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The 2014 season produced one of the better years in terms of starting tandem WR receiving yards in the CPJ era, surpassed only by the 2009 campaign, led by BayBay's 1154 total yards and Stephen Hill's 134. But please keep in mind, there is still a game left to go for this year's team, although Smelter will be sidelined and unable to pad his season stats. 2011 came close as Stephen Hill and Tyler Melton combined for just short of 1100 yards.
By the time the Peach drops, De'Andre Smelter, Darren Waller, and Corey Dennis will have exhausted their eligibility. Currently they (Smelter and Waller) stand at about 1050 yards for the season. Only time will tell if they take over second place as the penultimate tandem. Obviously, Waller has to show up in the Orange Bowl and play the way he is capable of to make this happen. Smelter fell in our laps last year in totally unexpected fashion, having given up on his baseball career. What a great decision that turned out to be! He not only helped put our program back on the national map, but gave himself a legit shot at a paying career at the next level. His knee injury will prove to be a speed bump and we will see him as a productive player for years to come, I am sure. The kid just has too much going on, not to make it. I will always think of him as the guy who, not only continued the GT brand of punishing WR blocking, but also made seemingly every clutch play that had to be made to keep us alive. If you look back over the last couple of seasons and count up the number of times he saved our bacon, you will shudder to think about how different these seasons would have looked without him. He was the glue that held our airial attack together. Waller, despite having been an enigma much of the time, has bloomed of late, and started to make some plays in his own right. He is a match up nightmare who has unfortunately not lived up to his potential. He has the chance to leave a legacy Wednesday night. GT fans will gladly forget the sins of the past with a memorable performance in his swan song. Corey Dennis has been a very unselfish role player who has blocked his rear end off for other players. He won't show up on the first page of the record books, but the guys in the film room know how important he has been. I wish each of these gentlemen a fond farewell and good luck.
Returning With Experience:
Michael Summers R-JR, 6-1, 196, Antonio Messick R-SO, 6-3, 195, and Ricky Jeune R-SO, 6-3 214
Summers has been a contributing player for us. In fact, his frosh season ended up being a little more productive than this one. He has some speed and he doesn't mind blocking. At this point, however, he has yet to prove himself as a "go to" guy. In fact, I can't remember many plays where he beat a guy straight up with moves or outworked a defender for the ball. To date, he has been the recipient of some smoke routes and has slipped behind preoccupied defenders on occasion. We need him to grow into the role. Jeune is an interesting prospect who I really don't have a strong opinion on either way. I have watched him in open scrimmages, but that is about it. He is large and physical, but runs a little stiff from what I can see. I am really not sure what we have in him. Messick is a little more smooth and fluid athlete. He has a chance to be physical too and appears to have soft hands. I am just not sure if he grasps all of the finer points yet of getting separation from defenders etc. He does have a TD catch to his credit, but to be truthful, I am not sure how it happened. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly and the ball just kind of magically arrived over the top of a defender with his back turned. It was as much a gift as anything. This kid still needs to prove himself.
Returning Without Experience:
Brandon Oliver R-SR, 5-11, 208 and Qua Searcy R-FR, 5-11, 167. I met Oliver's parents at fan day standing in line. I love that family. What a treat. In any case, I think Brandon had kind of given up on football and then decided to return and give it a last shot. I hope it works out for him. I really don't have a strong opinion on his abilities because I simply haven't seen him play. Rarely have I ever been as "wowed" by an athlete at first glance as I was by Searcy. Just watching this kid run drills and move around the field gives me great hope. He is smooth, fast and has as much body control as you could ever hope for. There is little doubt in my mind that the kid will makes plays and have the attention of the defense. I just don't know where that will be. I fear that WR, in our offense, may not be a fit. At his diminutive size, I am not sure he can handle the role of stand up blocking and cracking that is required. At AB, much of the blocking is cutting defenders down low where his body size wouldn't be nearly the detriment. Whatever the case, he will be getting the ball in his hands somehow.
Adding Depth:
Matt Serpico R-SR, 6-4, 233, Jalen Saunders R-SO, 6-1, 188, Will Smith R-SR, 5-11, 192, Bennett Barton R-SO, 6-1, 202
Obviously this is a position of concern. Although I don't normally comment on players who have yet to sign, it seems important to do so at WR because of the lack of depth returning. We will most likely need a frosh to make an impact in his first season. Fortunately, we have some guys with impressive film coming in and WR is one of the positions that is easiest to get up to speed. Will there be a "special player" in the incoming group? Will the trio of Messick, Jeune, and Summers make a huge jump? Will Searcy stay at WR and take over as the guy who can't be covered one on one? Certainly, there are lots of questions, but these questions need answers at some point.
