Miami Recruiting Profile: Tight End Elija Lofton
Playing in a multi-faceted offense like the Miami Hurricanes do, finding versatile prospects like Elija Lofton has become a must.
Here’s a breakdown of the talented prospect’s overall skills, including the ability to essentially play three positions.
Size: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
Positions: Tight End, H-Back and Slot
School: Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
Recruiting
Lofton earned offers from across the United States. For instance, Arizona State (May 26), Miami (June 9), Texas (June 16) and Washington (June 23) were all far away from one another, but those were the official visits Lofton set up to date.
Miami has been trending with Lofton, as of the time of this article publishing. Texas has been considered the primary competition, depending on the person one communicates with.
He also had offers from many other programs including but not limited to Colorado, Texas A&M, Utah, California, and Washington State.
Frame
Compact and powerful. Lofton’s lower body will remind one of a big and powerful NFL wide receiver. He’s able to add more weight, but he probably should not go much above 230 pounds. He’s filled out well to date.
Athleticism
He can flat out run. Watching Lofton take off and chase down a player that picked up a fumble, it was incredible to see him out run a much smaller player on multiple occasions.
He’s also a player that dominated as a run blocker from the slot, at tight end or even out wide as a traditional wide receiver; Lofton’s blocking was phenomenal in the screen game because of his strength and tenacity.
He can make plays with the football in his hands as well. Lofton showed a nimbleness to the way he runs and dodges defenders.
Position Flexibility
During any given play, Lofton could end up at different spots. That fact, based on his junior film, made it easy to see why he earned numerous Power 5 offers. No defense will be able to consistently project where Lofton lines up from one play to the next, providing a distinct advantage for him and the offense he’s playing in.
Long-Term Impact
Once Lofton goes through a full year off college football weight training, he will be as versatile as any player at H-back, tight end or slot. He will make plays from a variety of positions – catching passes, blocking for the quarterback and other skill players – that few other players will be able to match.
Lofton should be considered one of the class of 2024’s most unique football recruits.
2024 Recruiting Rankings: Florida's Top 25 Prospects
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.