Miami football: National CFB Analyst names TE Elijah Arroyo breakout star

National college football analyst Josh Pate of 247 Sports named tight end Elijah Arroyo as his projected breakout star for the Miami football program in 2023. Arroyo has 10 receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns during college career. In his first two seasons with Miami Arroyo was the backup to Will Mallory.

After playing in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2021, Arroyo was lost for the season after four games in 2022. Pate compares the potential for Arroyo and how offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson will use him to Georgia All-American TE Brock Bowers. Bowers has been used as a receiver and runner by Georgia.

In two seasons at Georgia, Bowers has 119 receptions for 1,824 yards and 20 TDs with 13 carries for 165 yards and four more scores. Arroyo had 79 receptions for 1,338 yards and 18 TDs in his final two seasons of high school. Dawson could line Arroyo up in multiple positions in the Miami formation.

Arroyo leads what projects to be an excellent Miami TE group. Sophomore Jaleel Skinner and true freshman Riley Williams will compete for snaps with Arroyo. Mallory led Miami receivers in receptions and yards in 2022. Replacing Mallory will be a big task offensively for the Miami football team in 2023.

"“I want to know breakout players though every team because this is not the NFL every year.  There’s a player or multiple players that end up shining for your team that did not get a lot of preseason love. Well, we need to give Elijah Arroyo a lot of love. Elijah Arroyo is a breakout player from Miami.He’s 6’4 235, is a tight end you guys got glimpses of what he could do. Just, just little flashes in 2021 and then injury derailed him in 2022. Not to mention Miami did a pretty decent job offensively of derailing themselves.There are people in that program that believe Elijah Arroyo is the best athlete on that team either side of the ball regardless of position. Will Mallory is not there anymore so he moves on to the NFL. It is a golden opportunity for Elijah Arroyo to blast onto the national scene to be an integral part of that team.This is not an overly established wide receiver room therefore if you’ve got a dynamite tight end right there. I’m not doing the whole Brock Bowers thing.I’m saying what Bowers has done to the Georgia offense wouldn’t surprise me if Shannon Dawson looked up the road in Athens and said wow well we got this dude here he is a total freak maybe we’ll do that with him so.We like Arroyo. You could easily go (true freshman offensive tackle Francis) Mauigoa there. You could easily go (true freshman defensive lineman) Rueben Bain but we want Arroyo.”"

As a junior in high school Arroyo ran sprints. The 247 Sports scouting report for Arroyo praised his ability to win contested catches and produce in the red zone. Arroyo and wide receiver Colbie Young could potentially provide quarterback Tyler Van Dyke with two prime targets on contested catches and in the red zone.

Arroyo is likely to be the starting TE when the Miami football team begins the season on September 1 versus Miami (Ohio). Expect Skinner and Williams to push him. With Dawson likely to have a more aggressive and open offense, there will be plenty of targets for Arroyo, Skinner and Williams.