Receiving corp next year

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eker0016

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The OSU game gave us a look at our receiving corp for next year. We will have

Brandon Green (JR)
Troy Stoudermire (JR)
Bryant Allen (SOPH)
Hayo Carpenter (SR)
Dajon McKnight (JR)
Xzavian Brandon (JR?)
Vic Keise (redshirt FR)
Marquise Hill (true FR)
Chris Hawkins (true FR)

I'm not counting on anything out of Hill or Hawkins as freshmen. Stoudermire and Green are the largest contributors this year, a lot of production will have to come from one of these guys. I would also like to see Keise, Brandon or McKnight in the mix as our taller receiver (6'1", 6'3" and 6'3" respectively). I think Carpenter may be able to contribute more in his second year at the D1 level. I also really liked what I saw out of Bryant Allen on his slant catch against OSU -- showed some explosiveness.

As for tight ends, we have

Eric Lair (SOPH)
Curtis Hughes (SR)
Rashede Hageman (SOPH)
Collin McGarry (SR)

It sounds like Rashede will be a DE, but still utilized in jumbo packages. McGarry snaps? Hughes is more of a run-blocker from what I've seen. Lair has a chance to step up, and I really don't see much pass catching potential behind him. Nick Rengel is listed as a FB and will likely take Hoese's place in 2 years, but I believe he was recruited as an H-back and could also play a little TE.

Basically, I see a lot of production needing to be replaced when Decker and Tow-Arnett leave. Any insight on whom we think will blossom? Is Xzavian Brandon redshirting this year because of his back injury? (I haven't seen him at all). Will Weber be better at spreading the ball around next year, because he has to?

I'd like to hear your thoughts -- keep it positive, please. I'm starting to get sick of reading this website because of all the negative nancies and the debbie downers.
 

Someone correct me on this but I think Xzavian Brandon is off the team.

I'm interested in Rengel, he might get into the mix next year, not very deep TE/FB position, he might get some early playing time.

Someone posted about this in another thread but Lair is pretty athletic. Ran a nice reverse vs Wisconsin (sucks). He'll be just fine next year.

As for WR I wish I knew who to pick for a breakout year in 2010. All have a lot of talent but I like the true freshman Hawkins size with the speed of Bryant Allen and Troy.
 

I like the whole offense actually. They have the chance to be pretty good, probably not until 2011/12 though. But I really like how it's shaping up
 

Hageman is redshirting this year I think so he will be a Freshman next year. Personally I would rather have a game changing DE than a TE but why not both?!?

You know it is funny, the area we lose our best player is the area I feel most comfortable with going into next year. I agree with your point of Hill and Hawkins as they will most likely redshirt unless we just simply cant keep them off the field. I look for Keise and Hayo to step it up with Troy being our big play guy while Green is our steady possession WR.
 

eker0016 said:
Basically, I see a lot of production needing to be replaced when Decker and Tow-Arnett leave. Any insight on whom we think will blossom? Is Xzavian Brandon redshirting this year because of his back injury? (I haven't seen him at all). Will Weber be better at spreading the ball around next year, because he has to?
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No, but Gray will be great at it.
 


I don't have any info, but i never heard anything of Xzavian being off da team.

WR lineup

Stoudy, Green, Mcknight start
Allen, Carpenter, Xzavian backup

Mix in: Hawkins, Keise, and Hill.
 






Hate to be this guy, but I what has Eric Decker really given us the past two years during the Big Ten portion of the season? I know I'm going to get ripped, but believe me I'm not trying to be a prick. Decker is a wonderful receiver but has proven to be fragile at best to completely damaged goods at worst because of his ankle. He's a tough as nails dude and has tried to fight through it, but just doesn't seem to be able to. Basically we have to plan on replacing a stud preseason receiver who disappears for the Big Ten season. Obviously we'll be weaker without him, but we've had to deal with that the past season and a half already.
 

Some think Decker has been a crutch and maybe making us a bit one dimensional. But he's a great athlete. So it's hard to imagine a net negative. But just like anywhere else there are guys waiting for there chance. So maybe the guy in his shoes isn't as great but maybe the entire corps improves in net.
 

I think it will be interesting to see what the WR's do without Decker there next year. I'm one that has pointed out that Decker has tended to be a crutch for Weber and has prevented him from spreading it around as much as he should. I don't believe any one player will replace Decker's production but as a group we have the talent to do so and hopefully be even more productive. Three productive WR's are a lot harder to cover and scheme against than one great player that is 54% of the team's receiving yardage.
 

In the early years of Brett Favre's career, he threw almost exclusively to Sterling Sharpe. In 1993 Sharpe broke his own record with 112 balls, the next WR caught 32. When Sharpe retired due to injury, everyone worried whether Favre would suffer without his prime target, but his numbers actually improved, in part because the offense became more diverse. I am not trying to draw a comparison between Weber and Favre, but just to illustrate that losing an exclusive target can sometimes actually benefit the development of a quarterback and offensive production.

All that said, I think we'd all take Decker back for one more year in a heartbeat.
 



eker0016 said:
Nick Rengel is listed as a FB and will likely take Hoese's place in 2 years, but I believe he was recruited as an H-back and could also play a little TE.
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I was surprised when I saw this summer that Rengel was listed on the roster as a WR. Given the fact that he did line up at WR for Sartell quite a bit, and that he does have very good speed for his size, I'm excited about his potential at TE.

This is just my own personal bias coming through, but I think FB is a position of the past and is almost entirely being phased out in the NFL, and especially in college. It seems like you either put the guy who is too small to be a lineman, or too slow to be a RB, in that position. This is not a slam against Hoese - I just think Rengel is too athletic to be wasted as a FB. He seems like a potential Chris Cooley H-back/TE to me.
 

I wish we still had Broderick Smith. I really thought he was going to be our #2 option after Decker this year. Plus, Gray really liked throwing to him.
 

dpodoll68 said:
I was surprised when I saw this summer that Rengel was listed on the roster as a WR. Given the fact that he did line up at WR for Sartell quite a bit, and that he does have very good speed for his size, I'm excited about his potential at TE.

This is just my own personal bias coming through, but I think FB is a position of the past and is almost entirely being phased out in the NFL, and especially in college. It seems like you either put the guy who is too small to be a lineman, or too slow to be a RB, in that position. This is not a slam against Hoese - I just think Rengel is too athletic to be wasted as a FB. He seems like a potential Chris Cooley H-back/TE to me.
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I see Rengel contributing also, and I have a sneaking suspicion Edwards gets a nod at a fullback/powerback hybrid, he can transition to HB later in his career, but he very well may fit somewhere next season.
 

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