Mike

Harley Jr.

Harley (5'10/179) finished his time in Coral Gables as the Hurricanes’ career leader in receptions, amassing a 182-2,158-15 line across five seasons. He flashed solid athletic ability at Miami’s Pro Day with a 4.47 40, 35.5-inch vertical, and 10-foot-2 broad jump, but ultimately he is an older, undersized slot prospect. He faces a tough path to fantasy relevance.

Harley (5'11/182) is Miami’s all-time receptions leader and a crafty slot receiver who has been a vital piece of the Hurricanes’ offense for the past two seasons. Over that two year span, Harley caught 114-of-162 passes for 1,242 yards and 12 touchdowns while earning a strong 75.3 PFF receiving grade. He has an advanced feel for finding space against zone coverage and is pretty smooth coming out of his breaks thanks to fluid hips. However his slight frame and inability to play on the outside limits his upside from a NFL Draft perspective. Harley is shaping up as a Day 3-to-UDFA caliber prospect.

Harley (5'11'/182) has now seen the end zone in the two straight games after missing out in the first two. Thursday night he tied for the lead in the targets (8) with Charleston Rambo. QB Tyler Van Dyke hit Harley perfectly over the shoulder in stride for the 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Miami couldn’t ask for a worse way to head into their bye with a heartbreaking loss to Virginia on a missed chip shot field goal to the end of regulation. They will go on the road to face North Carolina on October 16th.

Harley (5'11/182) was injured during the third quarter of Saturday’s game, and after some time in the injury tent, he was taken to the locker room to undergo X-rays. Harley caught three passes for 23 yards before exiting the game. Players such as Charleston Rambo and Xavier Restrepo will be looked to for more production as the Hurricanes attempt to rebound from a brutal first half.

Harley (5'11/180) is one of many seniors who will take advantage of the “free year” of eligibility that the NCAA is providing due to the coronavirus pandemic. And that’s good news for the Hurricanes, who retain the services of their most experienced wide receiver. This past season, the senior wide receiver caught 57 passes for 799 yards and seven touchdowns. For his career Harley boasts a receiving line of 125-1,615-10, with the 2020 campaign being his best. As long as QB D’Eriq King is available to play after suffering a torn ACL in the bowl game, the Hurricanes should be very good on offense next season.

This was a blowout from the start, but Hartley put the game away for the Hurricanes. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound wideout connected with D’Eriq King on an 89-yarder for a score that put Miami out in front 35-0 with 4:48 left in the third quarter. That’s the senior’s fifth touchdown of the season, and they’ve all come in the last four games. Hartley should be involved again in what should be a high-scoring contest next Saturday against the Tar Heels of North Carolina.

Before Miami’s final non-time killing drive, the Hurricanes were down by four and Harley (5'9/180) was at a decent, yet modest 64 yards on the day. He earned more than that on the final touchdown drive alone. After catching a 35-yarder on 2nd-and-18 that followed a sack of QB D’Eriq King, Harley hauled in a 54-yard score that put his team ahead for good. Granted, it helps that Miami’s defense picked off North Carolina State on the first play of the ensuing drive, but that doesn’t take away from Harley’s efforts.

It is not often that a wide receiver earns 170 yards while the offense scores just 19 points, but it happened on Saturday. Harley (5'9/180) was a force against a retooling Cavaliers secondary, proving himself useful all over the field. Not only was he the offense’s best down-to-down chain mover, but he also earned the team’s longest reception with a 43-yuard haul. Seeing as Harley had 174 yards on the season coming into the evening, this 170-yard performance was a highlight for the young man’s career.

Nothing like a good in-season competition for reps, which is quite healthy when it comes to programs that are either at the top or aspire to reach that point. Pope (6'0/172) is one of the three listed options at one of three wide receiver positions, with the others being Jeremiah Payton and Dazalin Worsham. The other two spots in Miami’s three-receiver set are occupied by Dee Wiggins/Michael Redding III/Keyshawn Smith and Mike Harley/Marshall Few/Xavier Restrepo. Pope (16-188-0) and Harley (17-174-1) have been Miami’s most productive wide receivers through five games, and they’re also the only ones who have hit double figures in receptions.

Harley (5'9/180) was relatively quiet through the first two quarters before ramping it up in the second half, scoring both of his touchdowns in the third quarter in helping Miami to one of their best overall offensive performances of the campaign. This was Harley’s first career game over 100 yards receiving. For the campaign, the junior owns a 34-447-3 receiving line. The Hurricanes are off on bye next weekend, with FIU showing on their schedule after that.