Setting Realistic Expectations For The Cam Ward and Xavier Restrepo Reunion in 2025
The Tennessee Titans kicked off their offseason program with rookie minicamp this past weekend, and there's no one getting more attention than UDFA wide receiver Xavier Restrepo
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There may not be a UDFA in Tennessee Titans history that receives more hype than that of Xavier Restrepo. A good underdog story, a familiar face, and all mixed in with a fanbase of a star-starved team desperately in search of young playmakers makes the former Miami Hurricane one of the most polarizing prospects in some time.
The 5 '10”, 202 pound slot receiver—who became Miami’s all-time leader in receptions after a productive 2024 campaign—shocked many after falling out of all seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. A four year starter as a Hurricane, Restrepo ranked 137th on the consensus big board, a prospect list that compiles mock drafts from analysts across the league, projecting as a solid early day three slot option. Ultimately Restrepo’s lackluster showing at the Senior Bowl and a 4.8 40 yard dash time Miami’s pro day had Restrepo fall out of favor in the eyes of front offices around the league.
Despite Restrepos flaws, it was hard to feel like he wouldn't end up being a Tennessee Titan, drafted or not. Cam Ward, the Titans first overall selection and new “franchise” quarterback, lobbied to be reunited with his wide receiver one from 2024. The duo combined for 69 receptions, 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, and regardless of a lack of separating speed at the position, it's hard to knock that kind of production.
“(Restrepo) was a productive college player.”, said Titans’ Brian Callahan after rookie minicamp, “He might not necessarily be the biggest or the fastest player that's ever come out of Miami, but he’s been incredibly productive and he's found ways to play football the right way.”
The exciting part of Restrepo’s game is simple: he's made of the right stuff. An unrelenting work ethic and a team first attitude will give the UDFA every chance to beat the odds and reunite with Ward at the next level. All those factors: the player, production, chemistry. It makes sense why Titans fans have accelerated the hype train on a guy like Restrepo. But, if we were to realistically look at the college connection, is it possible that Ward and Resstrepo can recreate that success?
The College Connection
College quarterback and wide receiver duos that reunite in the NFL are few and far between. It takes the right circumstances and fit for a team to use capital, draft or otherwise, to make the investment into the production at the college level. It all depends on fit, and if the right opportunity comes along for a team, the instant chemistry can pay dividends early.
The best scenario of these duos working out is one close to home for the Titans’ Head Coach Brian Callahan. After selecting Joe Burrow in 2020, the Cincinnati Bengals found themselves in prime position the year after to reunite Ja’marr Chase with his former LSU teammate. Over two years of play, Chase and Burrow combined for 107 receptions, 2,093 yards and 23 TDs, with 1780 of those yards coming in their 2019 championship season. Since the two reunited, the duo have combined for 5,598 yards over four seasons.
Now this is nowhere near the same situation as what Ward and Restrepo will be walking into. Even as the first overall pick, Ward is no Burrow coming out of college, and Chase’s skill set would have made him the player he is today anywhere in the league. However, the chemistry on and off the field together had elevated eachother’s game to the next level, something that Cam and Restrepo seem to have both on and off the field.
Two other connections with massive success in the recent seasons have been in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. Despite just connecting for seven receptions, 125 yards and a touchdown in 2018, Jalen Hurts and Devonta Smith have had massive success as well. The two have combined for 4,363 yards in four seasons of play together, including a 69 yard, one touchdown performance this past season in Super Bowl LIX.
One of the biggest reasons Davante Adams ended up in Las Vegas was because of he and Derek Carr’s relationship all the way back in 2012 and 2103. The two combined for 233 receptions, 3,037 yards and 39 touchdowns while at Fresno State, and that connection looked still fresh in 2022. Adams had a stellar season, catching 100 balls for 1516 yards and 14 touchdowns. After Carr was released from the Raiders, Adams did not have the same success as he did with his former teammate, ultimately leading to his exit in Vegas. Much like Chase, Adams and Smith both were much better prospects than Restrepo is. The fact remains that regardless of talent, the connection these quarterbacks and their receivers had in college can elevate each other's game at the next level.
The college connection isn't always a surefire increase in production. Kyler Murray and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, two former teammates at Oklahoma, reunited in 2022 and 2023. After putting up 1425 yards on 77 catches and 11 touchdowns in 2017 and 2018, the reunion in Arizona did not go as smoothly as Adams’ or Smith’s. In 13 games over two seasons, Brown recorded 61 catches on 91 targets for 699 yards and three touchdowns.
In Miami, Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle’s reunion hasn't been as great as some of the others in the same class. The duo combined for 798 yards and seven touchdowns at Alabama in 2018, yet haven't tapped into the full potential of their connection. In four years, Waddle and Tua have combined for 3,332 of Waddle’s 4,204 total career yards. Waddle’s production has not been impacted much by Tua’s absence, as the former top ten pick has recorded over 1,000 yards with the likes of Skylar Thompson, Tyler Huntley, and others.
The idea that this quarterback and receiver connection can help Cam Ward and Restrepo make meaningful impact in year one is a nice thought, however it simply isn't the case. Chase, Smith, Waddle, and Brown were highly graded prospects coming out in 2020 and 2021. Adams, who was a second round pick drafted by Green Bay, needs no explanation for how good he is. It’s simply a different conversation to think that Ward and Restrepo can have equivalent or better production at the NFL level like the duo did at Miami.
The more likely and realistic comparison for a Restrepo and Ward connection at the next level, is the most recent examples: Bo Nix and Troy Franklin. The Broncos paired Nix, the twelfth overall pick in the 2024 draft, with his former wide receiver one via a trade up to begin day three. Franklin, much like Restrepo, was seen as a mid day two prospect who had his own flaws and ultimately fell to day three. The Broncos, looking to add to their receiver room, took the gamble on Franklin's connection with Nix by spending draft capital to get him. The duo in 2023 was very productive much like others on this list. Franklin had a career year with Nix, catching 81 balls for 1383 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Despite the production, Franklin saw himself down the depth chart headed into the 2024 season. The duo did not have the same type of production at the NFL level, with Franklin catching just 30 balls on 52 targets for 317 yards and 3 touchdowns. The fourth-round receiver did show progress throughout the season, but ultimately this is what I believe to be the ceiling in year one for a Restrepo and Cam connection.
If Restrepo is able to outwork other receivers and earn himself a spot on the roster, he still will be option two behind Tyler Lockett or even Van Jefferson on the depth chart. The reality is that it is unlikely that Restrepo will have enough opportunity, at least in year one, to see anything close to the type of production the duo had at Miami. While it's exciting to hope for the best, expectations should be tempered for what the massively hyped receiver could do in year one.
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