The Crabtree Era will in all likelihood be over.  The cupboard is not completely bare, however, as there’s a possibility we could be fielding 4 starters who could break 42 seconds in the 400 meter relay.  Now, the chance that all those speedsters translate into our 4 best options at receiver are slim, but we will have the ability to place some serviceable speed on the field.  They’ll all be solo bumper car guys and weigh too much to sit on Santa’s lap.

Detron Lewis, 6′1″, 210 lbs, Junior - The idea is already floating around that Lewis will slide over to Crabtree’s spot on the outside, and I wholeheartedly support this campaign unless one the true freshman is a better option.  Lewis was a guy with qualifying questions coming into college and ran a 4.66 forty at a summer camp on a bad hammy.  He threw up big numbers as a senior when healthy, and clocked a 10.6 in the 100 over the spring.  At times, Lewis appeared to be the quickest player on the field, and it surprised me how well-built he is in person.  Interesting thread I found via a google search regarding Detron’s reputation in high school.  Detron just needs to stay healthy and catch a shit-ton of passes this spring and summer.  He could very well be the 2nd best receiver to don a Red Raider uniform and we just don’t know it yet. 

Tramain Swindall, 6′3″, 175 pounds, Soph - Swindall is not a burner, but he always seems wideass open.  I’m assuming that’s because he’s smart and knows where to be in zone coverage.  Swindall needs to add about 10-15 pounds before the season, and my guess is he’ll emerge into a Robert Johnson-type player in the slot.  Good athlete and great hands to date.  The thing I like most about Swindall is that he’s just a football player.  He looked like he belonged on the field in Norman and that provides me some degree of trust.

Ed Britton, 6′0″, 180 lbs, Senior - At this point in his career, I think we know what Britton can and will do, and I don’t expect him to do any more than in the past necessarily.  Easy Ed just needs to practice catching more tennis balls.  We utilize him as a deep threat in playaction, so gaining weight isn’t a priority.  Assuring that you make those plays when the ball hits you in the hands is.  Britton improved his handwork this year and should maintain that path again as I’m beginning to bump him towards the 70/30 chance of reliability. 

Outside of those 3 guys, I tend to think the fourth WR position is anybody’s game right now.  Adam James and Adrian Reese are possibilities with more of a TE look that we haven’t had since Bristol Olumua was here, but we’ll cover that position at a later date.  Here are the other contenders:

Lyle Leong, 6′1″, 165 lbs, Junior – Weight room, weight room, weight room.  I’m not sure how I feel about Leong has our 4th option, but he has shown the ability to get open.  He’s a skinnier version of Swindall with great hands, which is of tremendous value in this offense.  We can roll with him, but at his current size, teams will begin to press him more at the line as he sees more significant playing time.  This could be a problem as Leong is a possession receiver and not a very big one at that.  I like his current role of splitting red zone reps with Ed Britton to effectively utilize his amazing leaping ability and reliable hands.

Todd Walker, 6′1″, 180 lbs, Senior – A classic track guy playing football.  Injuries have slowed him in the past, but he also tends to disappear when healthy and on the field.  This is his last chance to make an impact, and the first thing that might be helpful is to get a haircut and take the ribbon out.  He made some big plays in the spring last year, but just never seems ready to go in the fall.

Jacoby Franks, 6′1″, 195 lbs, Soph - I’m quietly rooting for Jacoby as the 4th guy as I felt he was one of the more underrated WR recruits coming out of high school.  He’s not as fast as his brother, but he’s not slow by any means.  I like his ability to make people miss and provides the best yards after catch option.  Plus, he’s got good size, which will come in handy when DBs get up in his grill.  Franks doesn’t need to get any bigger.  Just reps and I think this kid will be a Filani-type player before his time is done here.

Rashad Hawk, 6′4″, 183 lbs, Soph - Hawk is the most intriguing physical specimen of the lot.  Tall with blazing speed.  He can develop into a tremendous deep threat, and with Potts’ arm strength, gives us the best option for stretching the field.  Hawk needs to become more physical and competitive to prove he’s more than just a track guy.  If he blows up in the spring and fall, I will be genuinely more excited about our receiving corps given he’s trotting out there as a starter next season. 

Austin Zouzalik, 6′1″, 180 lbs, RS Fresh - We’ve been hearing whispers that this kid is better than anticipated.  Zouzalik has been clocked under 4.4 in the 40, which may or may not be accurate, but either way could serve as evidence of something other than a possession receiver.  A converted spread QB from Lubbock, these alleged rumors of speed have me intrigued at his size.  Balls to the wall, just go out and play. 

Cornelius Douglas, 5′9″, 190 lbs, RS Fresh - Corndog is another converted spread QB except without the Eastern European influence and hails from Oklahoma.  High school film showed flashes of great open field ability, but haven’t heard much about him this fall.  Obviously, he’s a slot guy in this Red Raider day and age.  Corndog seems to be about the right size and I like the potential he brings to the table after the catch.  He’s in the same boat as Zou and just needs to play confident in spring ball.  Catch passes, run good routes, block, try to score, etc.  Prove you can make plays and you can move past guys who have more experience on you. 

Overall, we need to replace one of the best receivers in college football history.  I’m not sure that’s possible, but the overall athleticism and speed exceeds the early rosters of Leach teams.