UK wide receivers poised to improve in 2014

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By Matt Overing

[email protected]

There is reason to believe that UK’s wide receivers will take a positive step in the 2014 season.

Only two wide receivers played in all 12 games last season: freshman Ryan Timmons and sophomore A.J. Legree.

But the Cats return every wide receiver that contributed at least five catches last year. Junior Javess Blue led the team with 43 catches, 586 yards and four touchdowns. He is the only UK player to finish in the top 15 in the SEC in receptions and receiving yards per game.

Four of the top five receivers in 2013 were a part of UK head coach Mark Stoops’ 2013 recruiting class. Junior Demarco Robinson was the only receiver not brought in by Stoops that contributed over 100 receiving yards.

The 2014 class will bring in five more receivers bred for UK offensive coordinator Neal Brown’s “Air Raid” offense.

Thaddeus Snodgrass (Springfield High School, Springfield, Ohio) and T.V. Williams (McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas), are both members of the 2014 class who enrolled in January. The pair will participate in spring practice.

Dorian Baker (Cleveland Heights High School, Cleveland Heights, Ohio), Blake Bone (Woodruff High School, Woodruff, S.C.) and Garrett Johnson (West Orange High School, Winter Garden, Fla.) round out the receivers in the 2014 class.

Baker and Bone will bring something that UK did not have last year: size.

Baker (6-foot-3) and Bone (6-foot-5) are both taller than any wide receiver that recorded a catch for the Cats last year.

Williams praised Baker on National Signing Day on Feb. 5.

“I remember seeing him at camp,” Williams said. “As soon as I saw him run a route, I was like, ‘Coach, we need to offer him right now. We need this guy.’”

Early enrolling quarterback Drew Barker said that Baker and Johnson are two of the most underrated receivers in the nation.

“Dorian is huge,” Barker said. “He’s really physically impressive. It looks like he’s ready to play right now. Being able to throw to guys like that is going to be awesome.”

Barker could play a major part in determining how far UK’s receivers progress in 2014. The Cats are still in need of a capable quarterback.

In 2013, Stoops and Brown showed that they are willing to play freshmen right away if the freshmen can contribute.

Expect new faces to blend with returners to make an improved receiving core in 2014.