Spring football preview: Wide receiver
On Sunday, March 3, Missouri will begin its march toward the 2019 football season with its first spring practice. Each day until then, we will preview the 2019 roster, one position at a time. Today, we take a look at the wide receivers.
The starters: Senior Johnathon Johnson led Missouri in receptions a season ago, catching 59 passes for 737 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson will be back in 2019 as the veteran face of an otherwise young receiving corps. Johnson will likely spend the majority of his time in the slot. Jalen Knox will be one of the likely candidates to start on the outside. Knox played more than anticipated last season due to Emanuel Hall’s rash of injuries, and he showed some impressive flashes as a true freshman. Knox caught 27 passes for 419 yards and three touchdowns on the year, and he was twice named the freshman of the week by the SEC. There will likely be some competition for the outside spot opposite him, with fellow sophomore Kam Scott and Arkansas transfer Jonathan Nance the two most likely candidates. Scott showcased his blistering speed at times last season, averaging 26.8 yards per catch, but he also disappeared for games at a time. Nance, a graduate transfer who announced he would attend Missouri on the same day as quarterback Kelly Bryant, is a bit of an unknown commodity. As a junior at Arkansas, he caught 37 passes for 539 yards and five touchdowns. Then, last season, he caught just one pass in four games before opting to transfer.
The backups: Maybe the biggest revelation on the offense last season, former two-star recruit Dominic Gicinto served as a steady contributor as a true freshman. He figures to see an expanded role this season. Gicinto primarily lines up in the slot, but don’t be surprised if the coaching staff finds a way to get him on the field at the same time as Johnson in some packages this season. Senior Richaud Floyd was limited to just six games due to a broken leg and a concussion last season, but he will be back and should contribute if healthy. Former walk-on Barrett Banister made some valuable catches a season ago, especially on third down, and was rewarded with a scholarship, so expect him to be in the mix for snaps. Finally, keep an eye on redshirt freshman Khmari Thompson, who didn’t record a catch in his four games a season ago but brings elite speed to the field.
Potential storylines: Missouri’s group of receivers isn’t short on talent, but new wideout coach Garrick McGee will be looking for players to show consistency during spring practice. As good as Knox looked at times last season, he had two games with zero catches and two with one catch. Scott was even more inconsistent, going catchless in seven of 13 games. Nance is perhaps the biggest question mark of all. The Missouri coaches hope they are getting the 2017 version of Nance as opposed to the player who caught one pass a season ago. Whichever of those players display the most consistency during the spring should head into fall camp with a leg up on a starting spot.
Help on the way: Missouri signed two wideouts in its 2019 recruiting class, both from St. Louis. C.J. Boone is regarded as a speedy deep threat. He is already on campus and will get a head start on working toward playing time during spring practices. Maurice Massey will join the team this summer.
Spring prediction: Johnson will almost certainly start as long as he’s healthy in 2019, but the other starting spots, and even the regular rotation, won’t be determined by the end of the spring. Don’t be surprised if Boone makes a push for consistent playing time, either.