WRs hope to ignite
UCF offense could get better if senior Harris emerges
The UCF Knights have one of the most potent offenses in college football, but how good could it be with the addition of a twotime NFL Pro Bowler?
Redshirt senior wide receiver Jacob Harris would like to make that fantasy seem like a reality this season.
When asked which pro player he aims to emulate, Harris says, “Definitely (Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver) Mike Evans. I watch a lot of Mike Evans film.”
The Knights are hoping Harris can apply his film study to the field as they need to fill the vacancy left behind by Dredrick Snelson, who departed for the pros after his junior campaign. During the past two seasons, Snelson gained 1,383 receiving yards and caught 13 touchdowns.
One day before UCF opened its preseason camp, coach Josh Heupel identified three players who will help pick up the majority of the slack: Harris, junior wideout Marlon Williams and junior utility player Otis Anderson.
Harris’ road to possible offensive focal point has been pretty unorthodox. He didn’t begin playing football until his senior season at Palm Harbor University High. His collegiate career started at Western Kentucky, where he lined up as a receiver for the first time in his life.
Harris took a year off from football in 2016 before walking on at UCF in 2017. Since then, he has worked his way up the college football ladder, from opening with the scout team, becoming a special teams ace and scholarship recipient in 2018, and now he is set to play a significant role on offense this fall.
He provided what he called a “sneak peek” of what he can do in April’s spring game, catching two touchdowns.
“He brings it, the same competitive nature, every single day,” Heupel said of Harris. “Weight room, conditioning, practice habits, he’s pushing himself to be his absolute best.”
The 6-foot-5, 211-pound target has yet to catch a pass in college, so it makes since that he also dedicated a lot of time this offseason to improving one essential part of his game.
“My main focus in offseason was my hands,” Harris said. “I feel like I have athleticism enough, but my hands were the weak part, and that’s what I wanted to work on most.”
Williams is another player who has waited for his opportunity to truly break out. At 6 feet tall and about 220 pounds, he compares well to Snelson and believes he is ready to do the tough tasks that are asked of slot receivers.
“In this offense, the slot is for a bigger receiver who can come across the middle and catch the ball, and I think I can do that and I can be that.”
Said Heupel: “(Williams) is a guy that, through the course of the summer, has changed his body and I think his ability to play consistently at an elite level because of what he’s done.”
Williams has participated in 25 of a possible 26 games, but has yet to reach 300 receiving yards or 20
receptions in either season. That doesn’t mean Williams has been idle when not running routes. Last season, he took five carries, handled six kickoffs and even completed a 23-yard pass.
“I hope to be a jack of all trades,” he said. “If they can put me in the backfield, that would be fine with me, too. Anything that they ask me to do, I’m willing to do it.”
Anderson already knows that role well; that’s why he isn’t listed at one specific position. In his first year as an official “utility” player, Anderson gained 505 yards from scrimmage split between 51 carries and 16 catches. Those are lesser numbers than he achieved in 2017, but Heupel attributed that drop in part to some nagging injuries that muddled Anderson’s expected impact heading into certain games.
Anderson honed his body during the summer and if he stays healthy, his receiving should numbers rise. Although, if he had his druthers, he would rather set up behind the line.
“I think it’s easier for me to get my hands on the ball at running back,” Anderson said. “I have no problem playing receiver because that’s something for me to learn and overcome and be able to do at the next level. “Me playing running back, I just feel more comfortable in the backfield.”
All three men will see time in the slot this season; the current competition will largely decide who sees the plurality. And no one really loses, because each player can contribute on special teams and at other spots on offense.
Harris, for instance, will probably get some snaps at tight end. For those times, he said he’s inspired by another NFL star: New York Giants tight end Evan Engram.