Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Receivers are catching on quickly
Position has been far more productive than expected
BOCA RATON — John Mitchell, one of Florida Atlantic’s top receivers, isn’t surprised that the team’s receiving corps is outperforming preseason expectations.
Deangelo Antoine, a USF transfer, has given FAU necessary productivity in the slot with Willie Wright struggling, recording 21 receptions for 257 yards and four touchdowns.
Redshirt senior Tavaris Harrison looks like he’s fully healthy, catching 17 passes for 283 yards, and is on pace for a career year.
Mitchell has already had the best season of his career with 21 receptions for 326 yards and four touchdowns.
“The wide receivers, I feel like, are firing on all cylinders,” Mitchell said. “Of
course there’s work to be done, but I feel like we’re doing a lot better than some people might’ve expected at the beginning of the season.
“I honestly know the type of athletes we have in our room, so I expected us to do big things. I still expect even bigger things from us the rest of the season. But we’ve definitely got some guys who can make things happen.”
But for the Owls to get their fifth consecutive victory Friday night against Marshall, the wide receivers will need to leave their pedestrian performance against Middle Tennesse behind and get back on track.
The biggest bright spot for the receivers against the Blue Raiders was Mitchell stealing a touchdown pass intended for tight end Harrison Bryant.
“They had a really good three-week run and the numbers reflected it,” FAU coach Lane Kiffin said. “Last week, we missed some critical assignments on blocks. We had two critical drops. I told them I was kind of disappointed, that it felt like we got back to what the issues were a year ago.”
FAU was plagued with poor play and injuries at the wide receiver position last season. Kiffin felt the team’s lack of depth caused the starting receivers to wear down toward the end of the year.
He also noted the team’s lack of depth at the position was on display against Middle Tennessee.
“We didn’t rotate at all except for a package [when] two different guys came in for three plays,” Kiffin said.
The Owls should have an opportunity to showcase more receivers against a Thundering Herd defense that ranks 11th in Conference USA in yards allowed per passing attempt.
Increased depth at receiver will help the starters avoid wearing down like the last season.
“I’m exhausted,” Mitchell said. “I just come to play every day and run full speed. They got those little GPSes and my speed isn’t going down too much.
“I do feel it, but it’s not like we’re going to stop and just say, ‘It’s the end of the season, let’s give up.’ It’s going to be hard and we knew it.”
Brooks-Wess eligible:
Kiffin said sophomore wide receiver Jordan Brooks-Wess has been given a waiver by the NCAA. Brooks-Wess played at Southern Methodist last season before transferring to Navarro College in Texas.
Brooks-Wess didn’t play at Navarro and was offered an FAU roster spot after working out at a prospect camp in June. He officially joined the Owls in August.
“He’s a very talented kid,” said Kiffin, who isn’t sure whether the receiver will contribute in 2019.