2024 4-star TE recruit Elija Lofton commits to Miami: Exploring the impact the match-up nightmare has on Hurricanes' program

The Miami Hurricanes have added another talented prospect to their 2024 class as 4-star tight end Elija Lofton has committed to the program. He is one of the best tight end prospects in the class and the top player coming out of Nevada so this could be a great plus for the team. Lofton had offers from Arizona State, Hawaii, California, and Colorado to name a few teams interested in the 6-2, 220-pound prospect.

There are a lot of upperclassmen in the Miami Hurricanes offense and should be interesting to see how he develops in this program.

What should we expect from the Miami Hurricanes this season?

The Miami Hurricanes have a lot of changes to their offensive line as only sophomore right guard Anez Cooper is returning as a starter. The Hurricanes are in a bit of a lull as head coach Mario Cristobal is trying to get his guys in the program and find his footing as the head coach here.

The program finished 5-7 (3-5) during the 2022 season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Miami finished fifth in the ACC with 239.8 passing yards per game but combined for 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Their defense did not do too well as the program that has the turnover chain allowed 26.8 points per game last year.

A lot of the roster from the 2022 season is returning and they need to figure out how to step up in the second season of Mario Cristobal's team. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson is the newest hire on the coaching staff to really try to take the next step as an air raid offense. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Van Dyke dealt with an upper-body injury last season to put a damper on their hopes. He is a solid quarterback and with Dawson's offensive attack, Tyler Van Dyke should be able to improve on his 10 touchdowns to five interceptions.

The ACC is going to be tough with teams like the Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, North Carolina Tar Heels, Syracuse Orange, and Pittsburgh Panthers all in the conference and the Miami Hurricanes have not drastically improved from last season. They are banking on health to be the reason why they struggled last season and though there should be some improvement, they are still not expected to be sniffing the ACC Championship Game in 2023.