The Main Event...
Jared Green (So.) -- Looking only at his stats (12 receptions, 144 yards, 1 TD) it's hard to say that 2008 was a true "breakout" season for Jared Green. But considering the crummy play at the QB position, the competition he faced for receptions (Kevin Ogletree and Maurice Covington were a damn good duo, not to mention John Phillips), and his clear improvement over the course of the season, I think it's easy to connect the dots and see Green emerging as a very good receiver for the Hoos in 2009. He's got his father's speed, and he's also got above-average hands and a sort of hard-nosed edge you don't normally see in wide receivers. I absolutely love Green's potential to explode in our version of the spread offense this season.
Javaris Brown (RS Fr.) -- I call it "Keith Payne Disease." Every Spring, some redshirt frosh comes off of a good year of practice during their redshirt season and shines in Spring ball. That player then gains the adoration of the fanbase, and enters training camp with lofty expectations built upon an offseason's worth of hype. This year, Javaris Brown has fallen ill with Keith Payne disease... but can he live up to the hype? He's fast and explosive, and he showed in the Spring game that he's got great leaping ability and above-average hands. Can he emerge this season as a go-to receiver, or is he still too raw to take on the huge role expected of him?
Dontrelle Inman (Jr.) -- As a true freshman in 2007, Inman caught 17 passes for 181 yards (10.6 avg.) and established himself as the next-in-line behind Maurice Covington for the typical UVA possession receiver role. Last year, he was derailed a bit by a collection of nagging injuries, but he should be ready to get back on track this season. Inman is tall, strong, and tough, and has displayed great natural receiving ability. He won't burn you deep, but he should prove to be a reliable short- and mid-range target in the passing game.
Tim Smith (Fr.) -- 73 receptions, 1681 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 5 kick return TDs in 15 games. That was Tim Smith's senior season at Oscar Smith HS in Chesapeake, numbers that earned him a high four-star rating and the distinction of being a national top-20 wide receiver in the 2009 recruiting class. Smith sets foot on Grounds as potentially the most explosive downfield receiver on the roster, and he's polished enough to play as a true freshman. In fact, he fully expects to play a major role for the team in 2009.
The Undercard...
Staton Jobe (Jr.) -- He's smart, gritty, tough, and a surprisingly great blocker. He's not overly talented and doesn't have great upside; he's not an explosive downfield receiving threat, nor is he a big, high-jumping possession guy. Staton Jobe is what he is -- a scrapper who will [as usual] carve out a role for himself on this team. The spread offense is perfect for guys like this -- he can pick his spots and pick his moments, and won't need a lot of passes pumped his direction in order to impact games in profound ways.
Kris Burd (So.) -- He's athletic, but not really special in any significant way. He comes across as a Mike McGrew-esque blue collar type of receiver, who doesn't really stretch the field, but has a knack for getting open. Last year's 7 receptions for 65 yards showed us that he can fill a role as a sub-package receiver. I expect him to step up again this season and emerge as a viable slot receiver with the toughness to go over the middle.
Matt Snyder (So.) -- Scanning the roster prior to Spring practice, I was worried that we lacked a true possession receiver after Dontrelle Inman. Enter walk-on Matt Snyder. Snyder is big (6-4, 210), strong, and tough-minded, and is said to have very steady hands. I think his do-anything demeanor will play well with this current mix of receivers.
Raynard Horne (Jr.) -- Yep, it's weird. A big power-running tailback (6-0, 215) moved to wide receiver. But the spread demands a ton of receivers, and I like Horne's upside as a player running screens and blocking downfield. I worry about his hands and overall receiving ability, but we'll see how things come together for him in training camp. He wasn't going to crack the rotation at halfback, so this switch makes some amount of sense.
Kevin Royal (Fr.) -- He was a big play receiver in a run-first offense in high school, which led to him flying under the radar as a national recruit. He's tall (6-3) and fast, but probably needs to redshirt in order to refine his skills.
Bobby Smith (Fr.) -- He's tall (6-5). That's honestly all I know about this kid, who exploded as a high school senior (54 reception, 1040 yards, 14 TDs) and drew a late offer from UVA. The coaches are excited about his potential as a possession receiver and red zone threat. Like with Royal, I have to assume he needs to redshirt in 2009.
And the Winner is...
Two-Wide: Jared Green and Javaris Brown/Dontrelle Inman (depending on situations)
Three-Wide: Green and Brown, with Tim Smith in the slot
Four-Wide: Green and Inman, with Brown and Smith in the slots
Five(?!?)-Wide: Green, Brown, Smith, Inman, and Burd
Whew, that was a mouthful. But the reality is that we'll be seeing a lot of different mixes at the wideout spots. At the end of the year, I expect the number of plays from scrimmage to break down something like this: #1 Green, #2 Brown, #3 Smith, #4 Inman, #5 Burd, #6 Jobe, #7 Snyder, #8 Horne. Do we have a true dynamic go-to receiver in this bunch? Not yet, but any of Green, Brown, or Smith has that kind of potential.
Wahooze-Style Fearless Prediction...
UVA hasn't really featured a star wide receiver in the passing game since Billy McMullen earlier this century. Kevin Ogletree came close, but he was playing in the wrong kind of offense (and with the wrong QBs) to put up huge numbers. Now in the no-huddle shotgun spread, the pigskin is going airborn and the receivers will be asked to assume starring roles. As a true freshman, Tim Smith is stepping into the perfect opportunity... and by the end of the 2009 season, UVA will have a bonafide star on it's hands. I don't think he'll lead the team in receptions, yardage, or TDs, but I think he'll lead the team in big plays and overall impact from the wide receiver position.
Position Grade: B
Imagine this unit if Kevin Ogletree hadn't [stupidly] left early for the NFL... Ah, that hurts. But in KO's wake we have a talented bunch of receivers, many of whom are capable of stepping up into true impact roles. I love what I've seen from Jared Green, I love what I'm hearing about Javaris Brown and Tim Smith, and I love Dontrelle Inman's chances of filling the possession role vacated by Maurice Covington. I also love the depth chart behind the top four WRs -- Jobe is a solid player, Burd has good upside, Snyder seems to be earning trust from the coaches, and Horne offers a unique twist on the position. Yes, we need a lot of good receivers in order for the spread offense to truly purr, but I like the blend of talent on hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment