Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 45-6@ Stanford | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 14 | Season-high 14 yds |
| Wk 2 | W 77-7vs Florida A&M | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | |
| Total | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 14 |
#9
Elija Lofton
Junior tight end for Miami. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 242 lb · Las Vegas, NV
CFB Index 43 · #91 of 156 TEsMedium-low confidenceReturning to Miami for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
23
receiving yards · 2026
2 catches · 11.5 per catch
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 rec, 14 yds, at Stanford
Swing playSwung Miami from 40% to 66% to win.Duke at Miami · 53-31
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 tight end for Miami. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Miami in 2024.
Buzz vs Tape
There's real chatter about him this season — just not enough of his own fan discourse yet to measure it against anything.
In Their Words
175 windows · 2026 fan posts
elija×1141.6briggs×388.3mueller×407.7gilbert×101.9hurricanes×43.2tight×21.5miami×10.5end×9.8
“Miami Hurricanes Dawson need pass the ball to TE's 10 times gm Lofton Mueler Briggs Ruskovich McConaughy WRParis open run gm pass gm more weapons”
youtube/ESPN College Football · fan post, verbatim
Elija Lofton
Shows up in the passing game from any alignment. He has spent three seasons in the Miami receiving corps. One game to point at: 14 rec yds, 1 receptions against Stanford — Week 1, 2026.
23 REC YDS · 2 REC · 0 REC TD
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
The week the volume broke through — stacked 1 td at Virginia Tech.Virginia Tech · W 34-172025
20247 games
- Signed with Miami4-star out of Bishop Gorman
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Miami
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coach2024–2026
Miami
Played his entire career under Mario Cristobal.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Mario Cristobal — 25-6 over that span.
2024Miami10-3HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2025Miami13-3HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2026Miami2-0HC: Mario Cristobal · Run-leaning
Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort
Box-score percentiles
Medium-low confidence
Concern: rec yards (0th percentile).
Box-score rates (5)
Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 1.0 REC/g, 11.5 YDS/g, 11.5 YPR, 0.0 TD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mario Cristobal
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #13 of 22 ACC TEs
- #1Justin Joly
- #12Sage Ennis
- #13Elija Lofton
- #14Eni Falayi
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
22% estimated, 95% confidence interval 19–25%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 77–7
vs Florida A&M
Game log
How he plays
Play style
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Miami
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Tight end · Miami
Returning around him
- 37% of 2024 offensive production back (Moderate turnover)
- 9 Miami players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -8 net (12 in / 20 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Miami · Last season: 13-3 (AP #10) · Talent rank #12 · 2026 recruiting class #9
DNA match
Player DNA
Complete TE
No single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike.
TE
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Alec Holler’s 2023 season.
Matches Alec on
Weight
Reception volume
Total EPA (college ability)
Differs from Alec on
Class year (lower)
TD rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Devin Miller's sophomore season at Marshall (2021).
76%match
Matches Devin on
Total EPA (college ability)
TD rate
EPA / play (adj)
Differs from Devin on
Recruiting rating (higher)
Reception volume (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Elija Lofton
The tight end room · Miami
- #9Elija Lofton218 receiving yards · 2025
- #88Luka Gilbert37 receiving yards · 2025
- #84Jack Nickelno box-score line yet
- #85Jackson Carverno box-score line yet
- #44Owen Ruskavichno box-score line yet
5 more on the roster · Miami team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology