Three ProCanes, One (or Two) Guaranteed Champion: Miami’s NFL Big Game Story

DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 25: Leonard Taylor III #93 of the New England Patriots blocks a field goal attempt during the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images

For decades, the Miami Hurricanes have dominated the NFL's biggest stage. From Michael Irvin's two-touchdown explosion in Super Bowl XXVII to Dan Morgan's record-setting 18 tackles in Super Bowl XXXVIII, from Duane Starks' game-changing pick-six to Ray Lewis' legendary MVP performance, the program has produced some of the most iconic moments in Super Bowl history. 125 ProCanes have appeared in the first 59 Super Bowls - a record that was just broken by Michigan but is a testament to The U's" unmatched ability to develop championship-caliber talent.

Ranking the Top Ten All-Time NFL Big Game ProCanes' Performances

This Sunday in Super Bowl LX, that tradition continues with three ProCanes taking center stage: tight end Elijah Arroyo (Seattle Seahawks), kicker Andres Borregales (New England Patriots), and defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III (New England Patriots). And here's the guarantee - one of them (or two of them) will hoist the Lombardi Trophy when the confetti falls.

Elijah Arroyo: The IR Waiting Game

The Seattle Seahawks selected Arroyo with the 50th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, keeping the TEU legacy going. The 6'4'' pass-catching weapon arrived in Seattle after a breakout 2024 season at Miami.

But Arroyo's rookie season hit a devastating snag in Week 14 when he sustained a knee injury that has sidelined him ever since. Over 13 games, he managed 15 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown - solid numbers for a rookie tight end. The injury has kept him off the field for the entire playoff run, even though he was activated from injured reserve last week, and his status for Super Bowl LX remains up in the air. Arroyo's journey to the NFL has been injury-plagued as he experienced an ACL tear that limited him in 2022 and 2023 and hampered him during the Senior Bowl.

We're gonna be loud about it @elijah_arroyo@CanesFootball@MiamiHurricanes#SuperBowl#gocanespic.twitter.com/guC9QH9Lkv

- VICTOR BERMUDEZ (@vicbermudez) February 3, 2026

Still, just being there matters. If Seattle wins, Arroyo gets a ring. If they lose, he'll have the big game atmosphere and experience under hsi belt.

Leonard Taylor III: From Five-Star Bust to Special Teams Hero

The Leonard Taylor story is one of redemption, second chances, and Jets incompetence - a trifecta that makes it all the more satisfying for ProCane faithful.

Taylor was a five-star recruit who committed to Miami over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and LSU, arriving in Coral Gables as one of the program's most heralded defensive tackles. But his college career never lived up to the hype. NFL teams gave him poor marks, leading him to go undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft despite once being considered a potential first-round talent.

Leonard Taylor iii, from cut by the Jets to making maybe the biggest play that flipped the AFC Championship game pic.twitter.com/HB1EMPn1fh

- BosNewsNow (@BosNewsNow_) January 29, 2026

Taylor signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent and impressed enough to make the 53-man roster, appearing in 14 games as a rookie with 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and four quarterback hits. But in October 2025, the Jets waived Taylor, effectively giving the Patriots yet another gift in their decades-long dominance over New York.

Taylor signed with New England's practice squad on October 16, 2025, and his usage steadily increased as the season progressed. Last week against Denver in the AFC Championship Game, Taylor played just four snaps on special teams but made the most crucial play of the entire game. With New England clinging to a 10-7 lead and Denver attempting a game-tying 45-yard field goal in worsening snow conditions, Taylor broke through and tipped the kick at the line, preserving the Patriots' lead and sending them to the Super Bowl.

Leonard Taylor on blocking the game tying field goal:

I just jumped in the air and I got a taste of the ball, no diddy."
-@CLNSMediapic.twitter.com/36r3sffTVX

- Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) January 26, 2026

The block was poetic justice. The Jets cut him. The Patriots picked him up. And now Leonard Taylor III is one win away from a championship ring while his former team watches from home.

Taylor has also seen increased defensive snaps, logging 16 against Denver alone, and 14 and 22 snaps in the preceding two playoff matchups. His ability to contribute on both defense and special teams has made him a valuable depth piece for Mike Vrabel's squad enough to elevate Lenny T." from practice squad to the active roster. While he won't be a household name like some of the legendary ProCanes who preceded him, Taylor's journey from five-star disappointment to undrafted free agent to Super Bowl contributor is the kind of redemption arc that makes football beautiful.

Andres Borregales: Super Bowl Moment?

If there's one ProCane who seems destined for a Super Bowl moment, it's Andres Borregales.

