Miami will be without Elija Lofton in CFP national championship game

Miami Hurricanes tight end Elija Lofton will not play in Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game due to a lower-body injury.

Lofton was carted off during Miami’s semifinal win over Ole Miss and was viewed as a long shot to play the national title game against the Indiana Hoosiers on Jan. 19.

The sophomore is a significant loss for the Hurricanes as they prepare to face the Hoosiers without their one of their leading pass-catchers.

The starting tight end recorded 23 catches with 218 receiving yards — finishing fourth on the team in both categories — and three touchdowns this season.

Lofton hauled in a 15-yard catch against Ole Miss in the semis prior to what became a season-ending injury.

His best performance of the season came on Sept. 20 when he recorded four receptions and 43 receiving yards in a 26-7 win over the rival Florida Gators.

Miami’s path to the national championship game nearly never happened, as it entered the tournament on the bubble to even make the CFP to begin with.

Now at 13-2, the Hurricanes, who ranked No. 10 in the country prior to the playoff, have a shot at their first national title since the 2001 season.

Indiana enters the championship as the favorite, powered by quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and the projected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Mendoza has thrown for 3,349 yards and 41 touchdowns to six interceptions this season while completing 73 percent of his passes.

Indiana, which is 15-0, has never won a national title in football.