'Let's Go Find Out': No. 6 Miami Searches for A New Receiver Three After Latest Injury

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'Let's Go Find Out': No. 6 Miami Searches for A New Receiver Three After Latest Injury

Sep 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Cooper Barkate (18) reacts with wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw (7) after catching a touchdown pass against the Stanford Cardinal during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Justice Sandle · Miami Hurricanes On SI

Tue, Sep 22, 2026 ·

4 min read

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. -News broke bright in the morning about the Miami Hurricanes as the injury virus is running through the program.

The Hurricanes lost RB2 and WR3 for the season . Moreover, with Joshua Moore out for the year, the Hurricanes' receiving room has a new opportunity early in the season.

However, it was a shock that it happened the way that it did. Moore's injury was a freak one; not even Mario Cristobal could have projected it.

"No, happened in the game," Cristobal said during his Monday press conference. "Happened in the game. So he'll be out, but he'll be out for the season."

Miami is losing players left and right, forcing others to step up. Cristobal also knows that this time of year, with these easier games, it's time for others to take the next step as players and impact leaders in the locker room. It is also a test of the Hurricanes' developing talent.

"Well, it's certainly things that you don't want to happen," Cristobal said. "If you look around college football today, a lot of people are receiving not the best news in the world, and we got hit by it. We've been hit by it a little bit more this year than we have in really all the previous years, and so you really always emphasize with your coaches make sure that you're developing your entire room, right?

"Because you never know when they're going to get tapped on the shoulder, and be called upon. So certainly going to miss those guys. They are awesome. We have confidence that we can prepare and continue to develop the ones that are in that room to go earn the same status that these guys did themselves."

The Hurricanes' depth chart starts with Malachi Toney as WR1, but he is also nicked up. Cooper Barkate finished last season at Duke with 1100 receiving yards but has started this year slowly, with all the attention going to Miami's Heisman hopeful.

Cristobal has some ideas on who he thinks can be the next guy. Daylyn Upshaw has shown flashes, while players like Vandrevius Jacobs have waited his time for a moment like this to pop up. Miami's room is deep, with plenty of talent that has to go find out what they are made of.

Sep 10, 2026; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Luke Nickel (5) celebrates with Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs (8) after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I say we go find out," Cristobal said. "You know, let's go find out. We're banged up group, but obviously Dre Jacobs has done a good job. So has [Daylyn] Upshaw. He's got really good experience. Cooper [Barkate] is very versatile. He's had a really good season so far. Somourian Wingo, Milan Parris, Vance Spafford. There's a lot of guys that can do a lot of things.

"We have some tight ends that could also split out there and do some things, also in misplace personnel. So I don't think it'd be of much value to crown a guy like right now and say, 'Hey, this side is the guy we expect to step up.' I think the guys that we expect to step up, you have seen them already in games, and I've gotten a chance to play, and it's really important that you know, starting with today, which we had a good glimpse of, but throughout the course of the week, that we provide opportunities to see how our guys respond, because there's a big difference of being a contributor as opposed to being a full-time starter from the get-go and going all the way through, right?

"So that's what we are fixing to find out, and we will start and play the game with the guys that give us the best chance to win."

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/miami as 'Let's Go Find Out': No. 6 Miami Searches for A New Receiver Three After Latest Injury .

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