Miami Hurricanes starting tight end Will Mallory was expected to have a breakout season following the departure of three-year starter Brevin Jordan after the 2020 season. Mallory has nine receptions for 64 yards this season without a touchdown. He is on pace for about 22 receptions for 154 yards in 2021.
Jordan had his best collegiate season in 2020 under offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee in his first season with the Miami Hurricanes. In 11 games, Jordan had 38 receptions for 576 yards and seven TDs. The expectation was that Mallory would exceed at least the receptions and receiving yards this season.
Miami played 11 games in 2020. The Hurricanes have 12 games scheduled this year plus any bowl game they might play in. Mallory obviously was not going to average nine receptions per game, but 64 yards per game was a reasonable expectation. Jordan averaged 4.5 receptions and 72 receiving yards in eight games in 2020.
Mallory is primarily backed up by freshmen Elijah Arroyo and Khalil Brantley. It might be time to provide the freshmen with more playing time when the Hurricanes come off their bye on October 16. Mallory has played 305 offensive snaps this season, Arroyo 72, Brantley 12 and fourth team TE Larry Hodges nine.
Arroyo has two receptions for 18 yards this season, Brantley one for seven and Hodges has not recorded a catch in 2021. Mallory signed in the Class of 2018 as the eighth-ranked TE. Jordan was first. Arroyo was the seventh-ranked TE in the Class of 2021. Miami desperately needs playmakers offensively.
If Mallory cannot become the playmaker he was expected to be, Arroyo should receive more playing time. Miami had 10, 10 yards of offense in the first quarter in their 30-28 loss to Virginia on Thursday night. Tight ends are supposed to thrive in the Lashlee offense. That has not been the case this season.
Mallory had 22 receptions for 329 yards and four touchdowns last season as the second-team TE behind Jordan. As the first-team TE this season, Mallory is on pace to be below all those numbers in 2021. Lashlee and the Miami offense have 15 days to figure out how to improve before playing at North Carolina on October 16.