Leatherneck Nation

Hey, it's Thursday....time for the weekly position analysis. This week, we've got our crazy talented (and deep) wide receiving corps. For reference, the upcoming schedule for the next few weeks includes TEs (7/14), O-Linemen (7/21), and then we move to the defensive side of the ball with DBs (7/28).

Anyway....it's time to "go long"...here's the...

Wide Receivers

Here’s what we’ve got:

#1 Senior Joey Borsellino - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#7 Senior Lance Lenoir - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#15 Senior J’Vaughn Williams - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#17 Junior Jaelon Acklin - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#86 Junior Adam Hoogerwerf - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#2 Sophomore Isaiah Lesure - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#13 Sophomore Stacey Smith - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#84 Sophomore George Sajenko - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#10 Redshirt Freshman Brandon Gaston - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#80 Redshirt Freshman Matt Wieskamp - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#85 Redshirt Freshman Spencer Beatty - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
#14 Freshman Darron Wheeler - http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football

On the WR front, not much has changed from last year, and that’s pretty good news. Here’s the stats we saw last season from our top few WRs.

Lance Lenoir - 83 catches for 1184 yards (14.27 ypc), 7 TDs, 91.08 ypg
Joey Borsellino - 62 catches for 849 yards (13.69 ypc), 4 TDs, 65.31 ypg
Stacey Smith - 37 catches for 493 yards (13.32 ypc), 4 TDs, 65.35
J’Vaughn Williams - 25 catches for 325 yards (13 ypc), 0 TDs, 25.00 ypg
Jaelon Acklin - 12 catches for 168 yards (14 ypc), 2 TDs, 12.92 ypg

In addition, two of the WRs that will be on this year’s team also did double-duty as punt/kick returners. Here are those stats:
Lance Lenoir - 14 punt returns for 84 yards (6 yards per punt), 17 kick returns for 364 yards (21.41 yards per kick)
Stacey Smith - 1 punt return for 17 yards, 26 kick returns for 525 yards (20.19 yards per kick)

Obviously Lance Lenior and Joey Borsellino are likely to get the majority of catches thrown their way in 2016. Borsellino was the receptions leader in 2013 (their freshman year), and Lenior was the leader in ‘14 and ‘15 (sophomore and junior years). In terms of actual yards, Lenior has led all three years so far, with the past two years both being 1000+ yard receiving years for him. Lenoir has already cemented his position at the top of many of the receiving records lists including receptions in a season (with the #1 and #2 spots), yards in a season (with the #1 and #6 spots), number of 100+ yard games in a season (tied at the #1 and #2 spots), career receptions (#1 by 44 catches after only 3 years), career yards (#1 by 277 yards after 3 years), career 100+ yard games (with the #1 spot) and career receiving TDs (currently tied with Lito Senatus at #1 with 21).

Even with all the success that Lenior has had, Borsellino himself is no slouch. For season numbers, he currently holds the #5 spot for receptions, and is tied for the #9 spot for 100+ yard games. For career stats, he’s currently tied for #4 in receptions (and only 9 catches behind current #2), and at #7 for total receiving yards (563 yards behind current #2). I don’t know where he currently sits for career 100+ yard games, but I know that he had 3 last season and 4 100+ games would make him tied for 10th on that list (they haven’t released the 2016 media guide that will have more of this information, I’m just going off of the 2015 guide plus the player’s 2015 season stats). So, I would say that it’s very possible that by the end of this season, Lenoir and Borsellino will have secured their positions at the top of the Leatherneck receiving record books, and will likely end up being considered the best receiving duo in Leatherneck football history.

Outside of Lenoir and Borsellino, I feel that we still have a very strong and talented receiving corps. Senior J’Vaughn Williams, Junior Jaelon Acklin, and Sophomores Stacey Smith and Isaiah Lesure should all be able to contribute as well, likely with emphasis on Acklin, Smith, and Lesure getting prepared to become the top receivers for 2017.

Beyond that, there’s still 4 more Fr/So WRs that were redshirted last season that could be ready to get some playing time, depending on what happens throughout the season: Spencer Beatty, George Sajenko, Matt Wieskamp, and Brandon Gaston. I could see some of these guys getting some time near the end of any blowout games to get them more experience and to rest and reduce the risk of injury to the starters.

With so many WRs on the roster, I would expect that incoming freshman Darron Wheeler will likely be redshirted in 2016.

