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For the last few years now, we've been relying on the combination of Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt at TE. Both are now RS Seniors and back for one more year. Griffin has a great combination of height and speed, enough so that he has played a lot of WR at times when we've had injuries there, but has not developed to the point I thought he would have by now when we first saw him. I don't think he's as consistent or as dominating a blocker as we'd like (and I think the biggest proof of this has been the new staff's unwillingness to designate him as the clear #1) and I think they'd like him to be more dominant in the passing game (although how much of that is on QB play, who knows). Delahunt is not as big a target, and can't stretch the field as much vertically, but is a really solid blocker and a solid, if not spectacular, receiver. This position, even with Moore, last year's #3 but a guy who played a material amount, not having come back for his RS Sr. season, should be improved over last year but it could be improved a lot. If Ryan plays every down to the best of his ability, we could have an All-American TE and a really, really solid experienced backup who will play plenty in two TE sets.
Behind the two of them, and for next year, the picture is less clear. Shortell, Widmer's teammate at Juco, wasn't on the roster, now is on the roster but there have been discussions here about whether he's in camp. Even if he is, with both Griff and Delahunt gone next year I could see redshirting Shortell this year and give him two years to have an impact at TE. Hansson is not on the roster. We knew he was an academic casualty for the season, but Michael Smith was on the roster last year -- just not eligible. So I don't know what we know. The others at the position are the Glastonbury kid Sean McQuillan, now a RS Frosh, whose ability to contribute at least on specials would help preserve Shortell's redshirt (if that is an issue). There are also two walk-ons on the roster who I have not heard anything about -- Horan and Parker.
WR is one of the more interesting stories of this year, because we lost both starters (Kash and I. Moore) but yet hope to be stronger here. I. Moore developed an awful lot from when he came to Storrs to when he left, and had a 100 yard game against ISU, and last year was consistent but not consistently impactful. Kashif had more speed, and got far more snaps over his career here, and had far more big plays here (especially his sophomore year when we were throwing successfully), but even he was not a consistent impact player last year. Was that them or the lack of talent around them in the passing game? It was at least partially the latter. But was that all of it? Who knows.
In any event, I think there is hope that this position can take a step forward this year. Reason one is Phillips, the RS Soph from NJ by way of a cameo on Chestnut Hill. A big body, well thought of coming out of high school, played as a frosh at BC but didn't have huge accomplishments, and we saw him have a big spring game. I know that, if we get good (meaning Big East average) QB play, he could be the best WR we've had since Marcus Easley. But will it be right away or take time? We also have Michael Smith, who was arguably our best WR in the run to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010, but then had to sit out last year for academic reasons. Smitty is now a RS Sr., and we know that, at the very least, he can have as good a year as any WR here has had since Easley. He runs routes well and always seemed to me to get open more consistently than anyone else we had, though his hands, while he's made some difficult catches over the years, have never caught everything that he can touch. We also return our starting 3rd (and slot) WR from last year, Nick Williams, now a Senior. Last year was the first year that Nick played a material amount at WR. He did not make a ton of plays, but he made a disproportionate amount of big plays. I think there is some struggling of the staff to figure out if he's fast enough to get open, notwithstanding the fact that he seems able to get open as consistently as anyone else we've been playing. Obviously, when he gets the ball in his hands he is very difficult for DBs to contain. He also, with good QB play, could have a very big season for a 3rd WR.
There is also plenty of depth at WR. Kamal Abrams, who only played a handful of snaps last year, played the slot in the 4 WR set, largely at the goal line, and is back as a true Soph. Geremy Davis and Tebucky Jones are both back for their RS Soph seasons at WR. Both showed glimpses as Frosh last year, but neither showed enough to demand more snaps. They both played, but played sparingly. We've heard good things said about them by P, but to me the jury is still out. Add the converted TB Deshon Foxx, who can run but is small, incoming frosh Gutierrez (who we are hearing positive things about) and Green, and walk-ons Guardi (who by all reports the coaches were one injury away from putting on the field last year), Allen and Matson, and even without McNeil from Clemson the position has plenty of depth. I don't think losing McNeil to grad school admission policy hurts us from a depth point of view -- I think it hurts us because I thought the chances were strong that he would be one of our three best receivers. Both Foxx and Abrams played last year as true frosh, although each played so little it makes you wonder. I can't imagine that one of them won't be redshirted this year. Unless Foxx wins a starting job returning kickoffs, I would think it would be him. That gives him time to learn the new position, saves him eligibility while we wait for Nick Williams to move on and leaves Abrams, who was a HS QB, available to run snaps from a wildcat formation if McCummings isn't back on the team. I would also not be shocked if Gutierrez beats out either Davis or Jones for a spot on the two deep and has the RS come off.
