Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Mallory to return
Starting tight end to play fifth season with Hurricanes in 2022
Miami Hurricanes starting tight end Will Mallory will return to the program in 2022 for a fifth and final season, he told reporters after Wednesday’s practice.
Mallory, a fourth-year junior out of Providence School of Jacksonville, is eligible to play a fifth season after the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility for last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m coming back,” Mallory said. “I think even before the season, I had that predetermined. I plan on coming back for another year.”
Mallory has 19 receptions for 214 yards with two touchdowns through nine games this year after having 22 catches for 329 yards and four touchdowns across 10 games as a backup to current Houston Texans rookie tight end Brevin Jordan last season.
He’s caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns during his four seasons with the Hurricanes.
After struggling with drops early in the season, Mallory’s had an uptick in production during UM’s three-game winning streak, recording a combined nine receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ wins over N.C. State, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech.
“Overall I’m feeling better and feeling more confident,” Mallory said. “As a team, we are out there playing our game and having more fun, so I think I am feeding off that energy as well. I feel like I’m coming back to myself.”
Mallory’s expected to lead a tight end room that’ll include current freshman Elijah Arroyo and third-year redshirt freshman Larry Hodges.
When asked about what he told Arroyo after the freshman’s fumble during the win against the Yellow Jackets, Mallory responded: “I told him ‘hey man, it happens, Obviously you won’t want this to happen, but it’s learning thing. You learn from this. At the end of the day, you’re a talented player. We’re going to count on you in the future. Just keep your head up and block the outside noise because nobody else’s opinion matters.’ ”
Mallory made his announcement as Miami continues to prepare for Saturday’s matchup with rival Florida State (3:30 p.m., ESPN) at Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
The Hurricanes have won their last four games against the Seminoles, with Mallory being a part of three of those victories, including last year’s 52-10 blowout win at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I think it’s kind of an unsaid thing: you just know how important it is when you commit to the University of Miami and you come here,” Mallory said. “It is a big deal and it is a rivalry that everyone’s excited to watch.”
And Mallory’s been impressed by what he’s seen from the Seminoles, who are 3-6 and 2-4 in the ACC, but rank top 45 in the nation in both sacks (2.78) and tackles for losses (5.9) per game.
“They’ve got some new guys who have been doing really good,” he said. “It just seems like they’re playing more together than last year. They’re a talented team. It’s a good matchup for us.”
With a win over Florida State, the Hurricanes would reach the minimum amount of wins to be bowl-eligible for the 14th consecutive season. Miami had self-imposed bowl bans in place for 2011 and ’12 due to an NCAA investigation into the program’s previous recruiting violations.
“For me with bowl games, I want to go out there and finish the season on a strong note,” Mallory said.
“Get a W. It’s extremely important to me, but right now we’re just focusing on the next game and winning out.”