His jaw-dropping catch got the attention. The Hurricanes value CJ Daniels for much more
Carson Beck was on his back as the highlight play of the Miami Hurricanes’ season opener unfolded.
With 18 seconds left in the second quarter of a tie game against Notre Dame last weekend, CJ Daniels leapt into the air, his right arm fully extended behind him, to haul in a spectacular one-handed 28-yard touchdown grab between a pair of Fighting Irish defenders.
“I just [saw] him in the end zone,” Beck said after the game, an eventual 27-24 Miami win. “I had no idea that he had caught it like that. So I’m over there turning up because I threw a touchdown. And then I see it on the big screen and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. There is no way he just caught that.’ But, man, he always tells me, ‘Just put it up there. I’ll go get it.’ I mean, he proved that.”
The catch generated buzz all throughout the week. It was a top play on SportsCenter and very well might be a Catch of the Year candidate when the season is all said and done.
But Daniels has been receiving buzz internally with the Hurricanes ever since he enrolled in January — and that play merely put him on the rest of college football’s radar.
The sixth-year senior had been a Hurricanes target for quite some time. Coach Mario Cristobal twice attempted to lure Daniels to Miami — first when he entered the portal out of Liberty following the 2023 season and again last season when he departed from LSU. He came to UM with 148 career catches for 2,434 yards and 21 touchdowns, most of which came during his four seasons at Liberty (106 catches, 1,959 yards, 21 touchdowns).
“I’ve chased him for a long, long time,” Cristobal said. “Finally got him.”
And in one game, Daniels showed the game-changing potential he brings to a Miami team that is replacing its top five pass-catchers from a season ago in receivers Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Isaiah Horton and Sam Brown plus tight end Elijah Arroyo.
While Daniels has received heaps of praise for the play, the veteran said he isn’t surprised he made the play — “The world was surprised,” he said. He knows his capabilities. Now, he’s showcasing them.
“When the ball is in the air,” Daniels said. “I just feel like it’s really just me and the ball.”
Added Cristobal: “Watching him at Liberty, I thought he was an unbelievable, high-level playmaker. The guy’s contested catch rate was off the charts. Catch radius was huge. Could run the entire route tree with ease. Could play inside, could play outside, had length.”
Now, the play didn’t come without some risk. Beck was under pressure during the play, both by the clock with under 20 seconds left until halftime and by Notre Dame’s pass rush, and the throw came off Beck’s back foot as he was getting hit. The two defenders — sophomore defensive backs Adon Shuler and Leonard Moore — were integral in Notre Dame’s secondary last season on the Fighting Irish’s way to playing in the national title game.
“If you don’t catch it,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said, “it might be a pick.”
But there was trust between Beck and Daniels, two sixth-year seniors who have become integral veteran presences for Miami. They bonded during spring while both nursed injuries, Beck recovering from UCL surgery for his right elbow and Daniels a foot injury that kept him off the field to start spring ball.
“I think it really kind of came with the chemistry and the gel we had off the field,” Daniels said. “We both were a little banged up in the spring. Just rallying these guys together in the offseason and actually not being on the field, I think it definitely correlated to to last Sunday. It was just really built up energy. I think we all had a we all had a message to prove. We had a point to prove and I can’t be more grateful for Carson being a leader, a vet, and him just having the knowledge and and the tools that that can carry over.”
Added Beck: “Trust is everything. In those situations, like that was a game-deciding play. Let’s keep it real. ... When you can build that rapport and trust with guys, it allows you to do things that you maybe wouldn’t if you didn’t trust them. For me, in that situation, we had talked about the play, we had talked about against the coverage, exactly what he’s going to do. We had watched the film, we had walked through it, we had practiced it, we did it on air. We did all of these things to where now we’re getting in the game. Yes, there’s 18 seconds left in the first half, and we’re in field goal range. And yes, is it a risky throw 100%, but I trust that guy to go make a play. We’ve done it so many times that at that point is just second nature. Obviously, him going up and making a catch like that is absolutely insane, but I trust him.”
The Hurricanes as a whole trust him, too. He’s a leading voice in the receiver room, a willing blocker when the ball isn’t in his hands and a player yearning to make the most of his final college football season.
Daniels’ hope is that catch is just the first big play for the Hurricanes this season.
“It was a great play, but we still got things to focus on,” Daniels said. “It’s tunnel vision for me.”
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 9:59 AM.
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