April 1, 2005

By Jason Smith
MURedHawks.com Staff Writer

Spring practice in 2005 will be an interesting several weeks for Miami's wide receiver corps and their coach, Brian Von Bergen. With the depth, experience and pure talent that this wideout group possesses, whenever QB Josh Betts drops back, he should feel like a kid in a candy store.

"We have the opportunity to be a very deep and talented group that has the skills to make big plays. But first, we've got to work on getting this group healthy,' notes Von Bergen.

And for lack of a better word, therein lies the catch.

Miami returns several key contributors at wide receiver for the 2005 campaign, but the RedHawk air raid may not be quite as high-flying at practice this spring. With senior Martin Nance still recovering from a season-ending injury in the fall, his participation has been limited to non-contact drills. As a second team All-MAC performer in 2004, Nance possesses all the skills to be a top tier receiver in college football. At 6-foot-5, Nance possesses the rare combination of speed and size that creates nightmares for defensive coordinators. In his sophomore year, Nance had the most productive single-season of any receiver in Miami football history, and is already ranked among the program's top five in career receiving yards after just 19 games.

Another top talent who won't be available for much of spring ball is electric junior Ryne Robinson. Robinson, who also is a member of the Miami baseball team hopes to help them to a MAC title this spring. Robinson's impact is unquestioned, however, as he is the nation's active returning leader in career punt return yardage after just two seasons. His ability to terrorize punt teams is invaluable, and he is perhaps Miami's best deep threat.

Another wideout missing spring practice time is junior Josh Williams, who came on late last fall to make some big plays in key situations. Williams has been very limited in spring practice due to an injury that may require minor surgery. Williams is a big target at the slot receiver position and is expected to continue to expand his role in the offense this season.

This spring isn't all bad news, however, as several contributors will get the opportunity and reps to make great improvements. Junior R.J. Corbin is a veteran wide receiver whose physicality is a great asset for the running game. Corbin also possesses solid speed and size, which, combined with his ability to make tacklers miss, makes him a threat at all times.

Junior Ryan Busing, another player with extensive experience, is expected to have a good spring as he continues his improvement at the slot receiver position. His athleticism and knowledge of the game serve him well and add even more skill at the wide receiver position. Unfortunately, Busing also has missed time this spring with injury.

The only other receiver to appear on Miami's depth chart last season is Patrick O'Bryan, a sophomore with the ability to elevtate and make the big catch who has benefitted from extensive reps this spring. Junior Marcus Tate, who made the switch from defensive back to wide receiver a year ago, continues to display a growing understanding of the offense and has established himself as a deep threat this spring.

Some newcomers also will get the chance to show their stuff to the coaching staff this spring. Sean McVay is one such player, who has shown great promise after making the transition from option QB in high school to wide receiver. He possesses good feet and has the ability to make significant yards after the catch.

Fellow redshirt freshman Dave Koval is another young player who will get plenty of opportunities to shine and increase his position on the depth chart this spring, as well as freshman Dustin Woods, who has demonstrated a good combination of skills in the spring.

Overall, Coach Von Bergen gave several key objectives that he wants to see his group working toward.

"The next step in our development is improving our reactions to what the defense shows us," Von Bergen. "Blitz recognition and coverage identification are key skills that our guys need to improve to get to that next level in our progression."

Explosiveness off the line and upper body strength are also areas that he expects to see advance in this offseason.

"Obviously, our depth is a great asset for this wide receiver group, but we can't rely on that to get us through," Von Bergen said. "We expect to see some guys step it up this spring and show us what they've got."

Check back Saturday evening for a review of Miami's first spring scrimmage.