The bottom line on WR is that both starters are gone, so there is no guaranty that it won't take a step back this year, but I anticipate it will instead be somewhat better with Smith and Phillips stepping in for the Moores and the depth behind them greater and more experienced. But if we don't get better QB play and better pass protection (although those two factors are clearly related), we may not be able to tell. Again.
Behind the two of them, and for next year, the picture is less clear. Shortell, Widmer's teammate at Juco, wasn't on the roster, now is on the roster but there have been discussions here about whether he's in camp. Even if he is, with both Griff and Delahunt gone next year I could see redshirting Shortell this year and give him two years to have an impact at TE. Hansson is not on the roster. We knew he was an academic casualty for the season, but Michael Smith was on the roster last year -- just not eligible. So I don't know what we know. The others at the position are the Glastonbury kid Sean McQuillan, now a RS Frosh, whose ability to contribute at least on specials would help preserve Shortell's redshirt (if that is an issue). There are also two walk-ons on the roster who I have not heard anything about -- Horan and Parker.
WR is one of the more interesting stories of this year, because we lost both starters (Kash and I. Moore) but yet hope to be stronger here. I. Moore developed an awful lot from when he came to Storrs to when he left, and had a 100 yard game against ISU, and last year was consistent but not consistently impactful. Kashif had more speed, and got far more snaps over his career here, and had far more big plays here (especially his sophomore year when we were throwing successfully), but even he was not a consistent impact player last year. Was that them or the lack of talent around them in the passing game? It was at least partially the latter. But was that all of it? Who knows.
In any event, I think there is hope that this position can take a step forward this year. Reason one is Phillips, the RS Soph from NJ by way of a cameo on Chestnut Hill. A big body, well thought of coming out of high school, played as a frosh at BC but didn't have huge accomplishments, and we saw him have a big spring game. I know that, if we get good (meaning Big East average) QB play, he could be the best WR we've had since Marcus Easley. But will it be right away or take time? We also have Michael Smith, who was arguably our best WR in the run to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010, but then had to sit out last year for academic reasons. Smitty is now a RS Sr., and we know that, at the very least, he can have as good a year as any WR here has had since Easley. He runs routes well and always seemed to me to get open more consistently than anyone else we had, though his hands, while he's made some difficult catches over the years, have never caught everything that he can touch. We also return our starting 3rd (and slot) WR from last year, Nick Williams, now a Senior. Last year was the first year that Nick played a material amount at WR. He did not make a ton of plays, but he made a disproportionate amount of big plays. I think there is some struggling of the staff to figure out if he's fast enough to get open, notwithstanding the fact that he seems able to get open as consistently as anyone else we've been playing. Obviously, when he gets the ball in his hands he is very difficult for DBs to contain. He also, with good QB play, could have a very big season for a 3rd WR.
There is also plenty of depth at WR. Kamal Abrams, who only played a handful of snaps last year, played the slot in the 4 WR set, largely at the goal line, and is back as a true Soph. Geremy Davis and Tebucky Jones are both back for their RS Soph seasons at WR. Both showed glimpses as Frosh last year, but neither showed enough to demand more snaps. They both played, but played sparingly. We've heard good things said about them by P, but to me the jury is still out. Add the converted TB Deshon Foxx, who can run but is small, incoming frosh Gutierrez (who we are hearing positive things about) and Green, and walk-ons Guardi (who by all reports the coaches were one injury away from putting on the field last year), Allen and Matson, and even without McNeil from Clemson the position has plenty of depth. I don't think losing McNeil to grad school admission policy hurts us from a depth point of view -- I think it hurts us because I thought the chances were strong that he would be one of our three best receivers. Both Foxx and Abrams played last year as true frosh, although each played so little it makes you wonder. I can't imagine that one of them won't be redshirted this year. Unless Foxx wins a starting job returning kickoffs, I would think it would be him. That gives him time to learn the new position, saves him eligibility while we wait for Nick Williams to move on and leaves Abrams, who was a HS QB, available to run snaps from a wildcat formation if McCummings isn't back on the team. I would also not be shocked if Gutierrez beats out either Davis or Jones for a spot on the two deep and has the RS come off.
The bottom line on WR is that both starters are gone, so there is no guaranty that it won't take a step back this year, but I anticipate it will instead be somewhat better with Smith and Phillips stepping in for the Moores and the depth behind them greater and more experienced. But if we don't get better QB play and better pass protection (although those two factors are clearly related), we may not be able to tell. Again.
