WRs (and TE) next year - guesses / thoughts?

[gofurman]

I would assume Thomas Gordon will be the primary flanker (Sr.) w Armstrong (RJr) and Bell (So) in rotation

Other side (Split) I would think DeLuca and who ? Burnette left the program so there is definitely PT for someone? ANy guesses?

I'll include TE in this - esp since right now we seem to have more the WR type TE than the bigger blocking TE... Assume Jake Walker (Jr) and Ryan Miller (So) have those spots ? Interseting - this is one of few spots where it is CH recruits filling the depth chart. I would assume Jake Walker was in CH first recruiting class.

Thoughts on this? others in rotation/.. who replaces Burnette?

Thanks
GoFurman

[Paul C]

Without getting into the specifics of the Flanker and SE spots I'd be surprised if our 4 leading recerivers weren't, in this order.....

Thomas Gordon (Sr)
Ryan DeLuca (Jr)
DeJuan Bell (So)
Avery Armstrong (Jr)

Gordon and Bell are fast and dynamic, Bell maybe the fastest guy on the team. Armstrong and DeLuca are reliable and have decent size although not as big as Burnette, who will be missed, but not terribly so. BUT the bottom line is we are counting on 3 guys (Bell, DeLuca, Armstrong) that caught a combined 14 balls last year to really step up their production.

After that I'm interested to see how the following younger guys compete:
Louis Hall (R-Fr) - was very productive at a high level in Georgia....but recovering from a knee injury sustained midway through his Sr yr in HS.
Zach Peterson (R-Fr) and Jake Kimmelman (Fr)- both are 6-2 and were very productive at smaller schools/lower levels....very similar superficially. May need some time to develop. Peterson has NFL genes if you consider kickers NFL players

At TE not much more to add other than the potential impact of Fr Bryce McCormick....a blue chip recruit for us that is "position flexible" between LB and TE. Ben Page also now listed at TE after moving from DE. Page might have more impact as a blocker as he has decent size.

For reference here are the receiving stats from last year:

Thomas Gordon 29/430 14.8 1
Cam Burnette 20/247 12.4 0
Ryan Miller 10 /144 14.4 0
Jake Walker 9 /172 19.1 4
Devin Wynn 9 /130 14.4 1
Ryan DeLuca 7 /103 14.7 4
Avery Armstrong 4 /62 15.5 2
Darius Morehead 4 /49 12.2 1
Dejuan Bell 3 /67 22.3 1

[AstroDin]

Paul pretty much said it all…

In the spring game, DeLuca looked very good. I think DeLuca's speed and route running is underestimated.
Paul mentioned Hall and Peterson, both played a lot and caught several big passes in the spring.

Furman has some many players that can catch the ball.

[The Jackal]

Paul pretty much said it all…

In the spring game, DeLuca looked very good. I think DeLuca's speed and route running is underestimated.
Paul mentioned Hall and Peterson, both played a lot and caught several big passes in the spring.

Furman has some many players that can catch the ball.

Furman's offense has morphed, in my opinion, into more of a "positionless" attack. That is most obvious with the WRs and TEs.

Furman has no issue moving WRs into the backfield to be used as a blocker, ball carrier, or decoy. The same with the TEs, who are flexed in and out of the formation.

Bottom line, at both positions, the coaching staff looks like they are targeting (1) guys that can run (2) block, and (3) are good route runners.

[Paul C]

Bottom line, at both positions, the coaching staff looks like they are targeting (1) guys that can run (2) block, and (3) are good route runners.

Or, as FuBear calls them, "ballers"......

[FUBeAR]

Bottom line, at both positions, the coaching staff looks like they are targeting (1) guys that can run (2) block, and (3) are good route runners.

Or, as FuBear calls them, "ballers"......

Yep...As a “Consultant,” designed a whole O around those “Ballers” because we didn’t have a true FB, nor a true TE, nor any true WR’s, but we had 5 or 6 guys that were “Tweeners”...semi-good RB’s and/or semi-good WR’s.

