No one in the 2018 Miami football Freshmen Class will have more on their shoulders literally or figuratively than tight end Brevin Jordan this fall.
Jordan was expected to challenge to be a starter at tight end on the Miami football team. A torn MCL by Junior Michael Irvin early in training camp thrust Jordan onto the first-team offense much sooner than expected.
Jordan will have to produce from the moment the Miami offense takes the field for their first possession of the season against LSU. He will get some help from his roommate and classmate Will Mallory. Both Jordan and Mallory were ranked as top ten tight ends in the Class of 2018.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings for the Class of 2018, Jordan was the 33rd ranked player overall nationally, the top-ranked tight end and second-ranked player in Nevada. He and Mallory are expected to give the Hurricanes a pair of tight ends that can stretch the field.
Head Coach Mark Richt hopes that the Freshmen pair can be comparable to what 2017 first-round NFL Draft pick David Njoku and 2018 third-round pick Chris Herndon gave Miami at tight end in 2016.
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Miami Offensive Coordinator Thomas Brown was on the Joe Show on the Hurricanes Flagship station WQAM earlier this month to discuss the team’s second scrimmage. Brown was specifically asked about Jordan.
"“Brevin flashed a whole lot [in that scrimmage]…He made some big time plays. He looked really, really good…the most mature freshman we have. He’s been very impressive.”"
Both Jordan and Mallory have to learn everything about playing as a tight end on the line of scrimmage and if they are split out wide. Richt was quoted in the Palm Beach Post following Wednesday’s third and final scrimmage on the expectations and responsibilities that they will have this season.
"“We were teaching [Mallory] him to play kind of where [David] Njoku was — more of a flexed-out [wide] guy…But he also has to learn all the things that Brevin knows, because with Michael [Irvin II], out, if Brevin got hurt, we’d probably have to make Mallory that guy.We were hoping to have Irvin and Brevin in what we call the ‘F’ and let Will be that hybrid wide receiver-tight end guy, but now with Michael out and if something happened to Brevin…you still got [Brian] Polendey, but there’s still just not enough depth. All of a sudden Mallory’s plate is getting a lot more full after Michael got hurt.”"
Richt also acknowledged that the pair has a lot to learn and that their knowledge of the offense is just as critical as the physical skills they bring to the field. Richt was asked how Jordan and Mallory played on Wednesday.
"“Did good…half the battle for them is just knowing what to do.”"
Jordan has a chance to have a similar impact on the Miami offense as a Freshman that Ahmmon Richards did in 2016. Richards set a Miami Freshman record that season with 934 receiving yards.
As a tight end, it’s highly unlikely that Jordan will break the record. His impact and importance to the offense can be just as great. Jordan will likely have more than the three touchdowns Richards has had in each of his first two college seasons.
With Irvin’s injury and the lack of depth at tight end, Jordan will likely be more irreplaceable than Richards would have been in 2016. The Hurricanes need both Jordan and Mallory to stay healthy in 2018. If either one of them gets injured for any length of time, replacing them will be nearly impossible.