Auburn Football: Offensive Depth Chart Projections – Wide Receiver
Aug 30, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers wide receiver D’haquille Williams (1) walks onto the field prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
One of the most talented yet least experienced positions on the roster heading into the 2015 Auburn football season is wide receiver.
The 2015 Tigers will be without Sammie Coates, who declared for the NFL Draft after leading the team in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. Coates had 34 catches for 741 yards and four touchdowns in 2014, ranked among the nation’s leaders with an average of 21.8 yards per catch, and could be a first round pick.
Needless to say, Auburn will miss Coates’ big play ability and the way he stretched defenses.
Head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee will also miss the less flashy slot receiver Quan Bray, who was the team’s third leading receiver in 2014 as well as tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Brandon Fulse and running backs Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant.
That means Malzahn and Lashlee must replace more than half – 54.4%, in fact – of the Tigers’ 2,984 receiving yards from the 2014 team.
RELATED: Offensive Depth Chart Projections: Running Back
However, Auburn football fans received a bit of a pleasant surprise prior to the Outback Bowl when Malzahn announced D’haquille Williams planned to pass on the NFL Draft to return to the Plains for his senior season. Without Williams, the Tigers would have to replace 78.9% of their receiving yards from last season.
The news was especially sweet considering not only is Williams one of the most talented players in the SEC, he’ll also provide much needed experience as well as some stability on offense.
Remember, new starting quarterback Jeremy Johnson must also break in a new stable of running backs, both tight end/H-Backs and some new starters on the offensive line.
Despite Williams’ return, Malzahn, Lashlee and Johnson will need some talented players to step up into bigger roles than they’ve had in the past. Who will emerge in 2015? Let’s take a look.
Next: D'haquille Williams