TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
USF Football:
USF Basketball:
- Men’s Roster
- Women’s Roster
- Men’s Schedule/Results
- Women’s Schedule/Results
- Men’s Statistics
- Big East Standings
- Live Scoreboard
USF Baseball:
Most Recent Entries
- Rays-Red Sox, Round II: Can Rays afford a beanball war?
- Robinson product Gibson advances to NCAA track finals
- Panini previews Gold Standard autographs
- UD unveils Military Machines inserts for 2012 Goodwin Champions set
- Rays @ BoSox: Guyer out for the season, Jennings close to returning and lineups
- USF softball: It’s game day
- Weekly Tampa Bay fishing report
- Rays at BoSox: Rivalry renewed
- Karen Cooley returns as Zephyrhills girls swimming coach
- USF beats Pitt, stays alive
- The Nerds head north
- Jeffrey Shank out as Gulf boys basketball coach
- Berkeley Prep captures Academic Team Champion Award - again
- This week’s signings and offers
- Berkeley Prep wins FHSAA Academic Award standings
More
- Bucs Report -Tribune staff
- Rays Report - Roger Mooney
- Bolts Report - Erik Erlendsson
- Bulls Report
- Prep Report - Hillsborough
- Prep Report - Pasco
- Prep Report - Region
- Prep Report - Recruiting Updates
- Prep Report - Football
- Go Fishing: On The Waterfront
- The Sports Bookie - Bob D'Angelo
- Gators Report - Tribune staff
- Youth Sports Report
- NFL Draft Report
- Go Ask: Frank's Tacklebox
- Bucified Bert Blog
- BUK Power - Bucs Fan Blog
- Pigskin Preacher - NFL Fan Blog
- Breakfast Bonus - Tom McEwen
- Highlands Sports
Monthly Archives
Question No. 4 for USF Bulls: Which receiver will emerge as top target?
Posted Aug 4, 2010 by Scott Carter
Updated Aug 4, 2010 at 10:15 AM
Instead of getting ready for his senior season, former USF receiver Carlton Mitchell began training camp with the Cleveland Browns last week.
Instead of reporting for fall camp today in the best shape of his career and ready for a breakout senior season, A.J. Love is rehabbing his surgically repaired knee in hopes of making it back onto the field.
And instead of moving into the starting lineup, sophomore Sterling Griffin is waiting for his fractured ankle to heal enough so he can start putting his full weight back on it and begin a more intense rehab.
Mitchell led the Bulls in receiving last season, Love was second, and Griffin, fifth. Jessie Hester, who had one more catch than Griffin a year ago, graduated.
So, of USF’s five top receivers last season, only senior Dontavia Bogan (22 catches, 305 yards, 4 TDs) will be on the field when USF opens practice Thursday.
To serve as an official countdown to the start of football season here in our little corner of the blogosphere, I’m throwing out the 10 most important questions the Bulls face heading into the season.
USF opens practice Thursday. You can check out the blog each day for the latest question. After I give my take, I’d like to hear what your take is on the question of the day.
With that said, let’s take a look today at Question No. 4: Which receiver will emerge as a top target?
“We’ve got new guys coming in,’’ QB B.J. Daniels said at Tuesday’s Big East football media day. “We’ve thrown nearly every day this summer trying to get on the same page and get ready for the season. The guys we have now—Evan Landi, T.J. Knowles, Dontavia Bogan—they are guys who just don’t play X, Y, Z. They can switch back and forth and different things like that. We have a pretty solid core.’‘
Bogan and Landi, who is also the Bulls’ back-up quarterback, both had strong spring games. And Knowles was a late addition to the 2010 recruiting class after playing last season at Saddleback (Calif.) Junior College.
When asked if he sees Bogan as his “go-to’’ guy this season, here is what Daniels said:
“Dontavia has done a little bit more each season,’’ he said. “He’s working hard to be that guy.’‘
Former RB Lindsey Lamar moved to receiver in the spring, and incoming freshman Deonte Welch is another potential target if he is not redshirted. Returnees Jason Sherman, Patrick Richardson and Derrick Hopkins are also in the mix to fill the huge void left when Mitchell left school early and Love and Griffin were injured.
Holtz said Tuesday that Love and Griffin remain far from returning to the field.
“The earliest is probably going to be four or five games in, a best-case scenario,” Holtz said. “We’ll know more as we get through camp.”
Based on past performance, Bogan is clearly the Bulls’ No. 1 receiver entering fall camp. Who do see the most likely No. 2 threat?
Post a comment
Members:(Requires free registration.)
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2010 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments
Por (cfer) on August 04, 2010 (Suggest removal)
I feel Landi could not only be the #2 but be a pleasant surprise this season. I’m hoping he travels the same path as Kansas’ former QB turned WR, Kerry Meier. Playing QB should give Evan a valuable perspective as to how he should be running routes and adjusting to coverages that opposing defenses present. I also feel that Knowles has a great opportunity to step in and contribute immediately. There could be no better situation for an incoming receiver due to the holes left with the injuries the Bulls have experienced over the past few months.
Suggest removalPor (Scott Carter) on August 04, 2010 (Suggest removal)
In case you missed the earlier news story on tbo.com, for clarification purposes, please note that Holtz announced today that Sherman and Richardson have both left the program.
Richardson has earned his degree and accepted a non-football job, and Sherman continues to recover from an injured Achilles heel.
Suggest removalPor (Brian) on August 04, 2010 (Suggest removal)
I may be the only person that thinks this. . . but I swear Hopkins looked better than Lamar at the spring game. But maybe that’s why I am not a coach.
I think the new coaches will take pressure off the WR position with screens and usage of the tight end position.
I also think DEonte Welch has a chance to be our second leading receiver. . . . and that scares me.
Suggest removalPor (KoozeeKingdom) on August 05, 2010 (Suggest removal)
The receivers on this team is one of two main reasons I pick the Bulls to finish last in the Big East this year. The other is the loss of CJL. I think they’ll win either 4 or 5 games all season and finish below everyone in the Big East for the first time. Hope I’m wrong.
Suggest removalPor (cfer) on August 05, 2010 (Suggest removal)
KoozieKingdom, how can the loss of a coach who consistently lost his team down the stretch for the past few seasons be the reason for a potential poor season for the Bulls? Just imagine what the team’s prospects would be if in fact he was never dismissed. As much as I appreciated the job CJL did he was, IMO, arguably the worst game-time coach in college football. The same could be said for his Offensive Coordinator. The Bulls finally have a legitimate D-1 coaching staff, and I believe the overall consistency and discipline of the team will be better than in years past.
Suggest removalPor (KoozeeKingdom) on August 05, 2010 (Suggest removal)
The reason for the second half slide in years past was a dramatic increase in talent from the Big East teams as compared to the non-conference teams. I think the Bulls will lose most of their conference games this year too, more than in years past because of the coaching change and lack of depth at certain positions. I think CJL would have beaten either Florida or Miami, but not sure CSH will. I hope I’m wrong…I’ll be pulling for the Bulls.
Suggest removalPor (Tim442) on August 05, 2010 (Suggest removal)
I have a gut feeling that T.J. Knowles, is going to be that #2 clutch receiver especialy in the red zone. I mean like 6’8” tall… wow1
Suggest removalPor (cfer) on August 05, 2010 (Suggest removal)
I hear you Koozee, but also remember that Holtz has a history of knocking off highly favored opponents (i.e. WVU & Virginia Tech). Also remember that Holtz actually won championships. I know it was in C-USA, but what was CJL’s record in that conference?
Suggest removal