Sophomore wide receiver Joshua Moore's knee injury update from Mario Cristobal brings promising news for the Miami Hurricanes' explosive offense heading into fall camp.
The Miami Hurricanes ended spring football on Saturday, April 18, with an exhibition game in front of fans. However, before the action began, sophomore wide receiver Joshua Moore was unable to play after suffering a knee injury, needing to be carted out from Cobb Stadium. There were early expectations on the Miami native to take on an expanded role.
As a freshman, Moore caught 17 passes for 210 yards, scoring two touchdowns, both against the South Florida Bulls, appearing in 14 games, with no starts. The severity of the injury was originally unclear until coach Mario Cristobal spoke to WQAM radio on Friday, April 24.
“He tweaked a soft tissue type injury,” he said. “[Moore] should be okay within, probably two weeks or whatnot. So nothing major.”
The Hurricanes went through spring training with several players recovering from injuries, such as defensive tackle Ahmad Moten Sr., running back Girard Pringle Jr., and linebacker Mohamed Toure, among others.
Moore, along with the rest of the wide receiver core, has caught a significant amount of attention with the possibility of carving out an explosive offense. The program still has homegrown star and All-ACC Malachi Toney and Daylyn Upshaw, plus the additions of All-ACC Cooper Barkate, Vandrevius Jacobs, and Cam Vaughn, who came from the transfer portal.
The Hurricanes' scoring offense finished ranked 35th in the Football Bowl Subdivision, averaging 30.9 points a game. The production is expected to increase with the revamped wide receiver depth and bringing in another top-market quarterback in All-ACC Darian Mensah through the transfer portal.
Despite Moore facing a setback, the 19-year-old will likely be near full strength to participate in the fall camp.
Coming off a National Championship appearance, the Hurricanes are the early favorites to win the football Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, which would be a first in program history. If claimed, the team would likely secure an automatic spot in the next College Football Playoffs, plus a first-round bye.
Moore is projected to play in a reserve role, but consistently within the rotation. He will likely be involved in more actions compared to being a freshman. Coach Cristobal mentioned having “big plans” for him next season.
The former four-star recruit brings a unique frame to the wide receiver core, listed at 6-4, 215 pounds. Moore is still aligned to have a breakout season, barring any setbacks with recovery.
The Hurricanes expect to have more participants near the beginning of fall camp, preparing for a new season ahead.
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