Posted by phalanxman
on 2/22/2009, 8:20 pm
99.137.81.118
Although it's been hard to keep up with all the comments to my post on running backs, it's time to move along and take a look at returning wide receivers.
The returning candidates are:
Marquis Avery, JR, 6-4, 195: Avery is a highly-rated JC who transferred last Fall from Fullerton College, where he was a first-team all conference pick as a sophomore, catching 60 passes for 766 yards and 7 touchdowns. He also scored 7 touchdowns in his freshman year, on 28 catches for 435 yards. He was a three-time, first-team all league pick in H.S. I think the term is he "gray-shirted" the Fall semester, and is technically listed with the signing class of 2009. But because we've been aware he's on the team for a while, now, I'm including him in the "returning" series. I'm sure many Spartan fans, including myself, are looking forward to seeing Marquis in a Spartan uniform, and we are hoping for stardom for him. At 6-foot 4-inches, he brings great height, and should be a real weapon. You just know Terry Malley will find ways to get him the ball.
Michael Avila, SO, 5-9, 165: Avila got into 11 games in 2008, started one (against Fresno), and had 18 catches for 152 yards, no TDs. His best game was probably his four receptions at Nevada, although against Fresno he tallied 40 yards on just two catches. Avila was the Monterey Herald's Male Athlete of the Year in 2006. He set 17 high school football records at Seaside H.S., tallying 2,167 total yards and 25 TDs his senior season. He was also a sprinter on the H.S. track and field team, with a lifetime best of 10.76 in the 100 meters. At 5-9, Avila would figure to be a bit too short to compete at the FBS level. But if he has the quick and the moves to get open, he doesn't need to be real tall to win a Best Supporting Actor award for his role as a reserve receiver in 2009. He has a resume that says, "real athlete" and may figure more prominently in our 2010 season.
Jalal Beauchman, SR, 6-4, 220: In 2007, when most folks were talking about Dave Richmond and Kevin Jurovich, I was noticing how often Radar called Beauchman's name on our M.A.S.H. P.A. system. (Before he made the catch, of course. 
) He was quietly productive, and seemed to catch a lot of clutch passes. It was my impression that he was the check-off guy when both Richmond and Jurovich were covered, and in that role became a real asset to Adam Trafalis. Beauchman caught 36 passes in 2007, for 332 yards and one TD, that being the first TD of the season scored by the Spartans, at K-State. While others may have been looking forward to the return of Richmond and Jurovich in 2008, I was wanting to see how big a season Jalal would have. And then, after playing in just four games, starting all of them, he took a wrong step off of a bus. But in those four games, he caught 13 passes for 133 yards, and was on his way to having another good year. Jalal was a first-team All Central Coast football player, and the West Catholic Athletic League's 2005 Receiver of the Year. He was a S.F. Chron All Metro pick after his stellar senior season at Bellarmine. His father, Leon, played basketball for SJSU from 1971 - 1973. I hope Jalal's ankle is fully recovered for 2008. If it is, I think he will have a great season.
Josh Harrison, SO, 5-11, 182: Harrison appeared in 10 games in 2008 as a red-shirt freshman, starting five of them. He caught 19 passes for 135 yards, no TDs. His best game was against Utah State, in which he snagged 5 for a total of 26 yards. Some observors believe Josh is the fastest guy on the team, and he may be, but he needs to improve his 7.10 yards per catch average because otherwise he is just "going nowhere fast." His average per catch may have had more to do with last year's playbook, which seemed to emphasize the "sideline out" route. This year, it would be nice to seem him have a chance to show his speed. Harrison was a two-time all-league pick at Rio Mesa H.S. in Oxnard, where he caught 40 balls for 876 yards and 10 TDs as a senior. He was also a track & field athlete.
Patrick Horan-Walker, JR, 6-1, 215: Walker made no appearances in 2008. He is a JC transfer from Monterey Peninsula College. I have very little information about him. Anyone with more info, please feel free to post it below.
