Rarely utilized tight end Jaleel Skinner announced via Twitter that he planned to use the transfer portal and leave the Miami football program. As a true freshman in 2022, Skinner caught nine passes for 129 yards and a touchdown; in 2023, he caught just one pass for nine yards. Mario Cristobal signed Skinner, one of the first big Miami signees.
Unexpectedly, Cristobal selected Skinner from Alabama in the Miami football class of 2022. According to the 247 Sports composite rankings, Skinner was the 102nd-ranked prospect, third-ranked tight end, and fifteenth-ranked player in Florida out of IMG Academy in the 2022 class. As a freshman, Skinner impressed, providing support for Will Mallor, a fifth-year senior.
Elijah Arroyo, a sophomore at the time, suffered a knee injury that ended his season, so Skinner gained playing time. Cam McCormick, an Oregon transfer, saw the lion’s share of playing time this season at tight end for Miami. Riley Williams, a true freshman, moved up in the rotation before Skinner. Arroyo was sidelined for the majority of 2023.
The seventh player from Miami to access the transfer portal is Skinner. In 2024, McCormick might decide to play college football one more time. Apart from Arroyo and Williams, Miami is also anticipated to have Jackson Carver, a 2023 rookie, back at tight end in 2024. TE Elija Lofton has committed to Miami through 2024 as well.
Lofton, rated as the 20th best tight end by the 247 Sports composite, is a four-star prospect in the 2024 class. In 2024, Lofton might face competition for playing time as a freshman. In 2023, Shannon Dawson, the new offensive coordinator for Miami, did not utilize the TEs frequently. TEs from Miami caught 17 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown.
