Will Mallory discusses his Miami football return and Tyler Van Dyke leadership

Tight end Will Mallory discussed his return for a fifth season, why Tyler Van Dyke is a great leader and Mario Cristobal and the new coaching staff at ACC Kickoff last week. Mallory should be one of the leaders on offense with Van Dyke in 2022. The Miami football team has a talented, but young TE corps behind Mallory.

Sophomore Elijah Arroyo and true freshman Jaleel Skinner are the future for the Miami football program at TE. Mallory has a chance to mentor them before he moves on following the 2022 season. Coming from a football family, Mallory should be a good mentor. His grandfather Bill was a longtime collegiate head coach.

Mallory’s father Mike is the assistant special teams coach with the Denver Broncos and his uncle Doug is the special teams coach at LSU. Doug and Mike both played at Michigan. Mallory would seem like a natural to go into coaching following his playing career. Mallory has a chance to set Miami TE records this season.

Mallory enters the 2022 season with 73 receptions for 1,006 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns in his Miami career. Mallory needs 48 receptions, 747 yards and three TDs to set the Miami TE records. Clive Walford holds all three Miami Hurricanes TE records with 121 career receptions for 1753 yards and 14 TDs from 2011-2014.

"“I think when you guys see Tyler and, obviously, he has that natural confidence. Like Coach (Cristobal) said, he has that natural leadership. He is a guy that you want to play for, that guys rally around. We’re fortunate we have him on our team because I wouldn’t want to be playing against him, that’s for sure.But Tyler just is a guy that’s a leader. He is our guy. It’s easy to follow him. It’s easy to want to play for him just because of how he is as a person and how he is as a competitor…I think there was a lot left that I wanted to prove to myself. There’s a lot left that I think I want to go down and be remembered as a Miami Hurricane.This place is special to me. It would be hard to leave, and I just wasn’t ready to leave yet. I’m fortunate that I get to come back with a special coaching staff, special players, guys like Tyler, new offense that I’m really excited to play in. We’ve got a good tight end group too that I was excited to come back and lead that.I was really fortunate to be here for one last ride. Just excited to make the most of it…You know, when things were changing (with the coaching staff) we were kind of all scrambling. We didn’t know what was going to happen. Coach Cristobal came in. We were fortunate to get him.Then week by week you kind of just saw the additions that he (Cristobal) was making. It just gets you that much more excited. I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else for my last year. Really fortunate to have him, have all the other support staff there because it’s something special.He is a guy that you want to play for, that you want to work for, that you want to win for. Couldn’t be more lucky, more blessed to be able to play for a man like him…I kind of blocked for him (Van Dyke), and that was pretty rewarding. It was fun to watch him run.People don’t think he is as fast as he is, but he shows that he has wheels. That was a lot of fun to see him get into the end zone (versus Virginia last season). That’s more rewarding to watch your guys get in the end zone and celebrate with them because that’s what it’s all about. You know, be there with your team.I played a lot of football, and I think each year I’ve improved. I learned a lot about myself. Especially last year. There’s a lot to improve on. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of focus, and that’s what it takes to improve to better yourself, better yourself as a player, better yourself for your team.You just have to put the work in, trust the process that the coaches put forth, and it’s been good. Like I said, I’ve learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about myself as a player and just excited to improve on that this year. Yeah, when it’s mentioned (about the possibility of Mallory breaking records), it’s cool to hear.As a kid growing up around Jeremy Shockey, Jimmy Graham (Mallory’s father Mike was a Saints assistant coach), I never thought one day I would be playing here, nonetheless have the opportunity to break some records. I don’t focus on that. We do what we do. Work hard, things will take care of themselves.Team success, that could come, and that would be awesome, but I’m more focused on the team and getting to work for this season and more focused on winning. If I break some records while that happens, that’s awesome, but more just focused on the team overall.”"

Mallory is fortunate to play the one position with stability on the Miami coaching staff. Stephen Field returns to the Miami football program as the TEs coach. Mallory has continually improved each season. Mallory set career highs last season with 30 receptions for 347 yards and tied his career high with four touchdowns.

After growing up around Graham and Shockey, Mallory has now surpassed the numbers they had in college. Miami is likely to have a more pro-style-oriented offense in 2022 that utilizes the TE more frequently. That will obviously benefit Arroyo, Mallory and Skinner. Expect Miami to frequently use multiple TEs.

The one common theme from defensive end Jahfari Harvey, Mallory and Van Dyke is the impact Cristobal and the new Miami coaching staff have had. Miami will have more of a business-like approach on and off the field under Cristobal. Mallory and Van Dyke will lead the offense with three returning offensive linemen.

Center Jakai Clark and offensive tackle Zion Nelson are entering their fourth seasons starting for Miami. D.J. Scaife can play guard or tackle and is entering his fifth season with the Miami football program. The offense for the Miami football team will have a good mix of experience and young talented players on offense this season.