Me and Pete are breaking down each position group, post-Portal, on the CanesInSight Daily Podcast. Today is tight end. A transcript of our discussion is below:
DMoney: This is a group we got a lot of questions about. Extremely productive in 2024, maybe less so than what you’d like in 2025. You’re hoping for a bounce back in 2026, but with all these receivers, they might be fighting to get on the field.
Peter Ariz: We’ve seen a lot of usage of tight ends in terms of personnel the last couple years. Even this year when it was perceived it wasn’t a strength, there were people saying we might be better off with an extra wide receiver out there. But it’s part of Mario's philosophy to have an extra tight end out, to have a couple tight ends out there. We’ve seen it every year here. So I have a hard time believing we’re going to stray away from that.
DMoney: Shannon Dawson learned under the father of the Air Raid, Hal Mumme. The stereotype of the old-school Air Raid is more wide receivers, less tight ends on the field. He said that when he went to West Virginia with Dana Holgorsen, he started using more tight ends. It's played out that way here.
When you look at the 2024 offense, the best offense in the country, you had Arroyo doing a million things, Riley Williams blocking quite a bit, Cam McCormick as a pure blocking tight end, and Lofton playing real snaps as a true freshman. You had four tight ends playing high-leverage snaps, and that was your best offense.
Last year, we used less tight ends. The numbers at the position are low. You’ve got two true freshmen, Luka Gilbert, Lofton who’s more of a fullback at heart, Owen Ruskovich as a walk-on with a chance, and Jackson Carver coming back from injury. It’s a thin room relative to the receiver room where you can go in waves.
Luka Gilbert
DMoney: We’ll start with the guy we expect to replace Bowman as your every-down tight end, Luka Gilbert. He’s listed at 6'7, 255, strong legs, still developing his upper body, but he’s going to be really big when it’s all said and done.
Peter Ariz: He’s officially from Westchester, Ohio. Not Westchester, Miami. Cincinnati area.
DMoney: Getting him out of the Big Ten was a coup. I love this player. I saw him in camp, spring and fall. He was here early. He’s a much better receiver than people realize. You watch the high school tape and see blocking, and he’s very willing, but in practice he was a better receiver than blocker.
DMoney: At 6-7, he’s a good route runner. He’s not stiff. He’s a hands catcher, former basketball player, natural at plucking the football. He’s probably a 4.7 or 4.8 guy, but it’s deceiving because he eats up ground. Smooth athlete, more athletic as a receiver than Cam McCormick. He’s still getting better as a blocker. Not because he doesn’t want to, but technique, upper body strength, and age matter.
I would have liked to see us grab a big 23-year-old from the Ivy League to help the numbers, but if you’re talking about a complete player who can help you on every down, in the run game and pass game, Luka Gilbert could be an improvement over Bauman.
Peter Ariz: He’s got a little bit of everything. The year of experience helps him in a battle with the freshmen.
DMoney: Gilbert played 68 snaps last year. Bauman played 699, Lofton 451.
In 2024, Arroyo played 650, McCormick 268, Riley Williams 183, Lofton 157. And that was with three less games. Overall, yight ends played more in 2024 then than this past year.
But in 2026, Gilbert is a candidate to get 600-plus snaps like Arroyo and Bauman played.
Elija Lofton
DMoney: We’ve talked about Lofton a bunch. In spring I said he was the best football player on the team in terms of pure football ability. Injuries hurt him, lower body and upper body. He wasn’t moving well and his shoulder bothered him coming out of camp.
Early on this season, he shied away from contact. That’s not who he is. Mario talked about him being our best linebacker if he wanted to be. I think that was the shoulder.
His blocking improved over the year, especially on the move. His receiving never fully got there, but he made plays late before getting hurt against Ole Miss and we missed him in the championship game.
Watch two plays from his freshman year. Against Cal, high leverage, twisting catch, absorbs contact, first down. Against Florida, short pass, shaking defenders, dragging guys. That's more what he is, athletically.
You have to get him the ball in space. Screens, flats, yards after catch.
Peter Ariz: It’s hard to justify taking carries away from the backs for him right now.
DMoney: You can’t. Aside from the hurdle play against Florida, he wasn't dynamic this year. He needs to get back to what he was.
First is health. Second is body composition. Five to ten pounds lighter. Don’t bulk him into an inline tight end. Cam Ward compared him to a bigger Deebo Samuel. That’s the lane.
Peter Ariz: Look at how Indiana used Riley Nowakowski (6'2, 243). That’s the model.
DMoney: Lofton played 157 snaps as a freshman on the best offense in the country. To get him back there, use what makes him unique.
Gavin Mueller
DMoney: Gavin Mueller out of Chicago. Jarrett Payton played a huge role in recruiting him. He’s 6-5, 255, tearing up the weight room. Top five tight end nationally on the composite, top 100 player, number one in Illinois. Former basketball player, elite track athlete. Shot put over 55 feet as a sophomore. That functional power matters for blocking.
He’s raw. He’s only played football about a year and a half. What I don’t love is that he might have to play early because of depth. Tight end is an age position. If he gives you what Lofton gave you as a freshman, around 160 snaps, you’re thrilled.
Peter Ariz: Physically he’s ready. He's more built now than Luka was last year. But early on it might be a specialized role.
DMoney: He’s self-reporting a 4.5.
Peter Ariz: I’d say mid-4.6s.
DMoney: That’s fine at that size. Once he’s rolling, he’s rolling.
He’s one of my top guys I'm watching in spring.
Israel “Izzy” Briggs
DMoney: Izzy Briggs from Visalia, California. Listed at 6-6, 200. He’s heavier than that now. Real athletic juice.
I haven’t seen a tight end this explosive at Miami in some time. Kick returns, punt returns, taking tosses for 99-yard touchdown runs. We haven't had a guy this athletic at the position in some time, even before Arroyo.
Peter Ariz: David Njoku was maybe the last guy with that explosiveness, but a different athlete. Njoku was more powerful.
DMoney: The concern with Briggs is weight and adjusting to this environment. He bounced around high schools, dealt with adversity.
What's encouraging to me are his instincts. He played corner in high school and was good. He is a natural athlete with feel. Also a basketball player. He is willing to hit and can break some tackles. We talk about the Poly pipeline, and Briggs is actually half-Poly.
He could wash out or be a star. The upside is enormous.
Jackson Carver
DMoney: Jackson Carver is a year-four guy. Injury setback with the torn ACL in spring, but he’s back running and catching. I saw him warming up in the championship game.
Peter Ariz: This might explain why they didn’t chase a portal blocker. He’s 6-6, 255-plus. You know what he’s there for.
DMoney: He was a lacrosse commit to Notre Dame. Played defense in high school. Carver fits the mold of a true, physically mature tight end body with a multisport background.
He could have transferred and didn’t. He wants to be a Cane. Those guys matter.
Peter Ariz: In spring you’ll hear his name ahead of freshmen and people will question it. He’ll have a real chance to earn reps. McCormick dealt with injury issues, as did Arroyo. Maybe Carver is next to emerge from those as a better player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB0jHducHMM
