Miami Football: Five things to watch in the first scrimmage

What is going to happen at tight end without Michael Irvin II?

Before Irvin got hurt many still expected Freshmen Brevin Jordan and Will Mallory to pass him and Polendey on the depth chart. Now the pair of top ten tight ends from the Class of 2018 will have to play much bigger roles in the season opener against LSU than they were initially expected to.

Without Irvin, the Hurricanes are down to three tight ends on the roster. Polendey is more of a blocker than receiver. Jordan and Mallory’s skills sets are more likely to earn playing time in the Richt offense. Before that happens they are going to have to get a better grasp of the playbook and be good enough to block.

Irvin’s injury means that Miami has no tight ends on their roster who has caught a pass in a college game. Polendey is the only tight end that has played in a college game. He played in only six games in 2017 and failed to record a reception. Most of Polendey’s playing time last year came on special teams.

Tight ends are a big part of the Richt offense. In his two years at Miami, David Njoku became  a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2017 and Chris Herndon IV a third-round pick of the New York Jets in 2018. Those were two players who were signed by Miami before Richt was hired in 2015.

Now with his own players, big things are being expected from Jordan and Mallory. Jordan was the top-ranked tight end in the Class of 2018 and Mallory eighth. They can both become a big part of the Hurricanes offense one they have everything down.