Elija Lofton’s growth with Miami Hurricanes coming in strides — and hurdles

Miami Herald · Jordan McPherson · 2026-11-04 17:28 UTC

Miami Hurricanes tight end Elija Lofton, after dealing with injuries last season, is utilizing his athleticism to make an impact with UM’s top-end offense.

He did everything but score.

With the top-ranked Miami Hurricanes facing second and 8 from the North Carolina 25-yard line late in the fourth quarter on Saturday, Elija Lofton took a check down pass from quarterback Darian Mensah and looked upfield.

The junior tight end, listed at 6-3 and 242 pounds, hurdled over Tar Heels defensive back Greg Smith III to avoid a tackle for loss and slipped through another tackle before finally being brought down but not after gaining 12 yards and moving the chains. Miami scored two plays later on Mensah’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Toney to all but clinch the Hurricanes’ 38-35 win over the Tar Heels.

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