30 key Miami Hurricanes for 2025 season: Versatile Elija Lofton knows his role
The Miami Hurricanes kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 31 with a marquee matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Hard Rock Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC).
With the calendar officially flipped to August, the Miami Herald is counting down 30 of the most important players on the Hurricanes’ roster, one per day leading up to the season opener, to provide a closer look at the team heading into coach Mario Cristobal’s fourth season.
Today: The No. 10 player on our list, Elija Lofton
What to know
Position: Tight end
Hometown: Las Vegas
Year: Sophomore
How he got to Miami: 2024 recruiting class
Key stats: 9 catches, 150 yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 2 carries, 30 yards, 1 rushing touchdown in 13 games as a freshman
In summary: The Hurricanes used Elija Lofton in a limited capacity as a true freshman. He was only on the field for 157 snaps while Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick took the majority of tight end reps. But without a defined role, the Hurricanes were able to deploy Lofton wherever they thought he could exploit a mismatch. He showed how his versatile skill set can make him a dangerous weapon on offense in that limited sample size. The question now becomes whether he will be able to maximize his talent while adding on extra responsibilities.
What they’re saying
“[Arroyo] was like my big brother. I still talk to him to this day. I still call him and ask him, ‘How you doing out there? What’s going on? Any advice you want to get to me? ’And just learning from him and Cam really taught me a lot of things. A lot about football, a lot about defenses, a lot about blocking and route running. A lot of things, even off the field, they teach me a lot of things.” — Tight end Elija Lofton
“As a young guy, especially when you’re a deep room like we had last year, you can, as a coach, put him in places where he’s going to be successful, but now he knows first, second, third down, fourth down, that he’s got to be ready to roll and be ready to execute everything that we do at tight end. ... The expectation for himself is super high.” — Hurricanes tight ends coach Cody Woodiel on Elija Lofrton
“He’s a weapon. That’s the easiest way to put it. He does absolutely everything: fast, quick, knows how to win one-on-ones, beat man coverage, settle in zones, catch the ball, run, break tackles. He’s got shiftiness in him, power. He’s really one of a kind.” — Tight end Alex Bauman on Elija Lofton
The rest of the series
No. 11: Defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor
No. 12: Wide receiver Joshisa Trader
No. 13: Offensive lineman Markel Bell
No. 14: Defensive back Xavier Lucas
No. 15: Defensive lineman Justin Scott
No. 16: Wide receiver CJ Daniels
No. 17: Defensive lineman David Blay
No. 18: Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten
No. 19: Center James Brockermeyer
No. 20: Wide receiver Keelan Marion
No. 21: Defensive back Jakobe Thomas
No. 23: Defensive back Keionte Scott
No. 24: Running back Jordan Lyle
No. 25: Defensive back Damari Brown
No. 26: Defensive lineman Armondo Blount
No. 27: Wide receiver Malachi Toney
No. 28: Defensive back Ethan O’Connor
No. 29: Linebacker Kamal Bonner
No. 30: Running back CharMar Brown
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