Receivers Need to Step It UP

Most folks will tell you that a football team with a Big-Armed QB and a couple of good receivers can beat you on any given day…Such was the luxury that the UK Wildcats enjoyed when they had the arm of Andre Woodson, throwing to the arms of receivers such as Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons and Stevie Johnson.

Given that UK has two big arms coming in the fall, there is a possibility that could happen again, given the circumstances. I don’t think circumstances will present themselves until the Florida game. Let’s face it, Florida is the favorite to win the National Title this year, notwithstanding the SEC. They return their Entire Defense, not to mention terrible Tim Tebow. Mike Hartline should perform well enough to have us at 2-0 going into that game, but this is the one where I think we see Rich Brooks making some moves…

If the Florida defense is swamping Hartline, Rich Brooks will want to put in someone who can move in the pocket, AND see over it…That would be Morgan Newton. Regardless of how he plays, I think this will be a pivotal moment for UK football next season. UK will not play an opponent better than Florida all year and this game time experience will do wonders for Morgan’s confidence. Nothing against Mike Hartline, but I think that Brooks wants to have both Morgan and Randall in the same backfield before the season plays out. Mike Hartline is entering his second year as starter and has a wealth of experience. That will win games, but his arm is not strong enough to stretch SEC defenses.

In order for any QB to excel, one of the following needs to join Randall Cobb and catch some passes: Aaron Boyd, Eric Adeyemi, Gene McCaskill, Kyrus Lanxter, Matt Roark, E.J. Fields. If they don’t I expect these 2, along with Cobb, to be our receivers in the fall.

Nick Mellilo, a walk-on, has already shown he can be a force during the spring game and remember, it only takes a couple of good ones to make a difference. His play was not an anomaly, he had a great spring.

Chris Matthews, at 6’5” and a recent 4.4 forty under his belt, is impossible to cover man-to-man according to his JUCO coach. He can step right off the JUCO fields, where Rivals has him a 4-Star WR, and onto the one at Commonwealth, given his skill set, and the state of our receiving corp….UK coaches are more that excited about the incoming junior college wideout, given he is rated in the 9^th best JUCO out of the top 100!

That makes three receivers, Cobb, Mellilo and Matthews, and these are my picks to catch the football this fall. What are yours?