Mario Cristobal's 'Swiss Army Knife' Continues to Grow Into An Elite Player
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — While Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah continue to get all the eyes on them for No. 1 Miami (8-0, 6-0), another elite player continues to hurdle his way into the minds and hearts of everyone who is watching.
Elija Lofton is living up to the standard and hype placed on him when he entered Miami, while also showing his versatility week after week.
His size, athleticism, and now, his ability to stay healthy have boosted his playing style and trust level with the Hurricanes offense.
Mario Cristobal always knew this talent was there; it just took time for Lofton to play at this level, as everyone in the program saw from day one.
"It's great to see because we had seen it in practice for a couple of years, and it unfortunately due to injuries, getting nicked up, and sometimes having older players in front of him, we never got to see what his capabilities were, and we're seeing a lot of it now," Cristobal said. "And there's a lot more stuff that he's done and has shown in practice that we expect to see in upcoming games."
Since the bye week, the junior tight end has become a focal part of the offense, with his hurdles over players becoming a weekly highlight. Moreover, he is playing better as an overall tight end, including in his blocking.
Cristobal notes that Lofton becoming a better blocker has allowed him to be the "Swiss Army Knife" who can do everything on the field. It keeps the team engaged while building up what Lofton is and can grow into as one of the premier talents in college football.
"But as a blocker, as a detached receiver, as a guy that you name it, he's a Swiss Army knife, and he does it all at super high level, really really physical," Cristobal said. "People forget that he was on a high school team that came down here, Dade and Broward County, and won, and largely because he was touching the ball, he was making plays on special teams and offense and defense.
"I mean, that guy, he's a complete football player, and really, really fired up for him, and really fired up for what is to come."
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.
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