Previewing the Miami Hurricanes wide receivers entering the 2023 season | Summer camp series

It’s time for a hot South Florida summer, and the college football season is rapidly approaching.

The Miami Hurricanes struggled in Year 1 under Mario Cristobal, going 5-7 and missing out on a bowl game. But newcomers and returning players could give Miami fans reasons for hope as the 2023 season gets closer.

Each week, we’ll take a look at Miami’s position groups and see where they stand entering the season.

Last week, we looked at Miami’s running backs. Up next is a crucial position for the Hurricanes this season: wide receiver.

Who left

Miami lost a pair of once-promising wide receivers to the transfer portal in the offseason, Romello Brinson and Key’Shawn Smith. Both left the Hurricanes to join former UM offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee at SMU.

Smith, a San Diego native, came to Coral Gables as a three-star prospect after choosing Miami over several West Coast schools. He appeared a prime candidate to play a bigger role in the Hurricanes’ offense last year after making 33 catches for 405 yards in 2021. But he had just 13 catches for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns in eight games. He did not play after UM’s win over Virginia on Oct. 29.

Brinson was a local star, making a name for himself at Miami Northwestern High. He was a four-star prospect but had a minimal impact on the field at Miami. He had 90 receiving yards as a freshman and 99 as a sophomore.

Who returned

Most of Miami’s receivers from last year are back for another go-around with the ‘Canes.

At the outside receiver spots, junior Colbie Young, fifth-year senior Frank Ladson Jr., fourth-year redshirt sophomore Michael Redding III, junior Jacolby George and redshirt freshman Isaiah Horton will be competing for snaps. None of those five had massively productive seasons, all landing behind Will Mallory, a tight end, in receiving yards.

Young led the wide receivers with 367 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The transfer from Lackawanna College had two big games last season where he dominated opposing cornerbacks, making nine catches for 110 yards in a win over Virginia Tech and snaring six catches for 127 yards and a pair of scores in a loss to Duke. But outside of those two games, he did not have a contest where he made more than five catches or had more than 46 receiving yards.

Pro Football Focus gave Young a 63 offensive grade and a 67.8 receiving grade last season. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Young makes for a tempting target for quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, and he could play a major role this season.

“He’s really taken a step as a leader in the wide receiver room,” Van Dyke said on the first day of UM’s spring practices. “I’m excited for him. He’s a guy that’ll go up and get the ball. He’s fast for his size and he’s grown a lot from last season until now, and he’s still going to grow.”

George may also be a starter at outside receiver. The Plantation High School alum missed time with a hand injury last year, playing in seven games and making 13 catches for 130 yards. In his limited time, Pro Football Focus gave him a 64.2 offensive grade and a 62.3 receiving grade.

“Jacolby is deceptive with his routes and his releases so he’ll do the same release but do a different route off of it,” cornerback Davonte Brown said. “So just when you’re going against Jacolby, you’ve got to be very technical and have your eyes in the right place because he’s very smooth.”

George will look to improve this season under new wide receivers coach Kevin Beard, who is also a Plantation alumnus.

“Me and coach Beard, we get along real good, just because we came from the same background, we’re from the same city and especially since we’re from the same high school,” George said in April. “We get along good.”

Ladson and Redding are a pair of veterans that earned significant playing time last season. Ladson was on the field for 468 snaps, and Redding had 312.

Ladson, a Miami native, transferred from Clemson and had a career-best 27 catches for 298 yards, adding one score. Pro Football Focus gave him a 58.5 offensive grade and a 59.4 receiving grade.

Redding, who is entering his fourth season at UM, seasons, had 15 catches for 217 yards and a score last season. He earned a 59.7 offensive grade and a 60.5 receiving grade.

Horton enters his second season as an intriguing option for the Hurricanes. He did not play much as a freshman, getting just 11 offensive snaps. He made one catch for 6 yards. But he drew strong reviews in the spring, and his 6-4 frame helps make him a potential breakout candidate.

“Some people need to develop fundamentally, some people need to develop emotionally, some people need to develop psychologically,” Beard said in the spring. “I think with him, it’s a little bit of all of it because he’s been so much bigger than everybody all his life. He’s just been able to bully and do what he wants to do.”

The Hurricanes also have a pair of strong receivers who will spend most or all of their time at slot receiver: Xavier Restrepo and Brashard Smith.

Restrepo, a Deerfield Beach High alum, is one of Van Dyke’s favorite targets, but he missed five games with a foot injury last year. He played 221 snaps and had 21 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

Smith is also a former local star, coming to Miami as a four-star prospect out of Miami Palmetto in 2020. He had a strong 2022 campaign, making 33 catches for 308 yards last season. Pro Football Focus gave him a 68.4 offensive grade and a 68.6 receiving grade.

“For me it’s just slowing down, like the game,” Smith said in April. ” Like, (not) trying to go too fast and slow down and just do my job, focus on what you have and just play football. I feel like my best year will be coming up. Everything is positive. Everyone around me is just lifting everyone up. I like what we have right now.”

Who arrived

The Hurricanes added a pair of wide receivers in their 2023 recruiting class and two via transfers this offseason.

Tyler Harrell, a Miami Columbus High alum, brings blazing speed to Miami’s wide receiver room. Harrell has played at Louisville and Alabama, racking up 22 catches for 577 yards and six scores over parts of three seasons. His best year was 2021, when he had 18 catches for 523 yards for the Cardinals.

Miami also added Shemar Kirk, a junior college transfer from Reedley Junior College. In two seasons there, Kirk hauled in 76 passes for 1,446 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The two new freshman wide receivers in Coral Gables did not come from far away. Four-star prospects Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph and Robby Washington arrived from Miami Edison High and Palmetto, respectively.

Joseph was rated the No. 24 wide receiver in the 2023 class. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound slot receiver was originally committed to Clemson but backed off the commitment and picked Miami last summer. He had 47 catches for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.

“Just taking advantage of any opportunity I get to get on the field and make plays and make a change, that’s what I’m here to do,” Joseph said in the spring. “So whatever they need me to do I’m here to do. I don’t complain. I’m just here to work.”

Washington was also a touted high school prospect. He was listed as the No. 28 wide receiver in his class. At Palmetto last season, Washington had 560 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 43 catches. He also ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries.

“Those boys are really fast,” said Young, speaking about Joseph and Washington. “They’re going to take the top off of defenses, open up that space for other receivers to come underneath. Really excited to get them out there and get out there.”