One other point to mention that I somewhat touched on in the RB section is that all indications point to a more heavily utilized (in the passing game) TE position. I think we can probably expect a small decrease in WR receiving yards from last year to this year considering that the sum total of catches by all TE’s last year was 2 receptions for 13 yards and 1 TD. Likely more of the shorter passes will be going to some of the TE’s. As a result, I expect we’ll actually end up seeing Lenoir and Borsellino end up with a bit lower total yardage and probably fewer total catches, but probably a higher yard-per-catch average, since they’ll still be used quite often on the 10+ yard passes.

Here's the comparison to his offense last year as OC as compared to ours. I know these are different players and skill sets, but thought we'd take a look since Scott mentioned more TE use and coach's talk of a little more running. Theirs is through 14 games and ours is 13.

Passing: 402 Attempts - 3598 Yd's- 19 TD's - 15 INT's
Ours: 464 Attempts - 3288 Yd's - 19 TD's - 14 INT's

Rushing: 554 Attempts - 2673 Yd's - 39 TD's
Ours: 515 Attempts - 2095 Yd's - 21 TD's

TE's: 21 Catches - 322 Yd's - 3 TD's (top guy 11-220-2)
Ours: 2 Catches - 13 Yd's - 1 TD

Top RB: 28 Catches - 359 Yd's - 1 TD
Ours: 12 Catches - 87 Yd's - 0 TD's (total 24-149-0)

We ran 23 more plays and they put up 888 more yards and 18 more TD's. Their back was a stud last year with 21 TD's and their QB's combined for 11 rushing TD's. The players we have back and the numbers he had in his first year at OC bode pretty well for our 2016.

To go even further and I'm way off course on this thread, here's the difference from Richmond's 2014 to his first year as OC in 2015. They did replace a 3 year starter at QB in 2015 and both years played 14 games. Two guys started in 2014 with Strauss being the 3 year starter and then Coach Rocco's cousin Micheal starting a handful of games. Both Virginia transfers and Rocco actually starting 21 games there.

2014 Passing: 575 Attempts - 4393 Yd's - 27 TD's
2015: 402 Attempts: 3595 Yd's - 19 TD's

2014 Rushing: 493 Attempts - 2060 Yd's - 26 TD's
2015: 554 - 2673 Yd's - 39 TD's

Interesting that they have Weiskamp listed as a WR now, went to WIU as a punter. Last year was listed as P/Ath.

Quick update...Darron Wheeler has changed numbers. As of now, he's #11.

ST_Lawson wrote:Quick update...Darron Wheeler has changed numbers. As of now, he's #11.

Yes, but I believe they have switched him to a cornerback...

Leatherneck57 wrote:

ST_Lawson wrote:Quick update...Darron Wheeler has changed numbers. As of now, he's #11.

Yes, but I believe they have switched him to a cornerback...

Hmmm...ok. They haven't updated that on the official roster yet (he's still listed as a WR as of right now: http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football) but you do get a lot of inside info before it goes "public", so it seems likely that they just haven't gotten that part updated online yet.

ST_Lawson wrote:

Leatherneck57 wrote:

ST_Lawson wrote:Quick update...Darron Wheeler has changed numbers. As of now, he's #11.

Yes, but I believe they have switched him to a cornerback...

Hmmm...ok. They haven't updated that on the official roster yet (he's still listed as a WR as of right now: http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football) but you do get a lot of inside info before it goes "public", so it seems likely that they just haven't gotten that part updated online yet.

Probably give him a shot during the fall to earn a spot on the depth chart and play now at CB. If not, redshirt and move back to WR if they see fit, where he'd have a chance next year.

Couple of WR updates:

Tyler Mahnke, Freshman from Beaver Dam, WI, comes in as a walk-on WR
http://goleathernecks.com/roster.aspx?r ... h=football
Here's more info if you're curious: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2787224/tyler-mahnke

Also, Sophomore WR George Sajenko is no longer listed on the roster (no idea if he's going elsewhere to play or just focusing on school at this point). Sajenko went to HS at Maine South in Niles, IL, went to Bemidji State (DII) for a year, sitting out the season as a RS, then came to Western in 2015 sitting out the season due to transfer requirements. So...never actually had a chance to play a down and probably saw the writing on the wall with the depth that we have at WR.

letsgonecks wrote:Probably give him a shot during the fall to earn a spot on the depth chart and play now at CB. If not, redshirt and move back to WR if they see fit, where he'd have a chance next year.

And now they've officially moved Wheeler on the roster. He is now listed as a DB.