Owls’ receiving corps loaded with talent
FAU will have plenty of options in passing game.
BOCA RATON — It wouldn’t quite be a Lane Kiffin-led offense without explosive wide receivers, now would it?
Whether it was at USC or Alabama, Kiffin has turned top college wide receivers into elite, NFL-caliber players. Despite losing key seniors Kalib Woods and Kamrin Solomon to graduation, Kiffin’s second season at Florida Atlantic promises another strong year from a deep wide receiving core, many of whom have the talent to play at the next level.
Sophomore Willie Wright emerged as a threat last season, leading the team in catches (56), receiving yards (657), and receiving touchdowns (6) as a true freshman. Former Texas Longhorn DeAndre McNeal has a second year in the Owls’ offense and will likely be paired with former West Virginia wideout Jovon Durante, who had 59 catches, 709 yards, and seven touchdowns from 201516 in Morgantown.
Whoever wins the starting quarterback battle will certainly have options in the passing game.
“It was a blessing to be here and come and show what I got,”
Wright said this spring. “A lot of people doubted me so I had a lot of points to prove. I think I kind of proved my point.”
WR1:
7 – Jovon Durante – R-Jr. (6-foot, 165): Durante spent last season on the scout team per NCAA transfer rules. Look for Durante to fill the void left by Woods, who averaged 25.8 yards-per-catch in eight games last season.
85 – John Mitchell – R-So. (6-4, 220): Mitchell had six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman in 2016, but missed all of last year with a back injury. Kiffin commended Mitchell’s effort this spring, adding the redshirt sophomore’s size could create issues against smaller defensive backs. WR2:
19 – DeAndre McNeal – Sr. (6-1, 215): McNeal caught 18 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns through his first four games, but injuries and the transition from a junior college limited him to five catches in C-USA play.
82 – Tavaris Harrison – R-Jr. (6-3, 187): “Pico” had eight catches for 77 yards last season and struggled to see playing time, but coaches are still high on the North Miami graduate’s potential. Slot:
1 – Willie Wright – So. (5-8, 155): Named to the All CUSA Freshman team last year. Wright has the skills and the creative coaching staff to become one of the top receivers in program history.
87 – Dante Cousart – R-Jr. (5-10, 170): The former Dwyer High standout joined the Owls as a walk-on two years ago and took advantage of increased reps in the spring.
OR
DeSean Holmes – Jr. (5-10, 180): Signed in the offseason from College of the Canyons (Calif.), Holmes can play both inside at slot or the outside. Holmes recorded 52 catches for 912 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games at Canyons last year.
The big question: Who is this year’s breakout wide receiver? Wright broke out as a true freshman last season after Woods went from a solid option in the passing game to a No. 1 target in 2016. Lucky Whitehead and Jenson Stoshak each posted their highest numbers as seniors in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Newcomer to watch: DeSean Holmes has the talent to start, but he’ll need to spend this season working through the dreaded JUCO transition. Holmes’ situation this season is not unlike McNeal’s last summer, with both being former Division I players who came to FAU after stints at junior colleges.
The pressure is on: Pico Harrison. Injuries limited him this spring and, aside from an 85-yard touchdown in 2016 that came on a deflected pass against Southern Illinois, he’s yet to fully show the deep-threat ability that coaches on the last two staffs have raved about.
Fun fact: So long as Wright takes the field against Oklahoma, it’ll be the first time a player who led FAU in receptions one season is active for the next season’s opener since William Dukes in 2013.