Elija Lofton is starting to look like the kind of tight end Miami can lean on in more ways than one.
The Hurricanes entered the season with questions around Lofton, and each week he keeps giving them answers. He showed up for spring camp about 20 pounds lighter and quicker, down to 242 pounds from his reported weight of 260 last season, though some would put it closer to 265.
The slimmer frame hasn’t hurt him as a blocker. If anything, the opposite has happened.
Last week against Wake Forest, Lofton flashed the other side of his game, finishing with five catches for 39 yards and a touchdown. On the score, the design did a lot of the heavy lifting in setting him free.
Lofton sold a blocking look as he crossed the field, which pulled the linebacker’s attention away from him as a receiver. Then he slipped into a wheel route, and Darian Mensah had an easy throw to complete.
Elija Lofton continues to integrate himself into the offense
That kind of versatility matters for Miami right now. With Joshua Moore injured, the Hurricanes need another reliable target for Mensah and another piece to complement Malachi Toney in the passing game. A tight end who can catch the ball cleanly and still handle his business in the run game gives the offense a different shape.
Lofton says he is now playing at a "championship weight" and has made it clear that any concern about his blocking was misplaced. He believes the lighter body has actually sharpened that part of his game, forcing him to rely more on technique and leverage instead of trying to win with raw power on the edge. That shows up in the way he talks, too.
"I just care about 1-0. It's not about the personal stats.
It's about winning. It's about the team.
It doesn't matter if I have zero catches, as long as I'm doing my job, and we're going to win, I couldn't care less what my stats look like," he said.
Even if Lofton isn’t chasing numbers, Shannon Dawson is clearly paying attention. There should be more chances ahead for Lofton to line up in the slot and become a bigger problem for defenses as a pass catcher.
Some of that may depend on Miami sorting out its offensive line, but with playmakers falling by the wayside, Lofton’s emergence could be exactly what this offense has been waiting for.
In Other News...
Sean Taylor Tribute Gives Miami Fans One More Reason To Feel This
Adidas is bringing back the look of Miamis 2001 national championship team, and the rollout has given Hurricanes fans a fresh dose of nostalgia at a time when the program is already carrying real momentum. Former players Clinton Portis, Ed Reed and Jeremy Shockey were part of the jersey release, tying one of the schools most iconic eras to the present as Miami sits sixth in the AP Top 25 and starts looking ahead to a future equipment change in 2027.
The most powerful touch came in the tribute to Sean Taylor, with an empty seat left for him during the launch. For a fan base that still holds tight to the memory of that era and the players who defined it, the gesture fit the moment perfectly, especially with the program about to move from Adidas to Nike and this throwback serving as one more reminder of what Miami football has meant at its best. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Title Game Finish Now Has A Controversial New Twist
A strange footnote from last years national championship has resurfaced, and it has added a fresh layer to Miamis painful ending against Indiana. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said President Trumps movement inside a stadium can interfere with coach communication headsets during games, then pointed to the title game between the Hurricanes and Hoosiers as an example of how briefly lost communication can become part of the competitive picture.
Miami sources have offered a different read on the sequence, saying the disruption came only for a play or two and did not materially change the outcome. Still, the detail has given new attention to the fourth quarter of a game that ended with Miamis final drive in an interception, the play that sealed Indianas championship and left the Hurricanes with one more what-if to sit with. [Read more 🡒]
Dre Jacobs Could Give Miami's Offense What It Suddenly Needs
Dre Jacobs has spent much of the early season trying to shake off a lingering injury, but his recent showing against FAMU was a reminder of why Miami has been eager to get him moving again. The speed was there, the burst was there, and for a receiver who already arrived with a track record of production at South Carolina, it was the kind of outing that hinted at a broader role ahead. His teammates have long spoken well of him, and now the Hurricanes may have more reason than ever to lean on that reputation.
The timing matters, too, because Miami suddenly has a spot to fill after losing Joshua Moore. That opens the door for Jacobs to see a bigger share of the receiver rotation, starting with the upcoming matchup against Central Michigan. For an offense looking for another steady playmaker, Jacobs health and acceleration could turn a promising flash into something more meaningful in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]