By the time the Peach drops, De'Andre Smelter, Darren Waller, and Corey Dennis will have exhausted their eligibility. Currently they (Smelter and Waller) stand at about 1050 yards for the season. Only time will tell if they take over second place as the penultimate tandem. Obviously, Waller has to show up in the Orange Bowl and play the way he is capable of to make this happen. Smelter fell in our laps last year in totally unexpected fashion, having given up on his baseball career. What a great decision that turned out to be! He not only helped put our program back on the national map, but gave himself a legit shot at a paying career at the next level. His knee injury will prove to be a speed bump and we will see him as a productive player for years to come, I am sure. The kid just has too much going on, not to make it. I will always think of him as the guy who, not only continued the GT brand of punishing WR blocking, but also made seemingly every clutch play that had to be made to keep us alive. If you look back over the last couple of seasons and count up the number of times he saved our bacon, you will shudder to think about how different these seasons would have looked without him. He was the glue that held our airial attack together. Waller, despite having been an enigma much of the time, has bloomed of late, and started to make some plays in his own right. He is a match up nightmare who has unfortunately not lived up to his potential. He has the chance to leave a legacy Wednesday night. GT fans will gladly forget the sins of the past with a memorable performance in his swan song. Corey Dennis has been a very unselfish role player who has blocked his rear end off for other players. He won't show up on the first page of the record books, but the guys in the film room know how important he has been. I wish each of these gentlemen a fond farewell and good luck.
Returning With Experience:
Michael Summers R-JR, 6-1, 196, Antonio Messick R-SO, 6-3, 195, and Ricky Jeune R-SO, 6-3 214
Summers has been a contributing player for us. In fact, his frosh season ended up being a little more productive than this one. He has some speed and he doesn't mind blocking. At this point, however, he has yet to prove himself as a "go to" guy. In fact, I can't remember many plays where he beat a guy straight up with moves or outworked a defender for the ball. To date, he has been the recipient of some smoke routes and has slipped behind preoccupied defenders on occasion. We need him to grow into the role. Jeune is an interesting prospect who I really don't have a strong opinion on either way. I have watched him in open scrimmages, but that is about it. He is large and physical, but runs a little stiff from what I can see. I am really not sure what we have in him. Messick is a little more smooth and fluid athlete. He has a chance to be physical too and appears to have soft hands. I am just not sure if he grasps all of the finer points yet of getting separation from defenders etc. He does have a TD catch to his credit, but to be truthful, I am not sure how it happened. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly and the ball just kind of magically arrived over the top of a defender with his back turned. It was as much a gift as anything. This kid still needs to prove himself.
Returning Without Experience:
Brandon Oliver R-SR, 5-11, 208 and Qua Searcy R-FR, 5-11, 167. I met Oliver's parents at fan day standing in line. I love that family. What a treat. In any case, I think Brandon had kind of given up on football and then decided to return and give it a last shot. I hope it works out for him. I really don't have a strong opinion on his abilities because I simply haven't seen him play. Rarely have I ever been as "wowed" by an athlete at first glance as I was by Searcy. Just watching this kid run drills and move around the field gives me great hope. He is smooth, fast and has as much body control as you could ever hope for. There is little doubt in my mind that the kid will makes plays and have the attention of the defense. I just don't know where that will be. I fear that WR, in our offense, may not be a fit. At his diminutive size, I am not sure he can handle the role of stand up blocking and cracking that is required. At AB, much of the blocking is cutting defenders down low where his body size wouldn't be nearly the detriment. Whatever the case, he will be getting the ball in his hands somehow.
Adding Depth:
Matt Serpico R-SR, 6-4, 233, Jalen Saunders R-SO, 6-1, 188, Will Smith R-SR, 5-11, 192, Bennett Barton R-SO, 6-1, 202
Obviously this is a position of concern. Although I don't normally comment on players who have yet to sign, it seems important to do so at WR because of the lack of depth returning. We will most likely need a frosh to make an impact in his first season. Fortunately, we have some guys with impressive film coming in and WR is one of the positions that is easiest to get up to speed. Will there be a "special player" in the incoming group? Will the trio of Messick, Jeune, and Summers make a huge jump? Will Searcy stay at WR and take over as the guy who can't be covered one on one? Certainly, there are lots of questions, but these questions need answers at some point.
