What if you were able to take a Hurricane great and implant him firmly on today’s roster? The University of Miami arguably has some talent in 2022 however the wide receiver position needs a name. Only six wide receivers have been selected in the NFL draft in the past ten years. One name could be the answer to solidify a rather uncertain position group.

The current receiver room is comprised of Key’Shawn Smith, Xavier Restrepo, Frank Ladson, Romello Brinson, Jacolby George, Brashard Smith, Michael Redding III, Isiah Horton and Colby Young. (Click Here for the ’22 WR Position Preview) The University of Miami has had a plethora of talented wide receivers over the years but one player in particular would be the missing piece to the current puzzle.

When you consider the current receiver group you have to feel good in the slot. Restrepo has gained great praise from Coach Cristobal. The first year Hurricane’s head coach called him the most productive so far in camp. You add the speed and talent of Brashard Smith and slot options arise fast but you need a receiver on the outside. You need a playmaker.

“Unquestionably the most productive receiver in camp.” -Coach Cristobal in regards to Xavier Restrepo

Michael Irvin won Freshman All-American honors from the Football News in 1985. A UPI All-American in 1986, Irvin was selected to the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. If there was ever a Miami Hurricane who personified greatness caped in unwavering confidence, it was Irvin. What better ambitious ambassador could lead an unproven receiver group better than the proven playmaker?

Failure for some is never an option. Irvin held records at Miami in terms of receiving yards (2,423) touchdown receptions (26) was second in receptions (143) and fourth in touchdowns (26) when he left UM. Irvin was a Miami Hurricane from 1985-87 and won a national championship in his final year with the orange and green. Michael Irvin was always destined to succeed.

In the Orange Bowl victory over number one Oklahoma on New Year’s Day that clinched the 1987 National Championship, Irvin scored one of the Hurricanes touchdowns enroute to a 20-14 win. Ironically both of his future NFL coaches were patrolling opposite ends of the field, Jimmy Johnson for the Hurricanes, Barry Switzer for the Sooners.

The national championship winning Miami Hurricane teams in the 80’s and 90’s were the pioneers of swagger. They oozed it, they personified it and they were never afraid to let you know about it. Irvin would unquestionably be a captain on the Hurricane’s all swagger team. The playmaker would rep the C on his chest with pride. He always has.

“The thing that gave me an edge was my work ethic. I was one of those guys who felt, the more you worked, the better you got. It was a confidence thing. I enjoy working.” -Michael Irvin

His assault as one of the all time greats in the NFL is well documented.  From 1991 through 1998, Irvin recorded 1,000-yard seasons in all but one year. His Cowboys made four straight appearances in the NFC championship game (1992-1995) and amassed three Super Bowl titles with back-to-back wins over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.

In 2007, Michael Irvin became the fourth ever Miami Hurricane to be enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame. He played 12 seasons, amassed 11,904 receiving yards, caught 750 receptions, 65 touchdowns and played in five Pro Bowls. Irvin was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s and he netted 100 or more yards receiving in a game forty-seven times during his 159-game career. Ironically 47 was the number he proudly wore as a member of the Miami Hurricanes.

The playmaker isn’t the only historic choice to bolster the 2022 wide receiver group but he is the rather obvious one. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke wouldn’t just have a safety blanket on the outside, he would have a fortified encampment. “Just throw it up.” That is every great receiver’s advice to his gunslinger teammate at one point in the huddle. The reality is, just throwing it up to Michael the playmaker Irvin was always the ultimate recipe for success. It would be that simple.