Head Coach nixed it & stuck with the Pro I....went 0-10.

[Jasper]

Without getting into the specifics of the Flanker and SE spots I'd be surprised if our 4 leading recerivers weren't, in this order.....

Thomas Gordon (Sr)
Ryan DeLuca (Jr)
DeJuan Bell (So)
Avery Armstrong (Jr)

Gordon and Bell are fast and dynamic, Bell maybe the fastest guy on the team. Armstrong and DeLuca are reliable and have decent size although not as big as Burnette, who will be missed, but not terribly so. BUT the bottom line is we are counting on 3 guys (Bell, DeLuca, Armstrong) that caught a combined 14 balls last year to really step up their production.

After that I'm interested to see how the following younger guys compete:
Louis Hall (R-Fr) - was very productive at a high level in Georgia....but recovering from a knee injury sustained midway through his Sr yr in HS.
Zach Peterson (R-Fr) and Jake Kimmelman (Fr)- both are 6-2 and were very productive at smaller schools/lower levels....very similar superficially. May need some time to develop. Peterson has NFL genes if you consider kickers NFL players

At TE not much more to add other than the potential impact of Fr Bryce McCormick....a blue chip recruit for us that is "position flexible" between LB and TE. Ben Page also now listed at TE after moving from DE. Page might have more impact as a blocker as he has decent size.

For reference here are the receiving stats from last year:

Thomas Gordon 29/430 14.8 1
Cam Burnette 20/247 12.4 0
Ryan Miller 10 /144 14.4 0
Jake Walker 9 /172 19.1 4
Devin Wynn 9 /130 14.4 1
Ryan DeLuca 7 /103 14.7 4
Avery Armstrong 4 /62 15.5 2
Darius Morehead 4 /49 12.2 1
Dejuan Bell 3 /67 22.3 1

I agree re the prime receivers and am pleased that Bell is included. I think he will make a big move into a leading receiver this year. He is very fast and shifty as a runner after the catch.

[fufanatic]

According to CH in the latest Furman Sports Weekly podcast, Jake Walker tore his ACL during spring practice, but is rehabbing nicely. Would think he could potentially be back in October if they didn't want him to redshirt.

[apaladin]

Paul pretty much said it all…

In the spring game, DeLuca looked very good. I think DeLuca's speed and route running is underestimated.
Paul mentioned Hall and Peterson, both played a lot and caught several big passes in the spring.

Furman has some many players that can catch the ball.

If we can find someone to get it to them.

[The Jackal]

Paul pretty much said it all…

In the spring game, DeLuca looked very good. I think DeLuca's speed and route running is underestimated.
Paul mentioned Hall and Peterson, both played a lot and caught several big passes in the spring.

Furman has some many players that can catch the ball.

If we can find someone to get it to them.

I don't think that will be a problem.

[Davemeister]

I think it's a matter of finding the best "someone" to get it to them.

[THPaladin]

Longtime fan.... just now joined forum. Think we will be fine at QB.... betting there is a new face by summer camp. Who knows where we are on scholarship numbers? Don’t we have one left.?

[FUBeAR]

Longtime fan.... just now joined forum. Think we will be fine at QB.... betting there is a new face by summer camp. Who knows where we are on scholarship numbers? Don’t we have one left.?

FUBeAR smells this as someone who may have some private knowledge. Sounds like we are expecting a QB to Transfer in. No idea about who that might be if it’s not a GradTransfer...but FWIW...and for off-season fun (only...no wagering)...here is a list of the G-Transfer QB’s that are / may be still looking for a home...

London Johnson Charleston Southern
Manny Miles North Carolina (Les Miles son)(I think was a walk-on at UNC & Dad is now HC @ Kansas)
Reece Clark Oklahoma (I think was a walk-on at OU)
Jackson Tyner Rice (Playing Baseball @ Rice now)

Any of these 4 look like possibilities?