Jordan Johnson, RS/FR, 5-10, 175: I have learned that Johnson reportedly traveled to many 2008 away games, but was intentionally red-shirted. In 2006, Johnson played receiver, corner, and punt returner at Foothill H.S. in the East Bay Athletic League, and was the league MVP. Foothill went undefeated until losing in the NCS final to De La Salle. Johnson was a first-team All Metro pick, and an All State nominee. He is from Pleasanton. (Thanks to Sparta96 for the info.)
Kevin Jurovich, SR, 6-0, 183: A lot of us have spent a lot of time trying to figure out where our 2008 team went wrong. Injuries played a key role, and perhaps none was more costly than the illness that sidelined Jurovich for most of the season. He was supposed to be all-world in 2008. He was supposed to make the last-second snag that won the WAC conference title for the first time in SJSU history. He was supposed to be the guy who beat Boise State, and Fresno, and anybody else who got in our way. He did make 15 catches in the first two games of the year, for 183 yards and 1 TD (at Nebraska!). And then he played no more. After moving from Safety to wide receiver in 2007, he took our breath away with a school-record 85 catches, good for 1,183 yards, third-best ever at SJSU (and we've had some pretty good receivers over the years). He was second-team All-WAC, 13th nationally in receptions, 9th in yards -- and that was in a 5-7 year. He played hurt the last games of the 2007 season, but still finished with 9 TDs. The guy has what the old-timers call sand. His absence in 2008 probably cost us one or two wins.
Khalil Paden, SO, 6-1, 165: Paden got into 6 games in 2008, starting none, but caught 4 balls for 31 yards. He should be a contributor in 2009, certainly on the special teams.
Andrew Reyes, RS/FR, 6-1, 180: Reyes did not make a game appearance in 2008, and enters 2009 as a red shirt freshman. He is from Palma High in Salinas, where he was first-team all-league and an all-county pick in football. He was also a sprinter on his high school track & field team. Reyes is another sleeper who will probably figure more into Sparta's future than into 2009, but he could begin to notch playing time and some catches in 2009.
Chris Ward, JR, 5-11, 175: Chris got into one game in 2008, but did not make a catch. He joined in the Spartans in the Spring of 2008, as a JC transfer from San Jose City College.
Terrence Williams, SR, 6-5, 225: Terrence saw action in 11 games in 2008, starting 7. He was the team's second-leading receiver, behind Dave Richmond, with 22 catches for 288 yards, and 2 TDs. The transfer from City College of SF has great height and got open regularly, but he dropped a few more passes than he should have. It looked to me like he wanted to run before he secured the ball. He can improve on that with more practice and better self-discipline. I look for Williams to be one of our starters in 2008, and I think he will be improved.
Analysis
In 2008, SJSU averaged just 6.1 yards per pass attempt, and 10.0 yards per completed pass. Average passing yards per game was 196.2, and the team scored a paltry 12 TDs by air.
Our QBs (and a couple of others) threw 383 passes, and connected on 249 of them. Unfortunately, 13 of those connects were to the wrong team. Two of those arguably cost us the La-Tek game, and a bowl bid.
The overall 61.1% completion rate is misleading, as many were sideline passes that went for little, no, or negative yards.
That's the bad news. The good news? I'll betcha' didn't know we had this many wide receivers on hand, did 'ya? This position is deep, particularly if Jurovich is granted an additional year. Jurovich, Beauchman, Williams and Avery are a tremendous receiving corps, and there are promising back-ups.
I honestly believe SJSU will have one of the better receiving units in the WAC in 2009. The real question is will we have a quarterback who can hit them on seam routes and post patterns? Or an offensive line that can get the quarterback enough time to throw without being panicked and rushed.
We will have Terry Malley calling plays and coaching the quarterbacks, and I think that will be a huge plus. He will be challenged to improve that 6.1 yards per pass average, but most knowledgable fans believe he can do it.
Once again, thanks for reading, and for your comments. Next up: Quarterbacks. Don't forget the light.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread