Receiver Revival
July 30, 2008 10:26 AM | General
July 30, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway is confident that he has plenty of talent to work with as the Mountaineers approach the start of fall camp on Saturday, Aug. 2.
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| Lonnie Galloway is excited about what he has to work with this fall at wide receiver.
Brian Persinger photo |
After coaching a slew of talented receivers at East Carolina and Appalachian State, Galloway will have the opportunity to direct a receiving corps full of depth and potential. The first-year coach at WVU has been impressed with the progress many of his players have made in the spring and summer.
“I think they’ve had good seven on sevens,” said Galloway. “I think everyone’s just excited to come back and start playing.”
The receiving unit was dealt a blow in the offseason when standout slot receiver Darius Reynaud, coming off a productive season in which he scored 13 touchdowns, decided to forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft.
With WVU’s marquee receiver over the last two seasons now wearing a Minnesota Vikings uniform, several players have the chance to step forward and make a statement during fall camp.
Two players who figure to lead the way are fifth-year senior Dorrell Jalloh and senior Tito Gonzales. Galloway expects both players to utilize their big-game experience in helping themselves on the field as well as mentoring their teammates away from it.
“They know what I expect,” Galloway exclaimed. “Having those two guys in the room, knowing that they have been on the field and played in Phoenix in the bowl game - that experience… they’ve been here and they understand the tradition of West Virginia football. Those are just some of the things they bring to the table and they’re going to work and lead by example.”
The production of Jalloh and Gonzales figures to expand this season. Both wideouts were used mostly in run-blocking schemes last season, but a new offense derived from offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen should allow both players to become more productive targets for quarterback Pat White.
Besides the senior-led tandem, Galloway believes there are other members of the wideout group who have big-play potential. White will look to become more of a passing quarterback under the new offensive system and help the receivers sharpen their pass-catching skills on a more consistent basis.
“We told them that one thing we’re trying to do is throw the ball a little bit more,” Galloway admitted. “We are going to try to take advantage of some of the things that the defense is going to give us because they think we’re going to run the ball more like in year’s past. We really want to focus on throwing the ball around and give everyone a chance to make some plays. That will really ease things up for Pat and Noel (Devine) in the backfield.”
WVU’s new “share-the-wealth” mentality should make the pass-catchers much more satisfied. After growing accustomed to blocking for zone reads, misdirections and bubble screen plays in WVU’s spread offense, this season’s wideouts can become more versatile by showcasing their true receiving skills to go along with their already-used blocking techniques.
Another receiver who has shown plenty of promise is first-year wideout Bradley Starks. The former third-string backup quarterback is new to the position, but possesses the intangibles, including his 6-foot-3-inch, 182-pound frame, to become a big-time threat against the opposing secondary.
“Huge role,” said Galloway in response to Starks’ significance in the offense. “He had a great spring. With his talent there’s no need for him to stand on the sidelines with Pat and Jarrett (Brown). He’s a quarterback but he’s talented enough and gifted enough and tall enough to run and make some plays on the outside.”
Redshirt junior Alric Arnett looks to get his share of reps on the outside spot as well. After injuries to his right ankle and left thumb hampered his production last season, Galloway believes the 6-2, 180-pound receiver will be able to contribute after training arduously during the spring season.
“It’s his job to lose,” admitted Galloway. “He came in this spring and worked his butt off and learned the plays. Hopefully I will get to use five or six receivers but if I can find two or three of them that can get the job done then that’s what I’ll do.”
Although Galloway is mainly responsible for the outside receivers, he will work closely with running backs and slot receivers coach Chris Beatty in helping determine who can make an impact in the slot positions.
Galloway points out that Jock Sanders and Brandon Hogan, both sophomores, are two players who will get their share of reps at the inside position, while junior Wes Lyons will look to use his tall frame in becoming a reliable target as a wideout.
“The younger guys like Jock and Hogan have done a good job of picking the offense up, and the keys for them this summer have been being around and working on their timing,” said Galloway.
Regardless of who may be projected to start, the competition at wide receiver will be spirited during fall camp. With no position set in stone, Galloway looks for two attributes in his players that will help them earn more time on the field for this upcoming season: staying humble and working hard.
“I told them if you want to play you’ve got to show me on the practice field,” said Galloway. “If you go out and bust a play in practice going 100 percent then I don’t have a problem with that. You are not going to say ‘I’ve been here’ and ‘I’m going to play because I’m a junior or senior.’
“I’ve gotten to know them better this year,” he said of his receiving corps. “They understand that the best person is going to play no matter what year or how many games you’ve played in the past.”
In Galloway’s first season at WVU, he will be relied on heavily to produce a group of receivers who can take the pressure off of the Mountaineers’ nationally-acclaimed running game. After facing teams such as USF and Pitt, who stacked the box with eight or nine players last season, the receivers look to be the major complement that can help the offense become more multidimensional.
With a group of receivers hungry to prove to the rest of the country that WVU is more than just a running offense, Galloway may be able to breathe easier as he looks for his players to contribute mightily in the modified Mountaineer offensive attack.
