What’s next for Miami at receiver? Harley anoints George as WR1; Rambo challenges Restrepo
The record-setting senior seasons for Mike Harley and Charleston Rambo came with a trade-off for the Miami Hurricanes: As good as those two wide receivers were and as important as they were to transforming Miami’s offense into a modern spread-style attack, they also accounted for more than 46 percent of the Hurricanes’ total receptions last year.
It’s a lot of production for the Hurricanes to replace — and with Will Mallory also sidelined for the rest of spring with a shoulder injury, Miami is actually down its top three receivers from a year ago — and has created an open competition in spring practice. Harley, however, has his sights set on an underclassman with only seven catches so far in his career.
Jacolby George, he said Wednesday, can be the new No. 1 wide receiver in Coral Gables.
“I always tell him he’s wide receiver 1,” said Harley, who set the school’s record for career receptions last year, while Rambo set the single-season mark. “Our receiver room is loaded, but I always tell him, ‘You’re wide receiver 1,’ just giving him that confidence going in day in and day out. ... Everything’s coming to light with him.”
Throughout the first two-thirds of the spring season, George has made a compelling case as a fixture with the first-team offense, whether in the slot or playing outside.
His limited track record of seven catches for 183 yards and one touchdown, however, speaks to just how much uncertainty there is at wide receiver for the Hurricanes this year.
Key’Shawn Smith and Xavier Restrepo have the most established track record, after combining for 50 catches, 679 yards and seven touchdowns as second-year freshmen last year.
Frank Ladson might have the highest ceiling as a former top-50 recruit, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings, except he only caught 31 passes for 428 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons for the Clemson Tigers before transferring to Miami last year.
There are also the Harley-nicknamed “Three Amigos” — Romello Brinson, Brashard Smith and George — who all made eye-popping plays as freshmen last year, albeit while also going through those first-season inconsistencies expected even from former blue-chip recruits.
It’s very easy to envision any combination of those six emerging as starters.
“There’s no upperclassmen, no underclassmen,” Restrepo said. “The best man is going to play, so I need everybody to step up their game.”
On Wednesday, the 11-on-11 session at Greentree Practice Fields began with Restrepo, George and Key’Shawn Smith as the three first-team wideouts, but this is with Brinson sidelined by a shoulder injury, Brashard Smith frequently rotating in as a slot receiver and Ladson, at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, giving the Hurricanes a completely different dimension with his size.
Both George and Restrepo — a pair of Broward County natives — are embracing the opportunity to become quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s No. 1 target.
Why George can be ‘WR1’
George has known Harley since he was in middle school and both were training at Gold Feet Global in Fort Lauderdale. It’s where Harley first took notice of George’s massive potential and George built a relationship with Harley, as well as NFL receivers Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. Those are three players, he said, he studies most and sometimes even studies alongside.
“When I was working with Jerry,” George said, “he was telling me releases and which ones work, when and when to not do it, and the best ways to do it.”
Last year, George’s flashes often came in the return game, where he averaged 10.9 yards per punt return. He also made a spectacular one-handed catch in the Hurricanes’ season-finale against the Duke Blue Devils, spinning to his left and snagging Van Dyke’s outside-shoulder pass with his left hand along the right sideline to pick up 39 of his career-high 80 yards.
George’s knack for making contested catches, Te’Cory Couch said, has stood out this spring.
“It’s just his finish, man,” the cornerback said. “He’s one of those guys. He knows how to go get the ball, man.”
Why Restrepo can be ‘WR1’
Restrepo, however, might be the safest bet to be Van Dyke’s top target. His 24 catches last year were fifth most on the team, and his 373 receiving yards were third most behind only Harley and Rambo. He’s a staple at the front of the line in every drill this spring and has been the most consistent performer of the group.
He’s also now one of the veterans — he and Key’Shawn Smith are the only two upperclassmen with double-digit catches in their Miami careers — and he has made a concerted effort to be the leader of the group.
“As soon as the older guys left last year, immediately I took charge,” Restrepo said. “It was kind of natural, like all the guys turned toward me.”
Restrepo said he still talks with Rambo frequently and the wideout sent him a video the other day to say, “You better get my record.”
The Hurricanes know they’ll be tough to replace. They did set a foundation, though, and leave South Florida feeling like Miami is a good place.
“Those guys are competitors,” Restrepo said. “The main thing that I learned from them is just don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 1:24 PM.
