This will be a spring like no other for the Florida State wide receiver position.
When the Seminoles open spring practice this morning, they will have four Division-I transfers battling a slew of returning players for starting jobs at that position. There's Winston Wright Jr. from West Virginia, Mycah Pittman from Oregon, Johnny Wilson from Arizona State and Deuce Spann from Illinois.
All four bring different skills and size to the position, and all four have played in the Power 5, with varying levels of success.
"It’s exciting," FSU wide receivers coach Ron Dugans said on Friday. "Can’t wait for the start of spring ball."
*** Don't miss our exclusive FSU football and recruiting coverage. 30-day Free Trial***
The infusion of talent, of course, was desperately needed.
The most productive wide receiver for Florida State last season finished with just 24 catches. That marked the first time since 1973, nearly 50 years ago, that the Seminoles' top WR finished with less than 25 receptions. (Mike Shumann completed the '73 campaign with 21 catches.)
Of the four transfers, the most productive at his prior school was Wright; he led the Mountaineers with 63 catches for 688 yards and five touchdowns last season. Wright, a Georgia native, finished up his three years in Morgantown, W.Va., with 129 receptions for 1,338 yards.
“He’s a good ball-in-hand guy," Dugans said of the 5-foot-10, 183-pounder. "He does a lot after the catch. Can create some separation. The big thing for him, in that conference (the Big 12), you don’t see a lot of man-to-man coverage. We’ve talked about that and watched some things on film. But I feel like he’s a kid that has a lot of confidence, without even stepping foot on the football field. He’s got a lot of confidence. He believes in himself. He believes in his game."
*FIRST DAY OF SPRING PRACTICE: Live updates thread
Next up is Pittman, a 5-11, 201-pound receiver who is originally from Tampa but went to high school in California. Pittman, whose father, Michael, played running back in the NFL and whose brother, Michael Jr., plays receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, started 12 games over the past three seasons at Oregon.
He caught 38 passes for 547 yards and two touchdowns during his time in Eugene, Ore.
"He wants to learn. He’s been really good," Dugans said of his first two months of working with Pittman. "At times, kind of overthinks a little bit. But the kid has been really good. When I talk about a lot of those guys in the offseason conditioning, that we’ve been doing in the Tour of Duty, just watching their movements. The movements have been really good. Kind of just change-of-direction [skills]."
Wilson was not quite as productive during his two years at Arizona State. He battled through injuries to play in eight games with three starts, and he caught just 12 passes this past season for 154 yards with one touchdown.
But the Seminoles were very intrigued by his size at 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, and they believe he can make an impact if he can clean up some issues with footwork and consistently catching the ball, which has been a problem at times.
NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from using footballs during winter workouts and conditioning drills, so Dugans hasn't worked directly with Wilson on his techniques yet. But he's encouraged the talented wideout to catch 500 passes each week on his own, and the hands-on instruction will begin today.
"That’s one of the things that I know he needs improvement on, and that’s what I have been trying to work on since he’s been here," Dugans said. "But they’re eager man, they’re eager to get out there and contribute.”
The final newcomer is Spann, a 6-4, 200-pounder who originally went to Illinois as a quarterback. The St. Petersburg product moved to receiver last season and caught five passes for 124 yards with two touchdowns.
"The kid can run straight ahead, but he’s really raw," Dugans said. "Some of the things that he was asked to do at his other institution, we kind of do things a little different here. But he’s been really good man, and wanting to learn. ... You see daily improvement with him every time we go out and do those drills.”
None of the newcomers will be handed a starting job at today's first spring practice. They will compete with veterans Ontaria "Pokey" Wilson and Keyshawn Helton, who have started a slew of games at Florida State and are the top two returning receivers, as well as some talented underclassmen.
Malik McClain caught 16 passes for 190 yards with two scores last fall as a true freshman, and the Seminoles also have high hopes for classmate Joshua Burrell, who missed last season due to injury.
Dugans hopes that competition and depth will lead to a breakthrough year for his position group.
"I harp on togetherness," he said. "Because there’s a competition, but off the field, we’re together. We love each other. That’s the only way we’ll get better. That’s the only way we’ll be successful is as a group. But that’s the biggest thing. We finally have across-the-board competition now. As a football player, as a competitor, that's what you want."
----------------------------------------------------
Talk about this story with other Florida State fans in the Tribal Council
