Miami Hurricanes TE Brevin Jordan out versus Pittsburgh
The Miami Hurricanes will be without starting junior tight end and leading receiver Brevin Jordan against Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Miami Hurricanes junior tight end Brevin Jordan is out against Pittsburgh due to a shoulder injury suffered against Clemson last week. Jordan leads Miami with 18 receptions, 243 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Jordan has nearly double the next closest Miami receiver in yards, no one else has more than two TDs.
Junior Will Mallory will start in place of Jordan. Mallory has three receptions for 32 yards and one touchdown this season. Mallory had a 74-yard reception called back against Louisville. As the starting TE with Jordan out in the final three games of 2019, Mallory had 12 receptions for 206 yards.
Miami will need its wide receivers to contribute more than they have with Jordan out. The Hurricanes were unable to beat the Clemson secondary deep last week. The Pittsburgh defense takes away opponents running and short passing game but is susceptible to allowing long passes.
Mallory can contribute big plays down the seam as he showed against Louisville. Dee Wiggins could be a WR to watch on the Miami offense with Jordan out. Wiggins had a 40-yard TD reception against Florida State. Jordan only had one reception for nine yards against Pittsburgh. Wide receiver K.J. Osborn had a big game.
Kenny Pickett did not make the trip for Pitt's game at Miami, per @BruceFeldmanCFB, and Miami announces tight end Brevin Jordan, its leading receiver, is indeed out for today's game as well
— The Athletic CFB (@TheAthleticCFB) October 17, 2020
Osborn had six receptions for 94 yards and the game-winning TD with 58 seconds remaining in a 16-12 Miami victory. Mike Harley led the returning Miami WRs against Pittsburgh last season with four receptions for 31 yards. Another player to watch in the Miami passing game with Jordan out is freshman running back Jaylan Knighton.
Knighton has five receptions for 109 yards and a TD in 2020. Knighton is the type of explosive player Miami will need against Louisville. A 75-yard TD against Louisville was the one receiving score Knighton has this season. Knighton is fourth on Miami with 205 total yards that include 19 carries for 96 yards rushing.
Next. Miami has to limit yards after catch and contact. dark
How Miami responds to Jordan being out with an injury and coming off the 42-17 loss to Clemson last weekend says a lot about the culture the Hurricanes are trying to create. Mallory has a chance to step up again with Jordan out. In the three games Jordan was out last season Mallory proved he can be a first-team TE.