Miami Hurricanes: Xavier Restrepo injury means ‘next man up’

A bit of unwelcome news came for the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, as it was announced at wide receiver Xavier Restrepo would be out of Saturday’s game against Texas A&M due to a foot injury. The timetable of his injury is unknown.

This is a big blow for Miami, at the very least for Saturday. Restrepo was emerging as the Miami Hurricanes’ top receiver, and his statistics were proof of that. He leads the program in receiving through two games this season. Restrepo was becoming Tyler Van Dyke’s security blanket and a consistent weapon this season.

He has caught 11 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. Also apparent has been his ability to stretch the field, as he is averaging 15.6 yards per reception.

#BREAKING Canes WR Xavier Restrepo ruled out versus TAMU, due to an apparent foot injury. We wish for a speedy recovery for X, who was turning into TVD’s most dependable wideout. @5reasonssports #nextmanup #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/hfJhOANhOW

— The Sixth Ring Canes Show on 5 Reasons Sports (@SixthRingCanes) September 15, 2022

Who can step up for Miami Hurricanes?

Now, it’s going to be about who is stepping up for Miami at wide receiver. There are a couple of candidates to do so. Michael Redding is one of them. He caught three passes for 45 yards against Southern Miss last weekend. He was also able to record two catches for 31 yards and a touchdown against Bethune-Cookman in the opener.

Brashard Smith could be another candidate as well. He caught four passes for 53 yards in last week’s game against Southern Miss. He showed he had the ability to spread the field.

Last but not least, Keyshawn Smith could be another big factor for the Hurricanes with Restrepo out. He is coming off a performance that saw him recorded three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. He did a nice job of getting involved, and averaged 16.3 yards per reception.

Miami does have depth at wide receiver. However, Restrepo was really coming into his own as Tyler Van Dyke’s favorite target. Now, it will be up to the three mentioned above. as well as others,  to get the job done.

At the very least, this could help Miami figure out what type of depth they have at wide receiver. This is an opportunity to see if another player can emerge, and become a complementary piece at the position when Restrepo returns. Here’s to hoping the latter will be good to go sooner rather than later.

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