Miami adds blue-chip tight end from Texas to rapidly growing 2021 recruiting class

Elijah Arroyo referred to the University of Miami as his “childhood dream school” on the day the Miami Hurricanes offered him a scholarship in January. Before he became one of the top tight ends in Texas, Arroyo grew up in South Florida, dreaming of one day playing for Miami.

On Sunday, he took a major step toward achieving his childhood dream. Arroyo, a four-star tight end from Frisco, announced his oral commitment to the Hurricanes with a Twitter post.

Arroyo’s commitment comes a little more than a week after he put Miami in a top 10. The top group was loaded with Southeastern Conference powerhouses, including the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, but the Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies emerged as the two frontrunners to land his commitment. Arroyo announced Friday he had made his decision and initial reports out of College Station suggested Texas A&M was going to keep the 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver in state. Instead, Arroyo decided to come home and play for Miami despite never visiting Coral Gables.

Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee was key in prying Arroyo out of Texas, as was tight ends coach Stephen Field. Lashlee spent last season as the offensive coordinator for the SMU Mustangs and he visited Arroyo at Independence several times as he tried to convince the athlete to come play for him in Dallas. Arroyo even had SMU in his top 10 in part because of the foundation Lashlee built in the recruitment.

Arroyo becomes the second tight end in the Hurricanes’ Class of 2021, joining three-star Miami Northwestern receiver Kahlil Brantley. Chamon Metayer, a three-star athlete from Miami Central, also hopes to be a receiver at the next level, although the Hurricanes initially recruited him to be an edge rusher. Restocking at tight end is a major priority for Miami this cycle as star tight end Brevin Jordan, who will be a junior this coming season, is projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Arroyo’s stock has soared in the last few months and he is now the No. 13 tight end in the country, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings for the Class of 2021. Last season, Arroyo caught 48 passes for 648 yards and five touchdowns to help the Knights reach the third round of the postseason for the first time in program history. The junior also competes in track and field, and posted a personal record of 6-foot-2 in the high jump in February before the COVID-19 pandemic halted his season.

Arroyo is the 14th member of the Hurricanes’ 2021 recruiting class and the first one from outside Florida. Last month, Miami added its first player from outside the Miami metropolitan area when Malik Curtis, a three-star athlete from Fort Myers Bishop Verot, committed to the Hurricanes.

Miami is suddenly extremely active on the recruiting trail after going more than a month without landing a commitment at the start of the dead period forced by the coronavirus. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna three-star defensive tackle Allan Haye, however, committed to the Hurricanes in April and Miami has now made four new additions to the class in just 12 days. The Hurricanes also landed three-star Miami Columbus center Ryan Rodriguez on Monday.

With the addition of Arroyo, the Hurricanes move up two spots in the team rankings, and now boast the No. 7 class in the country and No. 3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Arroyo is the fifth four-star prospect in the class, joining Chaminade-Madonna running back Thad Franklin, Parkland Stoneman Douglas tackle Michael McLaughlin, Central guard Laurence Seymore and Pinecrest Palmetto defensive tackle Savion Collins.