Miami lands veteran - very veteran - TE Cam McCormick out of transfer portal

On3 imageby:Matt Shodell01/15/23

canesport

He’s old enough to be a GA or assistant coach, but he’ll be on the field for the Miami Hurricanes in 2023. Oregon TE transfer Cam McCormick, off a UM visit Jan. 13-15, has committed to his former Ducks coach Mario Cristobal. It will be McCormick’s ninth, yes ninth, year of eligibility. And his second team.

For four straight years he had numerous season-ending knee injuries and an Achilles’ tear – between 2018 and 2021.

So that means not only did he play for Cristobal at Oregon, but he also played for Mark Helfrich at Oregon. And Willie Taggart. And Dan Lanning. McCormick is something of a unicorn in college football – the NCAA just granted him that ninth year. He was freshman in 2016 prior to his injury-riddled career.

Last year McCormick did make it through the whole year, and had eight catches for 60 yards with two TDs. At 6-5 and 260 pounds, he could be a veteran presence on Miami’s team, and UM could utilize his blocking ability (he graded out at 71.4 percent as a pass blocker and 66.6 as a run blocker last year in 366 reps per Pro Football Focus). Prior to last year he’d played one rep in 2016, 319 in 2017 (57.5 grade), 11 reps in 2018, 0 reps in 2019 or 2020 and 10 reps in 2021.

With Will Mallory gone, McCormick joins top returners Elijah Arroyo (missed most of last season injured) and second-year TE Jaleel Skinner (9 catches, 129 yards). The team also signed a couple of highly touted prospects in Riley Williams and Jackson Carver.

McCormick is the seventh transfer this cycle that comes to Miami, joining OL Javion Cohen (Alabama), LB Francisco Mauigoa (Washington State), DTs Branson Deen (Purdue) and Thomas Gore (Georgia State), CB Davonte Brown (UCF) and C Matt Lee (UCF).

CaneSport’s take

Was tight end as pressing a need for Miami as, say, an outside wide receiver or starting caliber cornerback? Perhaps not. But Miami did not have any sort of consistent help in pass or run blocking last year from the tight end position. McCormick graded out well at both and can also do a little as a receiver … although Arroyo and Skinner are much bigger downfield threats. But there’s no arguing with the fact that Miami has now added a veteran – very veteran – presence to the team. And a guy who can help instill that physical mindset up front from the tight end position.

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