Over the past 35 years, very few top-flight wide receivers have come through Charlottesville on their way to the NFL. Off the top of my head, Germane Crowell, Herman Moore, Billy McMullen, John Ford, Pete Allen, Larry Holmes, Patrick Jeffers, Terrence Wilkins, and Kevin Ogletree. Not exactly NFL Hall of Fame receivers, but some damn good wideouts. If Mike London’s Wahoos are going to prove the prognosticators wrong, Shawn Moore’s wide receivers are going to have to stretch the field, not put the ball on the ground, and put TD’s on the scoreboard. In his first season coaching college football at his alma mater, Coach Moore knows how to get the most out of his playmakers.
Last season, Kris Burd led Virginia with a paltry 413 yards on 31 receptions and one touchdown. The last time the Hoos had a player with more than 10 receptions in a game was 2007, and it was not a wideout, but tailback Mikell Simpson.
In 2009, Virginia’s highest one-game receiving total was just 85 yards by the now-graduated Vic Hall. No 100-yard receiver at all in the season’s 12 games. No player had more than one touchdown reception in any contest last season. Jameel Sewell had 26 completions in the Southern Mississippi game, which is a very low season high for a team running the spread offense!
Fast forward to this season, and Virginia looks as good as ever at the wide receiver position. Kris Burd, lightning-fast 4.3 40 yard-dash-running Tim Smith, senior Dontrelle Inman, and Darrell Green’s Junior son Jared Green are the 1-4 options at wideout for Coach Moore’s group. Burd and Smith both had excellent summer camps, although Smith was seen recently walking around the McCue Center in a air-cast walking boot. My sources tell me that he will be fine, and will be available to start the Richmond game.
Another guy that has been lighting up the summer practice sessions has been redshirt freshman Bobby Smith out of Varina High School in Richmond. Smith is a towering 6’ 5”, and has the build of a tight end but has nice, soft hands, and a hell of an up-field motor. He could present some match-up problems both catching the ball in the flat, and over the middle of the field this season.
Rounding out the receiver corps is special teams stand-out Ray Keys, junior tough-guy Matt Snyder, and redshirt freshman Kevin Royal. This season, there are also a couple of walk-ons who will see some time on special teams, but I think Snyder shows the most promise of the second group of wide-outs. Snyder has nice size at 6’ 4” 205 is in his junior season and I’m not sure if anyone on the roster works harder.
I think that Virginia might not see a 1,000-yard pass catcher this year, but could get to 800 with either Burd, Inman, or Smith. Smith is such a game-changer with his speed that this could be a special season for him statistically. Go Hoos!