Miami Hurricanes star receiver Xavier Restrepo out indefinitely with foot injury
Miami star receiver Xavier Restrepo has sustained a foot injury that will sideline him indefinitely, according to multiple sources.
The No. 13 Hurricanes (2-0) are scheduled to leave Friday for their first road trip to face No. 24 Texas A&M (1-1) in College Station, where a Kyle Field crowd of up to 102,000 Aggies fans are set to watch the game that kicks off at 9 p.m. (Eastern time) and will be nationally televised by ESPN.
University of Miami sports information did not respond to a request on Thursday about Restrepo’s status. It is unknown how long he will be unable to play.
Coach Mario Cristobal said Saturday after UM’s win over Southern Miss that he was “really proud of Restrepo because he got dinged up last week and a little in practice and he went out there and played.”
Restrepo, a 5-10, 195-pound third-year sophomore out of Deerfield Beach High, is unquestionably the young man Cristobal has praised as much, and probably more, than any other Hurricanes player since Cristobal took over as coach in December.
Restrepo, who plays in the slot, is the only UM wideout with more than 100 yards receiving in two games. He had five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in the Sept. 3 opener against Bethune-Cookman and six catches for 72 yards last week against Southern Miss.
Restrepo spoke to reporters on Tuesday after practice about the Texas A&M game, so the injury might have been sustained Wednesday.
“The entire receivers group is doing awesome,’’ Restrepo told reporters. “They’re getting better day by day on Greentree.’’
Restrepo is quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s close friend and roommate. Van Dyke called him his “security blanket” before the season.
UM’s record-breaking receivers Charleston Rambo and Mike Harley departed after last season, leaving Restrepo as clearly the top performer and overall team leader to pick up the slack on a receiving corps with plenty of youth but limited production. The receivers were plagued with drops throughout fall camp until only a few days before the season began.
Behind Restrepo is sophomore Brashard Smith, with six catches for 65 yards, followed by Michael Redding III, with five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Outside receiver Key’Shawn Smith had 49 yards and a touchdown on three catches last week.
Smith, a 5-10, 196-pound sophomore out of Miami Palmetto High, could be a possible replacement for Restrepo.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 12:33 PM.
