As we commonly see now, the Miami Hurricanes were without several key offensive players in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, with guys sitting out ahead of the draft or entering the transfer portal. While nationally, there has been a lot of talk about Cam Ward sitting out the second half and the Canes' continued struggles in the postseason, let's take a second to look at what this game showed us about the future.
Last month, we took a look at the quarterbacks room heading into 2025, and this game provided an opportunity for Emory Williams to get some more live reps. Today, we are looking at what we saw from the younger pass-catchers and what it could mean for 2025.
Miami has plenty of young talent on offense for fans to be excited about
Of the returning guys, freshman Joshisa Trader had the biggest game on Dec 28. He had just three receptions for 30 yards and no touchdowns coming into the Pop-Tarts Bowl, but he made the most of his opportunity. Trader hauled in three catches for 61 yards (20.3 yards per catch) and a touchdown. Trader's touchdown was a 40-yard hookup between him and Ward, where he beat his man and stiff-armed his way to the endzone. The touchdown showcased his route-running ability, his speed, and his toughness.
Sophomore Ray Ray Joseph added two catches for 17 yards in this game. Joseph came to Miami as a four-star recruit with a lot of talent. As a 5-10, 175-pound speedster (a former high school track star), he can add explosiveness to the Canes offense in 2025. Joseph entered the Pop-Tarts Bowl with four catches for 57 yards on the season.
Elijah Lofton also added one big play with a 17-yard reception in this game. The 6-3, 230-pound freshman will have big shoes to fill with Elijah Arroyo's departure. Lofton entered the Pop-Tarts Bowl with eight receptions for 133 yards and one touchdown on the year. The four-star recruit gained yards in chunks this year, averaging 16.7 yards per reception, which he mirrored in this game.
It's no secret that the Canes are losing talent when it comes to pass-catchers. Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Sam Brown, Isaiah Horton, Shemar Kirk, and Arroyo will all be gone when next season kicks off. That means the Canes will need to replace over 3,600 receiving yards. The guys listed above will help Miami replace that production, as will LSU transfer CJ Daniels, who has amassed over 1,500 yards the last two seasons. It won't be easy, but we saw a glimpse of what this young group can bring next season.