The 2011 USF Primer: Wide Receivers

Sterling Griffin is back this season after breaking his ankle last summer, adding another weapon to the Bulls passing game. (Picture: www.gousfbulls.com)

The 2011 Primer rolls on as we continue to look at the offense and the wide receiving corps. The Bulls receivers were plagued with injuries last season and struggled to produce with the new offensive system in place and the struggles of B.J. Daniels. However, this season, the Bulls are healthy, have new, talented faces on the roster and should be more consistent with Daniels in his second full season under Todd Fitch. Let's take a look at the starting receivers and who to look out for this season. [Keep Reading]

Receivers

Projected Starters: The Bulls enter the 2011 with more firepower at the receiver position, but the Spring led to a few surprises. Listed on the final depth chart at the starting receiver position is junior Evan Landi. The 6-1 221-pound receiver is the leading returning receiver for the Bulls. He had 28 receptions for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns. The converted quarterback gives the Bulls a solid down field threat with reliable hands. At the flanker position is sophomore Terrence Mitchell, the 5-10 157-pound speedster. Mitchell converted to wide receiver last season from defensive back, but has not caught one pass in his collegiate career and may only be listed as a starter to send a message to the other reserves.

Joel Miller, the 5-10 194-pound senior, is listed as the slot receiver coming out of Spring. Miller had 11 receptions for 121 yards last year and 1 touchdown, sheeding his infamous legacy with Coach Leavitt.

At tight end, Andreas Shields, the 6-4 232-pound junior returns as the top candidate at receiver as the Bulls continue to go towards a more pro-style offense. He had 5 catches for 74-yards and should have a bigger season. These are the listed players, but the Bulls have other players who either didn’t play during the Spring or slipped at the end of the Spring camp.

Top Reserves: A.J. Love, the 6-2 205-pound 6th year senior returns to the team after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. Love has great hands and can stretch the field. He is not listed on the Spring depth chart, but should be a starter come the opening week. Sterling Griffin, the 6-2 192-pound sophomore missed all of last season as well with an ankle injury and has been out played this Spring by Terrence Mitchell, placing him with the second team. Griffin should be a starter over Mitchell due to his experience and skill set. He had a few issues with drops during the Spring game put him behind on the depth chart.

Freshman Deonte Welch, 6 foot 201-pounds (Williston, Florida) made huge strides this Spring and is listed as the 2nd team receiver behind Evan Landi and will get plenty of chances this season due to his speed and hands. Junior Lindsey Lamar, the 5-8 161-pound speedy punter returner missed the Spring due to shoulder surgery, but will be in the mix for the starting slot receiver position. He had 25 receptions for 161 yards. He is a converted running back that has incredible speed. The coaches will try to get him the ball in space more this season.

The Bulls have several other undersized receivers that have tons of speed. Derrick Hopkins, the 5-5 155-pound sophomore is another speed threat for the Bulls (recently won the Big East 100 Meter spring title). He is a slot receiver that can cause problems for an opposing defense due to his speed. Faron Hornes, the 5-6 173-pound senior and Victor Marc, the 5-10 208-pound junior, are also targets that can step in. Walk-on Stephen Bravo-Brown, the 5-10 173-pound sophomore from North Lauderdale, Florida, made one start last season making 11 receptions for 104 yards. He is another player that got plenty of playing time last season due to the lack of depth and brings experience to the receiving corps. Notre Dame transfer Spencer Boyd, the 5-9 173-pound freshman, sat out last season after transferring and is making the switch from corner back. He has plenty of speed and should get onto the field this season. 6-3 213-pound freshman Jordan Duval, 5-9 142-pound freshman Clinton Jones, and 5-11 187-pound John Toston will all be in the mix on the scout team and will work hard for the coaching staff.

The Bulls also have a talented group of receivers coming in with the 2011 recruiting class. Receiver Andre Davis is a polished talent that will give Daniels a reliable downfield target. Ruben Gonzalez is another talented player that will enter USF in the Fall and Alex Mut, although will miss the 2011 season with a torn ACL, will travel with the team and learn the offense.

The Bulls don't have much experience behind Andreas Shields, but have talented players. Isaac Virign, 6-4 251-pound sophomore, is listed as the 2nd team tight end. He had only 2 receptions for 35 yards last season, but has soft hands and great size that should allow him to become a big time target. Jeff Hawkins, 6-4 256-pound junior, is another player that will be in the mix for playing time, although he missed most of the Spring due to injury and hasn't been able to stay healthy over the past two seasons. Tyler Guy, the 6-6 241-pound freshman and Jake Carlton, the 6-3 220-pound freshman will also be in the mix as well as Holtz looks for passing catching options that can also block as well.

Watch Out For: Love and Griffin. A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin missed the 2010 season, but both return healthy and have the fans excited and optimistic. The Bulls have plenty of speed and talent on the roster and with the incoming recruits, the USF receiving corps is loaded with talent after being depleted last season.

Strength: Experience. Love is a 6th year senior and Griffin is a sophomore, both receivers bring a vast amount of playing experience with them to the field. Lindsey Lamar, Evan Landi, and Andreas Shields all played big roles last seasons and will look to increase their production this year.

Weakness: Injuries and Size. Love and Griffin missed all of last season, questions still remain if they are ready for full speed and contact. The Bulls have depth, but most of the players, Mitchell, Virgin, Welch, etc have not played much in the past and the expectations are high on them, they will have to live up to the hype or Daniels could struggle again to get a consistent passing game going downfield. Other players like Hopkins and Lamar are fast and dangerous in open space, but will not be able to match up against big, physical defensive backs in the endzone and hope to come down with the football in traffic.

Outlook: The Bulls had one healthy, experience receiver last season, Dontavia Bogan, and he led the team with 685 yards receiving. Entering this Spring, the Bulls now have a wide variety of experienced, talented, and young players that will help open up the passing game and make B.J. Daniels more comfortable in the pocket. If they are all healthy entering the season, the USF offense should be much more consistent and productive this year.

Rating: 7.5