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It was recently announced Utah has added Tim Patrick, a junior college wide receiver from Grossmont Community College in El Cajon, Calif.
Patrick is a big target at 6-5 and 195 pounds. Despite his size, he has good speed, clocking a 4.52 40-yard dash time. (Think of him as a faster version of Anthony Denham with better moves in the open field.) Last year for Grossmont, he had 53 receptions for 964 yards and eight touchdowns, better numbers than his four-star wide receiver teammate Nick Kurtz (who is headed to a certain team down South).
His film* shows Patrick has enough speed to beat defenders on deep routes and can also out jump defenders for the ball. With his long arms, he can easily fight off defenders that try to press him, and he's a handful for shorter defensive backs. His route running is clean, allowing him to find holes in the coverage. Once he has the ball in his hands, Patrick runs to daylight. He's elusive and hard for a single defender to bring down in the open field.
While Patrick may not be one of the top three wide receivers, he could be the number four or five wide receiver. He will definitely be a weapon all over the field with his combination of size and speed. And his sure, soft hands will help whichever quarterback emerges no. 1 from fall camp.
Even though he's is a walk on, Patrick is expected to contribute immediately. The main reason he was not recruited heavily was that he had academic issues, but he got those cleared up and will be able to play this fall. Being 6-5, he should be a great red zone target, something Utah desperately needed last year. With the five wide receiver sets that Dave Christensen will be running, Patrick will be able to provide necessary depth at the position.
(A two-sport star, football and basketball, Patrick has said he'd like a shot at the Runnin' Utes, as well. That remains to be seen, as the two and three spots on the basketball team are pretty loaded right now. However, Patrick does appear to be the kind of athletic, aggressive defender that Coaches Krystkowiak and Connor seem to prize.)
*All film and stats courtesy of Hudl.