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FREE GBK Spring Preview - Offense: (Wide Receivers & Tight Ends)


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With a little less than a month to go before the start of spring practice, GoBlackKnights.com will bring you inside the huddle as highlight the key topics and players to keep an eye on this spring.

RELATED ARTICLE: 'FREE' GBK Spring Preview - Army Black Knights Defense

In our aforementioned initial article we covered the entire defense. But as we move to the offense we will discuss each unit separately, starting with the wide receivers and tight ends. We had the opportunity to interview offensive coordinator Brent Davis to get his perspective on each unit, along with our own commentary.

So, let’s get started ....



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TERMINOLOGY 

As offensive schemes have evolved from run oriented formations to pass oriented formations, the terminology used to identify ends and offensive backs has evolved as well. The rules of football specify that 7 players have to be lined up on the line of scrimmage and 4 have to be lined up in the backfield. The players lined up on each end of the line of scrimmage are eligible receivers as are all 4 players lined up in the backfield, but the terminology used to identify the players of various positions has changed over time.

Players who lined up at either end of the line of scrimmage were once consistently identified as “Ends” but now may be identified as Wide Receivers or Tight Ends, depending on how close they normally line up to the center of the line of scrimmage. In modern formations one or two members of the offensive backfield may also line up split out wide from center and often carry the designation of wide receiver as well. Legally, a player can change from being an “End” to being a member of the backfield, merely by backing off the line of scrimmage or vice versa.

In the flexbone triple option system run at Army West Point and Navy, players identified as Wide Receivers are “Ends” who usually (but not always) line up split out from center on the line of scrimmage. A player identified as a Tight End nearly always lines up closer to the center on the line of scrimmage, normally as a 6th blocker on the offensive line, and the Tight End replaces one of the two players identified as Wide Receivers. Since Monken usually uses 2 Wide Receivers and less frequently employs a Tight End, there are 12 players listed in the depth chart on offense, only 11 of whom can be on the field at any one time. Navy doesn’t identify anyone on their roster as a Tight End, but their WRs may line up as if they were tight ends at times. Air Force uses a Tight End on almost every play and identifies one of their slotbacks as a Wide Receiver.

Sr. Jeff Ejekam returns as one player who has significant playing time for the receiving corp
Sr. Jeff Ejekam returns as one player who has significant playing time for the receiving corp


While wide receivers in the triple option spend at least 85% of their time blocking, Edgar Poe caught the imagination of Black Knight fans the past two years with his sure hands, his ability to snatch the ball out of the grasp of defenders, and in a couple of notable instances finished with TD runs that garnered national attention. He had the ability to make quarterbacks look better than they are, and with so many starters returning, his graduation created the biggest gap to fill on offense this season. So who did Brent Davis identify as the new “go-to” guy at wide receiver?

Jeff Ejekam would be one,” stated offensive coordinator, Brent Davis. “He really got better the last year and probably one of our most improved players on offense. He made plays when he was called on and did a nice job blocking. So, I’m excited about him and he continues to get better.”

The 6-foot- 2, 204 pound senior appeared in 9 games in 2015 without a reception, but he blossomed out in his junior season, appearing in all 13 games with 8 starts. He had 9 receptions for 110 yards (12.2 avg.) and 1TD making him third on the team in receptions and receiving yards.

Ejekam lined up on the opposite end of the line of scrimmage to Edgar Poe and shared the starting role with the tight end when Davis went with the heavier formation; so we wanted to know who would likely fill the second WR spot and Davis had this to say about the candidates vying for a starting job.

“Other than him (Ejekam), we have a bunch of guys who are unproven, but have some talent,” Davis added. “ Christian Poe probably played the most out of rest of those guys. Then there is Luke Peterman, who will be competing for playing time. Glen Coates probably played more than Peterman last year, so he will be in the picture. Then you also have sophomore Kjetil Cline in the mix.”


Will Christian Poe (#86) be able to step up and fill the vacancy left by his older brother Edgar?
Will Christian Poe (#86) be able to step up and fill the vacancy left by his older brother Edgar?

Yes, a rising junior, Christian Poe (6-3, 190 pounds) filled in for his older brother when he was sidelined, and has appeared in 12 games with 4 starts (vs Lafayette, Wake Forest, North Texas, and Morgan State). He finished second on the team in receptions with 10 and in receiving yards with 133.

At 6-foot-4, 204 pounds, junior Luke Peterman brings the most size to the position this season, an important factor for receivers in the triple option who are called on to block on most plays. Peterman has appeared in 6 games with one start against Lafayette last season, but is still looking to make his first college level reception.

Rising sophomore Glen Coates (6-foot-0, 191 pounds) played a year at USMAPS, giving him that extra year of experience in the system. He appeared in 11 games with one start vs UTEP as a plebe and had 1 rushing attempt for 5 yards and one reception for 15 yards.

Sophomore Kjetl Cline (6-0, 196 pounds) who hails from national power IMG academy was recruited as a Rivals 3-star wide receiver in 2016, but was listed on the roster as a running back and saw action in just one game with no statistics. Our readers will likely find it interesting that he was included as a wide receiver in our interview with Davis, but with so many slotbacks returning, we aren’t surprised with that move, and believe that this is one change to follow closely this spring.

The players discussed above are probably the main characters to factor in at wide receiver as we head into spring training camp, unless of course the staff slides someone around from another position. There is one solid candidate coming from the prep school and as we get closer to summer training camp, we will take a closer look at the prepsters, as well as direct incoming frosh who we project could make immediate headway.

TIGHT-ENDS

Those of us who are familiar with the Jeff Monken approach, know that his Tight End replaces one of the wide receivers on about 40% of the plays. Kelvin White was the first player to fill the position after Monken arrived, and his versatility had him on the field much more than the projected 40%, but last year we noted a big drop off in the amount of snaps where there was an actual Tight End on the field.

Brett Toth was listed as the starter at TE in the Rice game and he wore two different jersey numbers last season depending on whether or not he was lining up as an eligible receiver. We always thought that Toth was closer to the typical size for a TE than most of the tight ends listed on the roster, but he didn’t catch the only pass thrown to him last year; so we don’t expect him to factor in as a receiver. Brent Davis would like to avoid using one of his offensive linemen as a TE; so the staff knows that developing a regular Tight End is one of their goals for spring practice. We were interested to see what Davis had to say about filling this spot going into spring.

Tight-end, Quinten Parker
Tight-end, Quinten Parker

“This is a position that we really need to develop. For sure we have Quinten Parker there, who put in some good work at times for us there last year and we have to continue to develop him.”

Parker (6-1, 241 pounds) appeared in 6 games in 2015 and in all 13 games in 2016, with no starts, and has one career reception for 24 yards.

Other than Parker, the Black Knights have a bunch of young guys who have never played in a college game before ... players like Will Huff (6-2, 235 pounds) and the others listed as TEs. Emmanuel Aka and Sammy Johnson are going to move over to tight-end as well. There are some players there who just haven’t had an opportunity to play in games and who really need to be developed so that the staff doesn’t have to play six offensive linemen. This will be one of the areas we intend to keep an eye on this spring.

NEXT UP ON GBK SPRING PREVIEW ... The All-Important Offensive Line

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