The Patriots selected Borregales in the sixth round with the 182nd overall pick, making him the first kicker taken in the 2025 NFL Draft. After an early case of the yips, Borregales has been lights out. He's drilled 53 of 55 extra points (96.4%) and 27 of 32 field goals (84.4%), including a 52-yard game-winner against Buffalo with 15 seconds left and a season-long 59-yarder against Miami. In the playoffs, he's gone 4-for-6 on field goals (long of 39) and a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points.

Borregales is also making history on an international level as the first Venezuelan-born player to ever appear in a Super Bowl. Venezuela has produced plenty of baseball superstars, but Borregales is blazing a trail in football that no one from his home country has traveled before.

HISTORIA PARA LA VINOTINTO EN LA NFL
Andy Borregales sera el primer jugador de Venezuela en disputar un Super Bowl.
El kicker de los New England Patriots dira presente en Santa Clara ante los Seattle Seahawks. @Patriots@nflmx@patriotsespanol@patriotslatam
... pic.twitter.com/3URiPW8hle

- Cultura Sports (@cultura__sports) February 3, 2026

But here's the fun fact that makes Borregales' Super Bowl appearance historic: barring something crazy, Borregales will be the first ProCane to attempt an extra point or field goal in a Super Bowl.

How is that possible with 125 ProCanes appearing in 59 Super Bowls?

The answer is simple - Miami has never produced a long-term starting NFL kicker. Not one. The program has churned out Hall of Fame receivers, legendary linebackers, dominant defensive linemen, and Pro Bowl players at virtually every position. But kickers? Carlos Huerta, Dan Miller, and Michael Badgley have been underwhelming as ProCanes.

This Super Bowl will be the 21st with Miami players on both rosters (regardless of who wins the NFC title, currently in progress).

Andy Borregales, barring something weird, will be the first Hurricane to attempt a PAT or FG in the Super Bowl.

- Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 26, 2026

Borregales is about to change that.

And he's doing it with a franchise that understands kicker lore better than any organization in NFL history. Patriots fans haven't forgotten Adam Vinatieri's snow-covered 45-yarder against Oakland in the 2001 playoffs - the Tuck Rule Game" kick that launched a dynasty. They haven't forgotten his 48-yard game-winner in Super Bowl XXXVI against the Rams, giving Tom Brady his first championship. Vinatieri's clutch gene became the foundation for New England's early dynasty, proving that in the biggest moments, having an ice-cold kicker can be the difference between going home and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

Now, 24 years later, the Patriots are asking Borregales to write the next chapter of that legacy. No pressure, kid.

An Unlikely Super Bowl MVP

And here's where it gets fun: Borregales and Arroyo, best friends at Miami, both somehow have Super Bowl MVP odds, listed at is the only one of the three ProCanes with actual Super Bowl MVP odds, listed at 200-to-1 for Borregales and 250-to-1 for Arroyo (the Patriots center and punter have better odds than Taylor, who is not listed). If this turns into a defensive slog like the AFC Championship Game and Borregales drills five field goals including a game-winner as time expires? After the year Miami had in making the national championship, it would not be shocking.

While the likelihood of one of these ProCanes writing their name among the legends is low, there have been great prior performances.

Legends and Legacy

The top 10 ProCane Super Bowl performances read like a who's who of NFL royalty. Michael Irvin's six-catch, 114-yard, two-touchdown masterpiece. Dan Morgan's record 18 tackles. Duane Starks' 49-yard pick-six. Ray Lewis' MVP trophy. Ottis Anderson's Super Bowl XXV MVP performance. These are the moments that built The U's" reputation as a factory of champions.

"The Playmaker" - the #Cowboys' Michael Irvin makin' plays in Super Bowl XXVII.

Let this photo serve as Exhibit A for why the NFL should reinstitute the Rose Bowl into its Super Bowl rotation. pic.twitter.com/1kqYe1ACtM

- Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 1, 2026

But every dynasty needs new blood, new stories, new heroes.

Elijah Arroyo may not play a snap, but his presence on a championship roster is a foundation for what's to come. Leonard Taylor's redemption from underachiever to Super Bowl contributor proves that the Hurricane spirit - resilience, toughness, finding a way - transcends draft status. And Andres Borregales stands on the precipice of history, ready to become the first ProCane kicker to deliver when it matters most.

One of these three will be a Super Bowl champion. Two Patriots. One Seahawk. One guaranteed ring.

The legends of Super Bowl past paved the way. Now it's time for the next generation of ProCanes to add their names to the list... With more to come in next year's draft.

GO CANES. GO PROCANES.