 games, with Victor playing 11. Had the team qualified for a bowl game those numbers would have been higher, of course.

So while on the surface it might seem a bit crazy to think Miami might have two 1,000-yard receivers in 2024, the stars might just align for it to happen.

And it could occur in conjunction with a 1,000-yard rusher, with Oregon State star transfer Damien Martinez on board.

Wouldn’t that be something?

The post The CaneSport On3: Why it’s not crazy to think Miami can have two 1,000-yard receivers in 2024 appeared first on On3 .