Louisville Football Position Previews: Wide Receivers

Jeff Brohm is well known for his ability to build an explosive passing game utilizing an assortment of different receivers. The list of NFL receivers who played for Brohm is quite long, and he helped Chris Bell reach his potential last season. This year, Brohm will have a fresh group of pass catchers who have shown the ability to be stars.

The big fish in the transfer portal this winter was Tre Richardson from Vanderbilt. Richardson was a big-play machine in an offense that spread the ball around very well. He was able to showcase his speed as a slot receiver as well as an outside option who could beat coverage down the field. With legit "track speed", Richardson is a guy who needs the ball in his hands on a regular basis. He can change a game with his speed in an instant.

The question that Brohm needs to answer is if he has the ability to scheme Richardson open consistently. That may be with jet sweeps and other plays that get him the ball off the snap. It could also be with quick throws over the middle of the field where Richardson can run away from defenders. I would argue that Brohm needs to incorporate Richardson into the outside passing game. The Cards will be able to push the ball down the field more often this season. Richardson should be an option in that part of the offense.

My hottest take of this entire series is that Lawayne McCoy will have a bigger season than Richardson. The Florida State transfer is the most exciting addition to the team, in my personal opinion. McCoy is a twitchy athlete with good size at 6-1, even though he is a little slight in frame. He was a consistent option for FSU's very poor offense last year, and he showed that he can run the full route tree and showcased a strong ability to make plays after the catch.

Louisville utilized Chris Bell as a do-it-all outside receiver last year and I expect McCoy to be able to carve out a similar role. He doesn't have the size or the long speed that Bell has, but McCoy is quicker and more of a twitchy player who can separate from coverage with his route running. McCoy will have a better offense, a better scheme, and he will likely have a better quarterback this season. I'm expecting big things.

TreyShun Hurry hit the portal for a short while this winter before reversing course to return to the Cards. Hurry will look to take a step up in his role in the offeense after haing a subpar season last year. The 6-2/200 receiver looks much bigger in person but he needs to play to his size this season. He wasn't a reliable deep threat down the sideline last season which has to change.

Louisville lost Kris Hughes to an injury, so depth will be a real question heading into the season. Jackson Voth had a good spring and a strong showing in the spring game while TJ McWilliams has been the main guy who has taken first team reps when starters were out this fall. Elizjah Lewis is the only other player with experience after transferring in from Pace College. One of these guys will have to be a reliable option to make a play or two when needed.

As for the young players, Gavin Waddell has been the standout of the freshmen group. He had the biggest play of the spring game with a 75-yard touchdown on a seam route. He has followed that up with good flashes in fall camp with catches out of the slot and on the outside. I'm not sure if any of the other young receivers will get a lot of snaps this year, but I would be surprised if Waddell isn't on the field early this year.

I truly beleive that McCoy could be a star in this offense. He has all of the traits you want to see in a receiver and he has already showcased them in FSU's game against Florida last year. He can beat coverage down the field, separate on intermediate routes, and he can be used on the outside or in the slot. Brohm has another guy who can do it all, and I expect the strong running game and focus on Richardson to open things up for him.