’Canes need receivers to step up

With the loss of slot wide receiver Xavier Restrepo due to a foot injury, the Hurricanes are expecting other wide receivers to pick up the slack.

Restrepo is Miami’s leading wide receiver with 172 receiving yards on 11 catches. He’s the only Miami receiver with more than 100 yards or 10 receptions this year. He has one touchdown

catch this season.

Sophomore Brashard Smith is one player the team can look toward for production in Restrepo’s slot role. The speedy Smith has six catches for 65 yards.

Miami can also get production from sophomore Jacolby George, who returned from a two-game suspension. George had seven catches for 183 yards with one touchdown

“Obviously, it’s good to have him back, but he’s got to create his role,” offensive coordinator Josh Gattis said on Monday. “I think when you look at the receiver room, some guys have created roles, whether that’s Key’Shawn Smith, Mike Redding is playing at his best football right now, obviously, Xavier Restrepo is Xavier Restrepo — he’s so consistent in his preparation and his performance . ... I think Brashard Smith has kind of taken the next step.”

Miami also needs more production from its tight ends. Hurricanes tight ends had only one catch for 5 yards in their win over Southern Miss.

“A lot of times that just goes off game flow,” Gattis said “It’s not anything intentional. It’s just predicated based on what the defense is doing, coverage-wise.”