NOTE: There were 4 other FBS QB’s on this list which I recently found, but ‘they gone’...Wagner, William & Mary, Texas Southern, and Samford scooped those 4 up.

[THPaladin]

No private knowledge here... but I just don’t know of many D1 schools ( even FCS) that only carry 2 scholarship qbs into summer camp. Hopefully if there is not a transfer then one of the two returning qbs will have developed into a legitimate playmaker on a team that has a lot of pieces returning. Just unusual to be that thin at QB especially when Hendrix has done such a good job of developing the roster. You mentioned graduate transfers... any non graduate transfer possibilities?

[FUBeAR]

No private knowledge here... but I just don’t know of many D1 schools ( even FCS) that only carry 2 scholarship qbs into summer camp. Hopefully if there is not a transfer then one of the two returning qbs will have developed into a legitimate playmaker on a team that has a lot of pieces returning. Just unusual to be that thin at QB especially when Hendrix has done such a good job of developing the roster. You mentioned graduate transfers... any non graduate transfer possibilities?

ALL FBS Available QB’s in the portal...

Quarterback Pos Ht/Wt Rating Eligible Transfer
Deondre Francois DUAL 6-2 / 205 0.8700 (T) 0.9678 (HS) Florida State
Kasim Hill PRO 6-2 / 232 0.8500 (T) 0.9110 (HS) Maryland
Alex Malzone PRO 6-2 / 215 0.8984 (HS) Immediate Miami (OH)
Matthew Baldwin PRO 6-2.5 / 195 0.8958 (HS) Ohio State
Matt Fink DUAL 6-3 / 200 0.8739 (HS) USC
Connor Neville PRO 6-2 / 205 0.8700 (HS) Washington State
Ross Bowers PRO 6-2 / 200 0.8696 (HS) Immediate California
Tommy Stevens DUAL 6-4 / 219 0.8599 (HS) Immediate Penn State
Cade Weldon PRO 6-2.5 / 203 0.8580 (HS) Miami
Keondre Wudtee PRO 6-4 / 210 0.8404 (HS) Oklahoma State
McLane Carter PRO 6-3 / 225 0.8395 (HS) Immediate Texas Tech
Luke Shiflett DUAL 6-2 / 180 0.8366 (HS) Middle Tennessee State
Jabari James PRO 6-0 / 170 0.8340 (HS) Tulsa
Stacy Conner DUAL 6-5.5 / 175 0.8190 (HS) Brigham Young
Manny Miles PRO 6-0 / 210 0.8099 (HS) North Carolina
Layne Hatcher DUAL 6-0 / 196 0.8043 (HS) Alabama
Willie Cherry DUAL 6-2 / 195 0.7924 (HS) Ohio
Quinton Maxwell PRO 6-3 / 225 0.7531 (HS) Immediate Ohio
Griffin Dahn PRO 6-5 / 225 N/A (HS) Nevada
Alin Edouard DUAL 6-2 / 207 N/A (HS) Immediate UTSA
John Keller PRO 6-0.5 / 193 N/A (HS) Cincinnati
Holden Thomas PRO 6-6 / 200 N/A (HS) USC
Caleb Lightbourn P 6-3 / 214 0.8234 (HS) Nebraska
Austin Kent P 6-2 / 210 0.8115 (HS) UCLA
Blake Johnson P 6-0 / 185 0.8105 (HS) Arkansas
Andrew David P 5-9 / 179 0.8069 (HS) ImmediateTCU
Wade Lees P 6-2 / 204 N/A (HS) Maryland

I think “Immediate” means (usually) Grad Transfer. Probably need to check this list from 247 though - sez it was updated 2 hours ago, but the one who went to W&M (from CCU), which was announced 2 days ago, was still on the list....and I just found 1 that was on here from Air Force (so I looked him up) just announced he’s headed to Richmond 4 days ago. Richmond paper says he just may be their 2019 Starter.