Miami Football: Phillip Dorsett on Track to Join Exclusive Club

Despite reeling in just 16 passes through seven games, Phillip Dorsett is on track to join an exclusive Miami Hurricanes club.

The 'Canes have a history of NFL-caliber receivers donning the orange and green, but the senior wideout may attain something Michael Irvin, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss and other top names never accomplished.

Only four receivers in program history have ever tallied 1,000 yards in a single campaign: Eddie Brown in 1984, Andre Johnson in 2002, Leonard Hankerson in 2010 and Allen Hurns last year.

As of this writing, Dorsett is averaging 78.6 yards per game, which works out to 1,021 for the season. In addition to 1,000 being a feasible plateau, Miami's remaining schedule favors Dorsett's chances to reach it.

Opponent	Date	Yards Per Game	ACC Rank
Virginia Tech	Oct. 23	216.3	11
North Carolina	Nov. 1	316.3	14
Florida State	Nov. 15	213.7	10
Virginia	Nov. 22	239.3	12
Pittsburgh	Nov. 29	152.2	1

From this point forward, he must manage 75 each outing—including bowl play—to hit quadruple digits. The Hurricanes' next opponents are Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Florida State and Virginia, four of the Atlantic Coast Conference's five worst pass defenses.

Combined, those four squads have allowed 246.4 yards through the air each outing. Of Brad Kaaya's 1,806 passing yards, Dorsett has accounted for 30.5 percent. Based on those numbers, the senior will average 75 per game heading into the regular season finale.

How's that for fun with math?

Granted, his numbers are admittedly inflated by an outstanding performance against Arkansas State, a nonconference bout in which Dorsett became the third Miami receiver to record 200 yards.

The FBS-leading 34.4 yards per reception he's recorded thus far is frankly absurd, and there's practically zero chance Dorsett actually maintains that average.

With that being said, continuing the trend of just 2.2 catches per game isn't very likely, either. He and Kaaya have started to connect on spacing routes, five-yard passes that Dorsett has turned into gains of 30 or more because of his blazing speed.

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports said various parts of Dorsett's arsenal remain a work in progress—such as a route-running, blocking and ball security—but his quickness is clearly special.

"

The key to Dorsett is obviously his speed, but it's more than that just 'track' speed — he has acceleration before and after the catch with multiple gears, which helps him separate. He has no problem hitting the turbo button with sudden feet to beat press at the line, change directions or stretch the field. He has what I like to call 'see-ya speed.'

"

Even if the senior falls short of 1,000 yards, though, it isn't the lone statistical category in which he's set to join elite company.

Should the wideout register four more touchdowns, Dorsett will be just the sixth Hurricanes pass-catcher to rack up 10 in one year. The five others? Irvin, Lamar Thomas, Wayne, Johnson and Hankerson.

"I just try to take advantage of every opportunity that I get," he said, per David Lake of 247Sports (subscription required). "They don't come a lot, so you have to make plays when your number is called. I try to score no matter what and get in the end zone."

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

Dorsett is running down plenty of career record lists, too.

His 13 touchdowns is currently tied with Travis Benjamin for the 10th-most in school history, and three more scores would only trail the aforementioned five and Moss. That's not a terrible group to be chasing.

Dorsett's 28-yard touchdown against Cincinnati was the 100th reception over his four seasons at "The U," becoming only the 13th Miami receiver to achieve the century mark. Plus, his 143-yard day at the expense of the Bearcats lifted him to the ninth spot in career yards, and 81 more will propel Dorsett to No. 7.

The next step is the NFL, and Dorsett is a virtual lock to be the next Hurricane to be drafted and only the fourth receiver since 2006.

His numbers might not be gaudy, and he likely won't be a top pick, but Dorsett is asserting himself as one of the best wideouts in program history. And considering the talent Miami has produced, that's a pretty exclusive club, too.

Note: All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats courtesy of CFBStats.com and hurricanesports.com.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.