The eventual departure of Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Allen Hurns appeared to be no more than a blip on the radar a few years back. A solid player and even better individual, Hurns was consistent on the field, but hardly a next-level guy as a sophomore or junior.
And then 2013 happened.
Hurns put together a 62-reception, six-touchdown, 1,162-yard, record-breaking season for Miami, quickly becoming quarterback Stephen Morris’ favorite target and a legitimate threat to do something meaningful every time he touched the football.
The Hurricanes were a bit thin at receiver last season and, despite picking up three solid new prospects on national signing day, will struggle this fall without a veteran stepping up in Hurns-like fashion.
Standing 6’3″ and weighing 195 pounds, Hurns’ most comparable replacements—physically, at least—are junior Herb Waters or senior Rashawn Scott. Both an inch shorter and within a few pounds of Hurns’ frame, Waters and Scott each have tremendous upside if ready to take their game to another level.
Waters is coming off a 28-reception, 633-yard, seven-touchdown sophomore season. In a loss at Duke, Waters had nine receptions for 116 yards and two scores, topping Hurns’ eight-grab, 107-yard effort. Earlier in the year against Florida Atlantic, Waters turned a 63-yard reverse into a touchdown.
While Waters certainly has the pedigree, Scott has similar potential—if he can finally put it all together this season. As a sophomore, Scott looked primed to break out with a 35-reception, 512-yard, three-touchdown effort.
In a shootout win over North Carolina State, Scott had a career-high 180-yard day, with six receptions and two touchdowns—the first going for 76 yards.
Scott had a few more respectable performances in 2012, but saw his season end early due to suspension for violation of team rules. After missing those final three games, a promising junior campaign got off to a rough start when Scott suffered a shoulder injury during mop-up duty in the season opener.
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