Miami football among five favorites as finalist for 4-star tight end Kaden Helms

The Miami football program was named one of 10 finalists for four-star tight end Kaden Helms on Monday. Miami is one of five favorites to gain the commitment from Helms according to his 247Sports.Com profile. Arizona State, Florida State, LSU and Oklahoma are the other five schools Helms appears to be most interested in.

The only 247 Sports Crystal Ball projected to Helms is for Oklahoma with a confidence score of eight out of 10. Helms is the 393rd ranked player according to the 247 composite rankings, the 17th ranked TE and fourth-ranked player in Nebraska out of the Omaha suburb of Bellevue. Miami is recruiting several players in Nebraska.

Helms is one of 15 TEs Miami has offered a scholarship to in the Class of 2022. Two other 2022 TEs are also strongly considering Miami. Micah Riley who is a teammate of Helms at Bellevue West High School is also strongly considering the Hurricanes. R.J. Maryland the son of Miami legend Russell is also strong on Miami.

Maryland attends Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Riley is 341st, 16th and third in the 247 composite rankings and Maryland 444th, 23rd and 61st in Texas in the Class of 2022. Miami has only four-star quarterback signee Jacurri Brown in the Class of 2022.

Helms is 6’5 222 pounds and has the skill set to play TE or wide receiver. The Miami football program is likely to lose senior TE Will Mallory who has two years of eligibility remaining after the NCAA froze the college clock for all athletes during the 2020-21 school years. Mallory is likely to enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

Miami signed four-star TE Elijah Arroyo in the Class of 2021. Arroyo is slightly smaller than Helms at 6’4 210 pounds. Like Helms, Arroyo has the skill set to split out wide as a WR. Earlier this month, Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee stated he likes using two TEs to pressure opposing defenses.

Pairing Helms with Arroyo would provide Lashlee the opportunity to utilize his TEs similarly to how he was able to line up Mallory and Brevin Jordan, who entered the 2021 NFL Draft, in the future. Tight end U is continuing to thrive even with the spread offense installed last season by Lashlee.