Injuries opening door for new wide receivers to shine
As spring football nears its end, many players are starting to find their groove and make a spot for themselves on the team. Amidst the sounds of pads crashing against each other, a few players are quietly standing out. With many of last year’s big minute-getters sidelined, less experienced players have gotten a chance to showcase their talents.
“Right now we’re battling a lot of injuries but the young guys we have, I’m very pleased,” wide recievers coach Jovon Bouknight said. “They had a great first scrimmage and I’ve seen them make a lot of plays that I’m impressed, very impressed with.”
The young Aggie receivers have made the most of the injuries to key players. With familiar faces like Stanley Morrison, Austin Alder and Matt Austin unable play due to injuries, spots have opened up for those younger, lesser-known players to stand out.
Travis Reynolds is one of those players poised to have a breakout year for USU.
After a freshman season that included nine catches for 77 yards, Reynolds has had a strong spring season leaving both teammates and coaches optimistic about the sophomore.
“Reynolds is a guy that’s starting for me right now,” Bouknight said. “He really took advantage of this opportunity.”
Not only has Reynolds made the transition to starter, but he has also moved from inside receiver to outside receiver. This means learning new routes and executing plays from a different position throughout spring ball.
“They moved me outside so I had to adjust but it’s going good so far,” Reynolds said.
After getting limited snaps last season, Reynolds is looking to become a leader on the team.
“Coach told me I had to step up and make big plays,” Reynolds said.
And that’s exactly what he did. Not only has his spring performance gotten the attention but of his coaches, his teammates are starting to notice as well.
“He’s a sophomore this year and I think a lot of people forget that, said” senior wideout Eric Moats. “He’s come out and made a lot of plays.”
Along with Reynolds, Moats is looking to have another big year at the position after a break-out season in 2010.
“I’m excited,” Moats said. “We’ve got those old guys out but they’ve proved last fall that they can play, and then we’ve got these new kids coming in who are getting a lot of experience so we’re going to have a lot of depth.”
Moats is ready to put up big numbers and is looking for the receivers to step up their play along with the rest of the team. With the quarterback position still up in the air, the Aggies are turning to their passing game to take their offense to the next level.
“We’re going to be throwing the ball a lot more, especially with the new quarterbacks coming in and challenging for that spot,” Moats said.
Another player ready to make an impact for the Aggies this year is senior Matt Austin. Last year Austin was unable to fulfill his potential when he was forced to redshirt because of a foot injury.
Austin is anxious to get back to the game if he manages to stay healthy. So far, he is taking it easy during spring ball.
“I just wish I could be out there and help out the team,” Austin said. “As far as everyone else, we’re looking solid, we just need to be more consistent.
Now that injuries have kept Austin off the field he has learned how to lead from the sidelines, something he says is beneficial to him as a player.
“It’s definitely a positive,” Said Austin. “It’s helped me and the younger guys out there playing.”
Other younger guys stepping into roles on the team are Rashard Stewart and local Cameron Webb who played high school football at Mountain Crest before playing for Snow College. Webb hasn’t been at Utah State long but he’s already taking reps with the first-team offense.
The success of spring ball has left everyone very optimistic about the future of football at USU.
“We’ll just continue to get better,” Bouknight said. “We will take some slumps and we’ll have some growing pains but so far so good.”
The players are feeling the excitement as well.
“I’m feeling real good on both sides of the ball,” Austin said. “But on an offensive standpoint, we’re going to stand out more then we have in the past.”
– meredith.kinney@aggiemail.usu.edu