:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63221910/1052646788.jpg.0.jpg)
Spring practice begins next week so we will breakdown each position group as we gear up for football season. Note: We will not guess on what impact freshmen who are not on campus yet will have on the team.
Wide Receivers:
Position Coach: Charlie Williams (3rd season at USF)
Key Losses: Tyre McCants (127 receptions, 1,856 yards and 16 touchdowns throughout career), Darnell Salomon, Ryeshene Bronson.
Key Returners: Randall St. Felix, Zion Roland, Devontres Dukes, Jernard Phillips.
A unit that was certainly constrained within the Gilbert offense, one of the more intriguing things to watch for this spring and beyond is how USF’s receivers are utilized within the scheme of new offensive coordinator Kerwin Bell.
Not returning to the field this year is beloved wrecking ball Tyre McCants, who finished his Green and Gold career in the top five of every major school receiving record. Also moving on from the program were veteran Ryeshene Bronson (graduation) and Darnell Salomon (dismissed).
Even with the departure of Gulf Coast-era veterans, USF still returns valuable weapons who can make an even deeper impact in a more efficient offense. Particularly redshirt sophomore Randall St. Felix, who led the team with 679 yards and four touchdowns last season while setting a school record with four 100-yard games.
St. Pete native Zion Roland got plenty of run towards the end of the year as a true freshman last fall while Jernard Phillips, Devontres Dukes, #StillInTheLeague All-Star Stanley Clerveaux and the returning Terrence Horne all factor to serve as threats on the field.
Nathan has heard rumblings of Johnny Ford moving to the slot full-time to get the most dynamic players on the field at all times. We’ll see how that pans out in the spring and fall.
And that’s not even accounting for...
Impact Newcomer: Michigan transfer Eddie McDoom, who’s eligible after sitting out due to transfer rules last season. McDoom tallied 203 yards rushing and 140 yards receiving in two years at Ann Arbor before deciding to take his talents back to his homestate.
Multiple people we’ve spoken to have said that the Winter Gardens product was the best receiver on the field during USF’s practices last fall so it’ll be interesting to see how he’s used in a prominent role, particularly in the slot.