Mario Cristobal says Elijah Arroyo has a chance to play against Texas A&M

It’s almost time. On Monday, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal proved a positive update on tight end Elijah Arroyo.

“We expect he has a good chance to be available,” Cristobal said. “He’s made a lot of progress. He’s tough and I’d love to come here and say [he’s] ready to roll or just be able to rule it out to make it clearer for all of us. But, it is progressing. It’s just hard to say. We’re very hopeful. And from what we saw today, we’re very encouraged.”

The recovery process has not been forgiving. Arroyo went down in September 2022 after suffering a torn ACL. While Arroyo was on the field during fall camp finding reps, he couldn’t find play time in the Hurricanes’ Week 1 victory over Miami (OH).

When Arroyo does return, he’ll undoubtedly contribute. In four games last season, Arroyo recorded five receptions for 66 yards. In his freshman campaign, he tallied 86 receiving yards and a TD. Arroyo is ready for his breakout season.

“I’m doing well. I mean, we’ve been doing a great job with the training staff, and I’m ready,” Arroyo said in August. “I’m ready to be out there. I’ve been all over the place working with the O-line, working with the tight ends and receivers. Just being out there coaching.

“I gave myself a day to be mad about it, and then after that, I was like, I gotta attack this rehab, so I can come back healthy as possible. I want to be feeling better than I felt before, and I feel like I’m doing a good job with that.”

Mario Cristobal looks for improvement in Year 2

Although the Hurricanes didn’t boast Arroyo at tight end in Week 1, they still looked fantastic. The team rattled off 493 yards total while committing just one turnover. On defense, Miami gave up just nine first downs all game.

The performance was a far cry from the Miami that posted a 5-7 record last season. Nonetheless, as Cristobal enters his second season at the helm, he aims to shift the culture.

“I think every year, you always hit the restart button,” Mario Cristobal said. “For us, coming back and the whole back question is, we’re always building. We’re always building. Whether we have a seasoned team or whether we have a new team, we’re just focused on getting better.”

Miami seemingly achieved its goal last Saturday. However, the Hurricanes will face their first true test in Week 2. On Saturday, Miami will square off against No. 23 Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ABC.