Utah Football Pre-Season Position Group Preview: Wide Receivers

For Utah, 2015 will prove to be a developmental year for the wide receiving corps. Kenneth Scott will lead a group of hungry new wide outs, looking to make their mark in the Pac-12. The jury is still out on who will step up and be the next big name for the University of Utah. Until then, here is a look at this year’s playmakers.

Kenneth Scott 6’3" 208lbs (Sr.) #2

Pros: Size, Hands, Jump Ball ability, Route Running, Ability to be physical with DB’s, Football Knowledge.

Cons: Top end speed, history of injury

Scott looks to be the perfect veteran. There has been a lot of speculation around K. Scott’s absence or lack of practice time during fall camp, I would urge you not to read too much into it. Scott is in his 5^th year, and now that A-Rod has assumed an OC position, Scott is primed to have his biggest year as a Ute. I have been told that Scottie's limited camp role was precautionary. He is ready to go primed for a huge season.

Tim Patrick 6’5" 208lbs. (Sr.) #9

Pros: Size, Athleticism, Route Running

Cons: History of injury, catching inconsistency, lack of game experience, speed.

Senior Tim Patrick could be a huge asset to this Utah offense. However, there are a couple of issues that could hinder his impact during 2015. The biggest factor is that all indications say he is not fully recovered from last year’s broken leg. With that being said, if he is able to return fully this season, he has the tools to be an impact receiver on this team. He has great route running ability and the athletic ability to high point the football. While he lacks straight line speed, his route running allows him to create separation from defenders.

Delshawn McClellon 5’9" 175lbs. (Jr.) #10

Pros: Speed, Agility, Experience, Hands

Cons: Undersized

Delshawn will play a huge part in the down field success for Utah. While he is slightly undersized, he is game proven. He has great footwork and has shown to be a great route runner. He gets in and out of his routes fast and he has the top end speed to get behind the defense. Look for McClellon to become a staple in the slot for Utah. He may even see time coming out of the backfield on misdirection. With the amount of young talent on this team, Utah will need Delshawn’s experience to come up big this season.

Tyrone Smith 6’4" 188lbs. (Fr.) #81

Pros: Size, Quickness, Hands

Cons: True Freshman, Lack of experience

Tyrone "T-Bone" Smith is a true freshman that has shined in his first fall camp. He is tall and deceptively fast. He has great body control and due to his basketball background, he can high point the ball very well. The only thing that could hinder Smith’s impact this year, is his lack of experience. Smith is still learning the playbook and he will need to soak up as much knowledge as he can throughout the season. Smith is a lot like Scott in his early years. He has all the tools to be an impact guy on this team, but he will need to keep his nose in the playbook to solidify his role on this team.

Kyle Fulks 5’9" 170lbs. (Soph.) #3

Pros: Speed, Agility, Route Running

Cons: Lack of experience, Technique

Fulks is thought to be the fastest Ute on this team. He runs a genuine 4.3 40 and he has the lateral quickness to match. Utah will look to get the ball to him deep down the field. He also has the ability to make plays with his athleticism on short and intermediate throws. If Kyle Fulks can solidify his technique and lock down the playbook, he may end up being very special.

Kenric Young 6’0" 189 (So.) #24

Pros: Physicality, Top end speed, Hands

Cons: Needs to play with more confidence

Young is a former track star from Florida. He boasts impressive top end speed and he has great hands. As a freshman, he played in 6 games last season after the loss of Dres Anderson. Coach Stubblefield stated that he may not have been quite ready to play, and it may have affected his confidence at times last season. I believe that if Kenric Young can play with confidence, he can make a huge impact in this league. He has all the tools and it will come down to him trusting himself and this coaching staff. I like what Kenric brings and I expect his number to be called often.

Raelon Singleton 6’3" 205 (Fr.) #11

Pros: Body Control, Athleticism, Hands

Cons: Lack of Experience

Singleton is another one of Utah’s young guys that are full of talent but are lacking the game experience. Singleton has promise and a very high ceiling. He has decent speed and he is another player that has the ability to high point the football. He also boasts an impressive basketball background which speaks to his athletic ability. If camp is an indication of what’s to come this season, Singleton could emerge as a go to guy very quickly.

Britain Covey 5’8" 166lbs. (Fr.) #18

Pros: Speed, Hands, Agility, intelligence

Cons: Lack of Experience, Undersized

Covey was probably the most talked about guy in fall camp outside of Cory Butler. Not because of his ties to the state of Utah, but because he has impressed the coaching staff with his speed and how fast he absorbed the play book. Covey is going to show up in multiple positions this season. His only downside at this point is his size, however, he has done a great job at avoiding contact and making guys miss. If he can continue the trait against Pac-12 defenses, he will probably play more than any freshman this year.

Siaosi Wilson 6’2" 189lbs. (Fr.) #80

Pros: Physicality, Deceptive Speed, Athleticism, Hands

Cons: Lack of Experience

Wilson has the prototypical size of a PAC-12 wide receiver.  He is deceptively fast and he has great hands. He has good feet and great body control. Like the other freshmen, he has to lock down the playbook. Wilson is another receiver in the mold of K. Scott. Big, physical, great athletic ability and great hands. When Siaosi Wilson puts it all together, he will be a premier receiver, not only on this team, but in the entire league.

Bubba Poole

Pros: Quickness, Speed, Vision

Cons: Hands, indecisiveness

Bubba Poole is going to be a staple in the slot for Utah this year. He has had success as a RB which will lead to success as a pass catcher. He has great speed, great vision and the ability to make defenders miss. Bubba needs to shore up the issue he has had with drops however. Bubba has had a history of letting the ball get to close to his body when catching. I'd like to see him improve on catching the ball with his hands first. His only downfall as a RB was getting choppy feet in the backfield. When he plants his feet and makes one move to get up field he is dynamic. When Poole is decisive, he is dangerous. 2015 could be a break out year in his new role if he can correct those two things.