Here is another position group in very good shape. The receivers have outstanding senior leadership and quality depth. I'm anxious to see which underclassmen step up prove they can be playmakers since all the top returning receivers are seniors.
Returning (4)
Shun Brown (So)
Tony Ellison (RS So)
Tyrell Johnson (Jr)
Abraham Mendivil (RS Jr)
Newcomers (6)
Zach Benjamin (RS Jr xfer)
Devaughn Cooper (Fr)
Cam Denson (Jr former corner)
Darick Holmes (RS Fr)
Cedric Peterson (RS Fr)
Shawn Poindexter (JC)
My wild ass guess for starters entering camp with a food fight after the 2 deep:
WR - Griffey, Ellison
Slot - Grant, Johnson
Slot - Phillips, Brown
WR - Denson, Poindexter
As I was looking at the receivers I found this SB Nation Study Hall table very interesting. Griffey's catch rate advantage on everyone else is one of the big reasons I expect him to have a great senior year.
carcassdragger wrote:Nate was a freaking Freshman All American. That dude caught everything in sight that year.
I would expect him to be at that same caliber again this year. The injury set him back, but i bet he has his wheels back under him again. should have a huge year for us
I think TJ will get a lot of short routes out of the slot, bubble screens and such, so they can get the ball in his hands and see if he can break something. He's a good stretch-the-field deep threat, but even though RR isn't averse to throwing bombs, he still likes to get the ball to guys in open space. Denson is the wildcard to me right now. He has the skillset but it's a matter if he can live up to the expectations he's had for a while.
We have a sort of sequel to 2013 here, with a better QB, where Grant, Phillips and Griffey are the hopes of the receiving corps. Other than those three, the competition for playing time is going to be wide open. I wouldn't be shocked if Mendevil got some not-quite-garbage-time reps vs. Grambling and Hawaii if for nothing else just to push the rest of the group (and as a reward for busting it.) As long as some guys emerge as the season goes on, the offense could put up some sick numbers through the air.
4. Arizona: The starting trio is solid – and maybe even a little underrated. The coaching staff has said that Trey Griffey is poised for a breakout season. Samajie Grant and Nate Phillips – who combined for 75 catches and six touchdowns last year – should see a bigger piece of the action. As is usually the case, the health of the quarterback will also dictate the production of the receivers.
5. Stanford
6. Arizona State
7. Washington
8. UCLA
9. Colorado
10. California
11. Oregon State
12. Utah
