Miami tight end Brevin Jordan questionable vs. Pitt. And an update on Navaughn Donaldson
The Miami Hurricanes, coming off their worst passing performance of the season, could be without their leading receiver Saturday when they host the Pittsburgh Panthers at Hard Rock Stadium.
Brevin Jordan’s status remains questionable Wednesday, Manny Diaz said, as No. 13 Miami prepares for Pittsburgh.
“The only guy that’d be questionable is Brevin,” the coach said. “I think everybody else has been practicing and has been good to go, so we’ll see as the week goes on about Brevin, but everybody else has been out there running around, looking good.”
This means offensive lineman John Campbell Jr., who started at left tackle Saturday against the Clemson Tigers, should be good to go after exiting the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent right knee injury.
Jordan’s potential absence would be painful for the Hurricanes. The star tight end leads Miami (3-1, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) with 18 catches for 243 yards and three touchdown this season. He was the Hurricanes’ leading receiver in their 42-17 loss to No. 1 Clemson before he exited with an apparent right shoulder injury in the third quarter.
Miami finished the blowout loss in South Carolina with only 121 passing yards — its fewest since the Pinstripe Bowl loss to the Wisconsin Badgers at the end of the 2018 season. Only one other player matched Jordan’s three receptions Saturday and the junior’s 31 receiving yards were only bested by wide receiver Keyshawn Smith, who hauled in a 42-yard catch in garbage time.
If Jordan can’t go Saturday, Will Mallory would likely slot into the starting lineup. The tight end has just three catches for 32 yards and one touchdown this year, but he was productive in 2019 with 16 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns.
“We’ve got two really outstanding tight ends. I think Will has really made some big improvements this year in terms of his physicality and his blocking, and doing some of the things that actually the tight end position requires,” Diaz said. “His body size across the middle of the field, it gives the quarterback such confidence because it’s such a big target to throw the ball to.”
Miami still optimistic about Donaldson
Navaughn Donaldson could take the next step toward returning to the field this week.
The offensive lineman has missed the entire season as he recovers from right knee surgery, but Diaz isn’t ruling out the possibility he could contribute later this season.
Donaldson is scheduled to meet with a doctor this week, Diaz said, to evaluate his progress.
“He’s got an appointment later this week to kind of assess his progress of where he’s at,” Diaz said.
The senior started 34 games across his first three seasons in Coral Gables before he announced in June he planned to redshirt this season. The NCAA, however, is granting every player an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, which means Donaldson could return next year no matter how much he plays in 2020.
So far, Donaldson has been able to participate in noncontact drills and walkthrough situations, and so some jogging. The hope is he will be cleared for contact soon, at which point he will have to get back in game shape after sitting out nearly a year.
Donaldson started at right guard for most of last season before he missed the Hurricanes’ Independence Bowl loss to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs because of the knee injury.
“Obviously,” Diaz said, “we’re still hoping to have him, with the way the season is playing through December.”
