CORAL GABLES — The Miami Hurricanes’ tight-end depth took a hit before the team arrived for fall camp.

Sophomore tight end Luka Gilbert suffered an undisclosed injury during the summer, and UM coach Mario Cristobal said the Ohio native will miss the entire season. Cristobal called Gilbert’s absence “a real loss.”

“Obviously, when you have an injury like that to a player that had significant experience as a freshman and a guy with those size and specs, that’s a real injury and a real loss,” the Miami coach said.

Without Gilbert, the Hurricanes have a dearth of tight ends who have playing experience. Only returning starter Elija Lofton has played more than 150 career offensive snaps.

Despite Gilbert’s injury, Cristobal said he still feels good about Miami’s tight end group at the start of camp. Beyond Lofton, the Hurricanes have two blue-chip freshmen, Israel Briggs and Gavin Mueller, who joined the team in the spring.

The Hurricanes also return depth tight ends like Jackson Carver, Jack Nickel and Owen Ruskavich, but only Nickel has played more than 100 career offensive snaps (most of Nickel’s playing time came during the 2024 season at UAB). Those three players combined for just 25 offensive snaps last season.

“That’s a talented group and a very physical and tough group,” Cristobal said. “And I think what we have to take into account is coach (Mike) Viti is is really good at what he does and getting guys ready. And what we’ve seen so far, we don’t think that we’ll skip a beat, offensively. In fact, we think these guys are going to play at a high level. They’re going to be treated and coached that way, and they’re going to be out there competing against an excellent group of defenders on a daily basis. So we feel very confident.”

Lofton is expected to be a key player again this year. He led Miami’s tight ends with 23 catches, 218 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2025.

But Lofton’s strengths are in the passing game. He is not among the ACC’s best blockers, earning a 58.1 run-blocking grade and a 67.7 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. Those grades ranked 11th and 15th in the ACC, respectively, among conference tight ends with 100 run-blocking snaps or 20 pass-blocking snaps.

The 6-foot-3, 242-pound tight end told 247Sports that he lost about 15 pounds after last season.

“We want to be explosive on offense, so we need people that can run and catch,” offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said. “And so, ultimately, that’s the one thing that he can bring to the table is he’s hard to tackle. … He knows his fighting weight, and he’s done a good job of getting there. He looks really good right now.”

Finding a tight end who can match Gilbert, who is 6-7 and 255 pounds, when blocking is more difficult. Gilbert blocked on only 51 snaps last year, but in that limited time, he had a 71 run-blocking grade and a 73.4 pass-blocking grade.

The two freshmen are possibilities. Both were four-star prospects. But Briggs has a slighter build; he is listed at 6-4 and 215 pounds. Mueller appears to fit the blocker role better, as he is listed at 6-5 and 255 pounds.

Cristobal praised both freshmen, saying they worked hard from the moment they arrived on campus.

“They came with the right attitude, which is everything,” Cristobal said.

“And their approach on the daily was impacted by some of the stuff they saw throughout the final parts of last season. They joined us for practice, which was obviously a tremendous benefit to them. And their transformation in the weight room (was) in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 pounds. … They’re more confident putting their hand in the ground, taking care of the C gap. They’re more confident fighting through contested catches and situations that put big bodies on them where they’re getting yanked and clawed at and whatnot.

“They’ve shown that they’re physically prepared to take on the rigors that come with being a tight end at the Power 4 level. So what I’ve seen from them: They’re tough, they’re smart, they’re willing. They put in the time. “