After breakout season to cap injury-plagued UM career, Elijah Arroyo declares for draft
Elijah Arroyo ended his injury-plagued Miami Hurricanes career on a high note.
Now, the tight end is hoping to parlay that success into a chance at the next level.
Arroyo announced on Tuesday that he is forgoing his final year of collegiate eligibility to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I grew up a Canes fan,” Arroyo wrote in his farewell message posted to his personal X (formerly Twitter) account. “I loved hearing about legends like Ray Lewis and Sean Taylor. I wanted to be one of those guys on the field. What an honor it has been to play for my dream school. I came in as a 17 year old kid and this amazing experience has helped mold me into the man I am today.”
Arroyo’s Hurricanes journey was one of perseverance. After playing in all 12 games as a true freshman, catching five passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, Arroyo played in just eight total games in 2022 and 2023 while dealing with injuries.
The tight end had a breakout season in 2024, catching 35 passes for 590 yards and seven touchdowns. His 16.9 yards per catch led all tight ends at the Football Bowl Subdivision level this season. His seven touchdown catches were tied for fourth among tight ends. He also threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Cam Ward in Miami’s win against Florida State, becoming the first non-quarterback to have a passing touchdown for the Hurricanes since Duke Johnson on Nov. 10, 2012, against Virginia.
But perhaps one of his biggest plays came in Miami’s 38-34 win against Virginia Tech, when he sprinted down the field after a Cam Ward interception, reaching a maximum speed of 21 mph according to coach Mario Cristobal, to tackle the Hokies’ Kaleb Spencer before he reached the end zone. Four plays later, the Hurricanes forced a turnover on downs when they sniffed out a fake field-goal attempt. Miami proceeded to outscore Virginia Tech 21-7 the rest of the way to escape Hard Rock Stadium with the win.
“That effort, that’s something to be kept forever,” Cristobal said. “That’s something to be shown to your teams forever. I’m sure people across the country are using that example to show their team. When we find an example like that, we always show it to our team. You want to show them good examples, no matter who does it.”
Arroyo is listed as the No. 8 tight end in the 2025 draft class by ESPN.
Among players who still had college eligibility, Arroyo is the fourth Hurricanes player to declare for the NFL Draft, joining running back Damien Martinez, wide receiver Sam Brown and offensive lineman Jalen Rivers.
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