It’s a good offseason to need a tight end in the NFL.
The 2025 NFL Draft projects to be a strong class for several key positions, including at tight end. Like eating at a Brazilian steakhouse, it’s hard to say no when another eye-catching option comes around. This time, the late-January, Senior Bowl surge is coming for Miami Hurricanes TE Elijah Arroyo.
The former four-star tight end from Frisco, Texas, had a standout season for Miami (FL) in 2024, gaining 590 yards and seven touchdowns on just 35 catches, playing alongside Heisman contender quarterback Cam Ward.
Arroyo averaged an absurd 9.1 yards after the catch per reception and 16.9 yards per reception, first and second, respectively, among FBS tight ends with at least 30 targets.
However, at the 2025 Senior Bowl, Arroyo is catching eyes with his skills before the ball is in his hands, displaying his route-running savant as a tight end which has people nervous about potentially passing up on him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Can we draft Elijah Arroyo just so I never have to watch Kyle Dugger try to cover him? pic.twitter.com/Dkp3rpvR0c
— Boorish (@Boorish_Sports) January 29, 2025
The Hurricanes standout continued his impressive display, showing nuance and quick feet to get open consistently against defenders in 1-on-1 coverage
Miami TE Elijah Arroyo is good at this getting open thing @AtoZSportsNFL pic.twitter.com/BnxUvAxId1
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) January 29, 2025
But if you want to see all of his 1-on-1 reps, one user on X (formerly known as Twitter) compiled them together to further drive the hype:
Here is every one-on-one rep by Miami (FL) TE Elijah Arroyo pic.twitter.com/VjjmBUxrKG
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) January 28, 2025
While 1-on-1 reps can be easy to dismiss due to their apparent skew in the offense’s favor, Arroyo was doing more than just getting open. He was displaying things evaluators look for, showing off head fakes and footwork that allowed him to get the results he wanted in multiple different ways, taking advantage of the leverage afforded to him by the drill.
However, Arroyo has more to his game than what he put on display in 1-on-1s. He clocked the fastest speed of any tight end in college football in 2024: 21.8 mph. While he was not a prolific tackle-breaker (three in 2024), he only dropped one pass all season and was versatile as both an in-line (165 snaps) and slot (216 snaps) weapon.
College Football's fastest TE? @CanesFootball TE Elijah Arroyo owns that title — hitting 21.8 mph back in Week 11pic.twitter.com/FGuPfNyATD
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) December 24, 2024
And as he continues to make a name for himself, one user put it succinctly: “Arroyo is making money and making fans here at the [Senior Bowl].”
.@CanesFootball TE Elijah Arroyo is making money and making fans here at the #SeniorBowl.
Another really big day for him. pic.twitter.com/6QDkTev9OV
— 32BeatWriters (@32BeatWriters) January 29, 2025
Arroyo is in a deep class at tight end, facing off with stars like Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland as well as top talents like Harold Fannin Jr., Gunnar Helm, and Mason Taylor.
Arroyo had a serious knee injury that limited him to just 11 games in 2022 and 2023. It will likely be a key point of attention when he gets to the NFL Scouting Combine, as people await his medical clearance.
However, he has only picked up steam this season and even more over the last few days. If Arroyo can continue his impressive run, he could hear his name called among the top tight ends in the draft class as he reminds us not to let his name get lost in the shuffle.
For more draft content, go to CSN’s Top 300 Prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft or try out College Football Network’s Mock Draft Simulator.
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