Hurricanes
around and said, ‘What’s up?’
He said, ‘You were a lot smaller the last time I saw you.’”
Mallory’s dad, Mike, a former Michigan football star who is the Jacksonville Jaguars assistant special teams coordinator and former Saints assistant special teams coach, undoubtedly had an influence on Will’s football career — as did his grandfather, Bill Mallory, a former head coach at Miami of Ohio, Colorado, Northern Illinois and Indiana. But now, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound 18-year-old, rated the nation’s No. 3 tight end by ESPN.com and No. 8 by 247Sports, is expected to make a name for himself after graduating from Jacksonville Providence School on Saturday, arriving on campus Sunday and beginning college classes Monday.
Mallory will be accompanied for the start of his freshman journey by the other Hurricanes who arrived this past weekend and help make up the 23-strong 2018 signing class.
“Earlier in the year I thought I was going to be sad and nervous leaving,’’ Mallory said Friday, immediately after his graduation rehearsal. “But honestly, right now I’m ready to get down there. Brevin and I are both ready to get there.’’
Brevin Jordan is the nation’s No. 1 prep tight end expected to be on the field with Mallory as the Canes look to reclaim the moniker “Tight End U.’’ If these future roommates are even close to as good as they’ve been in high school, the twoheaded monster theme will eventually take shape.
“You have two really big athletes who can both do the same things and different things on the field,’’ said Mallory, known for his soft hands, graceful giant gait and ideal physique for a tight end — despite needing to put on the 15 pounds or so he plans to add by the end of the season. “Having us both together on the field will be a mismatch for defenses. The way the coaches want to use us will be a really, really good fit and kind of scary for other people.’’
He also plays golf and played basketball and ran track for Providence, but said he will stick to only football at Miami.
“He can run,’’ UM tight ends coach Todd Hartley said of Mallory. “He’s got great length. He really reminds you of a young (former Cane and current Cleveland Brown) David Njoku. He’s a track star like David was (and) he has unbelievable hands, a great kid, highly intelligent — just a matchup nightmare on the perimeter.’’
Hartley said that at Paradise Camp, “nobody could catch the dude . ... He’s an unbelievable route-runner (and) catches everything thrown his way.’’
Mallory said during a visit to UM, Hartley popped in a highlight reel of Njoku as a Hurricane. “Then he put my highlights up next to it from high school. We were basically playing the same position and doing the same exact things. The vision they had was something I believe in. It’s a perfect fit.’’