After a loss to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Pinstripe Bowl, Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Xavier Restrepo declared his intention to return for his fifth season with the Hurricanes.
Shawn O’Dare, a former Miami Hurricanes wide receiver and current NFL agent, made the news. Restrepo had a potential to go late in the draft, and like any productive college football player, he had the option to transfer.
Mario Cristobal, Miami’s current head coach, did not recruit Restrepo. A coaching change is sometimes given as a cause for a move, however Restrepo chose to return to Coral Gables after serving a second year under Cristobal. In an Associated Press article published before the game, rival head coach Greg Schiano explained why someone may continue with Cristobal.
“We’ve kind of grown together, right?” Schiano explained. “We’ve had some good times and some bad times.” I knew when I hired him that he was the best coach on my coaching staff at whatever he did, whether he was 25 or 26 years old. I have complete faith in him. In this world, there aren’t many individuals I trust. That is the most important thing to me. You meet individuals in life, and you can probably count on one hand the people you actually trust and admire. “One of those guys is Mario Cristobal.”
Xavier Restrepo of the Miami Hurricanes is coming off his most productive season yet.
Restrepo never had more than 25 receptions as a Miami Hurricane before the 2023 season. Restrepo had 625 yards in his first three seasons combined. Restrepo has 1,092 yards receiving this season alone.
Restrepo’s 85th reception came in the Pinstripe Bowl loss against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Dec. 28, making him the all-time leader in receptions at Miami.
Restrepo tied his season record with 11 receptions in the bowl game, and he accomplished it with quarterback Jacurri Brown throwing to him. In this game, Brown attempted his first pass of the season.
Restrepo was also one yard short of a century for the sixth time this season. He never topped 200 yards, but he came close in a late-season game against the Louisville Cardinals.
Xavier Restrepo of the Miami Hurricanes has a potential to go down as one of the greatest Miami receivers of all time.
Restrepo is now tied for ninth all-time in Miami receptions with Travis Benjamin, and he is 15th all-time in receiving yards. Restrepo will be #1 all-time in both of those statistics if he repeats his numbers from this season in 2024.
Santana Moss currently holds the record for most receiving yards in Miami history (2,547 yards). Mike Harley presently holds the all-time receptions record with 182. Restrepo has room to regress next season if he wants to lead both of those numbers.
Restrepo has 1,717 yards on 131 receptions, therefore 830 yards on 51 receptions in 2024 would put him in first place. One thing to keep in mind about Miami’s receiving yardage leaders is that they will not have played as many years as Restrepo, and their bowl stats are not included.
Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne, and Michael Irvin lead the league in receiving yards. Restrepo did play in 2020, but he only had one reception. Moss and Wayne were both active from 1997 to 2000, although Irvin only played from 1985 to 1987.
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