Practice Report #10: A Look at the Receivers

The University of Tulsa Copyright©

Receivers Coach Calvin Lowry Interview

TULSA, Okla. –– The Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team was back on the practice field Friday afternoon for a two hour practice after an off day on Thursday.

"I thought they came out and worked hard. We have to continue to keep battling. To have the heat of the day is something I was glad we finally had. We need days like this because we're going to play in games like this and hotter, so for us it's about the hotter the heat, the harder the steel. We need to be out here in this heat and forge some good soldiers and be ready to go to work," said Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery

Tulsa will be back on the practice field Saturday.

Today's spotlight is on the receivers:

Tulsa closed out the 2016 season with two 1,000-yard receivers, both of whom have graduated, and although the 2017 receiving corps is young and a bit inexperienced, there is talent to choose from among the group.

The cupboard is not bare.

Leading the receiving corps is junior Justin Hobbs, who has had his share of big moments in his first two seasons. Hobbs has not disappointed during preseason camp. He enters the season with 1,236 yards and six touchdowns in his career, after catching 50 passes for 685 yards and four TDs last year.

Sophomore Keenen Johnson, a true freshman in 2016, has been impressive for the Golden Hurricane this camp as well. Johnson saw his first playing time in the sixth game of the 2016 season against 12^th-ranked Houston. He went on to catch 30 passes for 305 yards on the season.

"We have two solid starters coming back from last year in (Justin) Hobbs and Keenen (Johnson)," said Montgomery. "Nigel (Carter) was able to play quite a bit last year, but we're going to be virtually new in two of those other spots. We've had good battles and guys are really working hard to achieve what we're wanting out of them. We're going through some learning processes, and when you combine that and the quarterback situation going on there's a lot of new factors we have to deal with.

Two local products, both from Tulsa's McLain High School, enter their senior seasons with expectations of expanded roles and production in 2017. Nigel Carter and Bishop Louie return with previous game experience for the Hurricane. Carter caught six passes for 66 yards, while Louie had three receptions for 21 yards last year.

Senior Brodrick Umblance is in a battle with red-shirt freshman Josh Stewart for one of the outside starting positions. Sophomores Jarion Anderson, at a slot position, and Avery Gragg and red-shirt freshman Jordan Brown on the outside are competing for playing time as well

Brown had 895 yards and 10 touchdowns in his prep career at Stillwater (Okla.) High School, while Stewart caught 20 passes for 353 yards and six touchdowns as a prep senior at Cedar Hill (Texas) High School in 2015.

A quartet of true freshmen, all from the state of Texas, joins the receiving corps this year. Keylon Stokes, J.C. Santana and Sam Crawford Jr. have made progress, while Malik Jackson has not participated due to injury.

"I'm pleased with the progress we're making. We still have a long way to go there, but those guys are diligently working at it," added Montgomery. "There's nothing better than getting on the field, getting work done, looking at it on tape, coming back on the field and getting work done. You'll get more accomplished that way than any other time of the year."

Practice Report #10: A Look at the Receivers

Players Mentioned

Jarion Anderson

Jordan Brown

Nigel Carter

Sam Crawford Jr.

Avery Gragg

Justin Hobbs

Malik Jackson

Keenen Johnson

Bishop Louie

JuanCarlos Santana

Josh Stewart

Keylon Stokes

Brodrick Umblance