Miami Hurricanes add huge piece to WR room: Alabama transfer Tyler Harrell brings game-breaking speed
The Miami Hurricanes’ receiver room just got a big upgrade thanks to the transfer portal.
The Canes have landed a second Alabama transfer, with WR Tyler Harrell joining prior enrollee Javion Cohen in this class.
Harrell could have a huge impact, perhaps even on par with what Charleston Rambo did when he transferred in and set records. Yes, that’s the kind of ability Harrell possesses.
He was timed at 4.24 seconds at a Pro Day and will come in with the expectation he’ll be a Day 1 starter after seven different Miami wide receivers started games in 2022. Last season also saw the team’s top WR producer average just 36.7 yards per game (Colbie Young with 367 yards in 10 games).
Harell is a graduate senior who entered the portal Jan. 14. Originally from Miami Columbus High School (Mario Cristobal’s alma mater), he signed with Louisville as a three-star out of high school. His first years there didn’t result in a lot of production – as a freshman in 2018 he caught two passes, then redshirted in 2019 and only played nine reps in 2020. But he started to show his game breaking ability there in 2021, when he finished with 18 catches for 523 yards (29.1 yards per catch) and six TDs. It was at a Louisville Pro Day that he was timed at the 4.24 seconds.
Harrell transferred to ‘Bama after that 2021 season, but last year had a foot injury that cost him a chance to really make any kind of impact. He wound up playing just 33 reps and had two catches for 18 yards.
Harrell now will chase a better opportunity to start and could be a solid rotation guy at a Miami program that desperately needs more production from the position.
At 6-0 and 194 pounds Harrell has mainly been an outside receiver, which works well given Miami returns Xavier Restrepo and Brashard Smith in the slot and also has a talented speedy signee that is expected to fit best in the slot as well – Ray Ray Joseph.
In Harrell’s lone season with more than 39 reps played, 2021, he had 374 reps and per Pro Football Focus graded out at 70.4 overall (70 is considered a good grade) with a 70.9 receiving grade. He caught 18 of 36 targets that year with 11 reps in the slot. Of his 523 yards, 176 came after the catch (9.8 yards per catch) and included a 91-yarder vs. Virginia. He had three drops as well.
Last year Miami receivers that started games were numerous as the team struggled to get consistent play from the position. Jacolby George began the year suspended and started one game, Frank Ladson had nine starts, Mike Redding started four times, Xavier Restrepo was banged up and started twice, Brashard Smith had six starts, Key’Shawn Smith started three games and Young had six starts.
So we are going to go ahead and pencil him in as a starter along with Restrepo in the slot and with the other outside spot a battle to be determined with perhaps Young the most talented option there.
