Miami Hurricanes: Braxton Berrios is the next Wes Welker
The game of college football sometimes can have cruel results.
The Miami Hurricanes have played four games this season and have not looked awesome. They won two games against Arkansas State and Florida A&M handily. The Hurricanes have lost to major competition, including the Louisville Cardinals and their longtime rival, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and didn’t look well.
Despite of the inconsistent play of the Hurricanes, the receiving core has stepped up in every game and has looked wonderful. The Hurricanes have Clive Walford the speedy tight end, Stacy Coley a bona fide playmaker and Phillip Dorsett who might have speed comparable to Usain Bolt.
But the one receiver who has impressed me as much as Dorsett this season is freshman Braxton Berrios.
In four games Berrios has 14 catches, 149 yards and two touchdowns. All of his stats are getting complied as the fourth receiver on the depth chart.
His ability to get open is stunning and I am in awe that he continues to find ways to remain effective during games.
The most important job for a wide receiver next to catching the football is getting open. Berrios is not the fastest receiver on the field, not even the second or third fastest wide out the Hurricanes have.
But his lack of speed does not hamper his ability to make an impact for the team. Every Hurricanes game I have watched it seems like Berrios is always finding an opening or seam to get inside of the teeth of a defense.
Against Arkansas State and Nebraska, Berrios found a way to score a touchdown.
To the common eye it may look insane how quickly Berrios and starting quarterback Brad Kaaya have gotten in sync, but their friendship began way before they played for the Hurricanes. Back in high school they each participated in a showcase named The Opening which displayed some of the country’s best high school talent. Kaaya, who was already committed to Miami, realized that he needed Berrios to join him in Coral Gables after watching him amaze.
In an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Kaaya said this about recruiting Berrios:
"“Brad would call me on the phone and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to take this guy Berrios. This guy’s awesome,” said Miami offensive coordinator James Coley. “Brad was actually the first one who really caught us on with Braxton.”"
Thankfully Miami got Berrios because he has paid dividends in the most difficult times and series in games. During the moments when Kaaya looks for his second and third progression in his reads, he scans the field and finds Berrios who often times bails him out.
Against Nebraska, Berrios became one of the safety blankets that Kaaya needed in order to feel comfortable during the game. For example there was a 3rd and 7 play where Kaaya dropped back for a pass and in the middle of the play he delivered a strike to Berrios for 23 yards, earning a first down.
During the interview with the Sentinel Kaaya also noted that he looks for Berrios in crucial drives as well.
"“Braxton is a really good man-to-man receiver. He’s a good route runner. He’s a guy that I look for on third down in man coverage,” said Kaaya. “This is a guy that I can really rely on.”"
One of the most notorious receivers in the NFL who constantly extends drives because of his skill Wes Welker. This is one of the names a lot of people seem to throw around when comparing Berrios’ game. It has a lot more to do than the number 83 jersey each of them share, or even their skin color. Watching each of these two play, it is not hard to tell that Berrios is a Welker clone.
Similar to Welker, Berrios is elusive and very quick. Because Berrios is very quick in his cuts he often gets off the line very fast and gets open in the intermediate passing game, where Kaaya is starting to really see the field.
The Miami Hurricanes might have one of the best receiving cores in the NCAA and one of the reasons why is because of their Welker clone Berrios. Thankfully it is just his freshman year, so we will have at least another two more years to watch him blossom into a receiver that is even more special.
Hopefully we can see Kaaya turn into Tom Brady, I still have faith in him.
More from FanSided.com
NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Seahawks, Broncos flip-flop; Cardinals crack top 5
NFL: 5 things we didn’t see coming in Week 3
NBA: 7 players with the most to lose in 2014-15
College Football Player Rankings: Week 4
NHL: 10 stadiums that should host an outdoor game