On the flip side: Why South Elgin tight end Mueller is signing with Miami instead of Colorado

Calling it “the right place to be,” South Elgin senior tight end Gavin Mueller announced his commitment on Nov. 18 to attend the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Mueller, who is expected to sign a national of letter of intent Wednesday morning at the high school during the NCAA Division I early signing period that runs through Friday, decommitted from Colorado earlier in November. He had committed to Colorado in May.

“My visit to Colorado was awesome,” Mueller said. “I was nervous with the tight end usage — and they had a pretty prominent tight ends room.”

Mueller made a second visit to Miami prior to the Hurricanes’ home game against North Carolina State on Nov. 15 (Miami won 41-7).

“I was blown away from my first visit to Miami,” said Mueller, considered one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2026 class. “After the first visit I received hands-on recruiting from the head coach, coach (Mario) Cristobal. He texted me every morning and face-timed me a lot.

“The first visit went alarmingly well, meeting with coach Cristobal and tight ends coach Cody Woodiel, so I brought my family there for the second visit.”

Upon returning home, and after some deep thought and prayer, Mueller made his choice.

“Miami felt like the right place to be,” he said. “And you can’t beat that weather. I’m looking forward to it.”

Mueller, a 6-foot-6, 255-pounder, is a virtual newcomer to football.

After playing varsity basketball at St. Francis his freshman and sophomore years, Mueller decided to try football as a junior last season.

“I was a long, lanky kid,” he said. “At one of the first offseason camps I attended, we worked on ball-tracking skills. I remember running a comeback (pattern) and dropping the ball. Before I left that day, I picked up two scholarship offers.”

After “tearing it up” in summer camps at Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Minnesota two years ago, Mueller didn’t have the junior year he imagined due in part to a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery.

Transferring to South Elgin for his senior year, Mueller quickly made his presence felt.

“I remember our first two workouts,” Storm coach Pat Pistorio said . “Gavin circled the entire weight room, introducing himself to everyone, including the freshmen. That showed me a lot about his character and maturity, stepping into a difficult situation and becoming a leader.

“He earned the respect of the players through his work ethic.”

On the field, Mueller posted Madden-like numbers while becoming a jack-of-all-trades player for the Upstate Eight West champion Storm this season.

Playing a variety of positions, including tight end, wide receiver, running back, Wildcat quarterback and fullback, Mueller accounted for 31 touchdowns.

He carried the ball 59 times for 669 yards and 20 touchdowns (an 11.3-yard average), caught 32 passes for 515 yards and 10 touchdowns (a 16-yard average), and he completed all three of his pass attempts for 44 yards and a touchdown.

“I was blessed by the situations I was put in and grateful to the coaching staff,” Mueller said. “Personally, I had a great season and was beyond proud of what we were able to accomplish as a team. It was a credit to my teammates, the offensive line and guys around me.”

Pistorio wanted to get the most out of Mueller’s strength, speed and 82-inch wingspan.

“While Gavin had limited football experience, he had a very high football IQ,” the coach said. “He spent time in the film room and weight room. We put a lot of things on his plate, and we trusted him. He’s tough.”

Mueller even got a chance to play on the punt return team.

“I never got the ball kicked to me,” he joked.

At Miami, Mueller has an opportunity to join a list of tight end greats alongside NFL names like Jeremy Shockey, Greg Olsen, Bubba Franks and Elijah Arroyo.

“I’m so proud of him,” Pistorio said. “I don’t remember another football player around our district receiving the recruiting attention that Gavin has.

“He’s hungry, and he has the support system in place for him to be successful.”

Perhaps one day, Mueller will play in the NFL.

“We certainly hope so,” Pistorio said. “We believe in him.”