A look at the Wide Receivers

Today GoBlueRaiders.com takes an in-depth look at the Wide Receivers as spring drills are underway. We will look at each position throughout the spring.

Headlines

Key Losses: Devin Clarke, Marcus Henry,
Chris Perkins

Key Returnees: Ed Batties, Christian Collis, Terry Pettis, Demetrius Frazier, Tyler Barron (TE)

Players to Watch: Richie James, Ty Clemons, and Rod Ducksworth. James opened eyes during his redshirt year with great hands, smarts and versatility. Coaches feel he has a bright future. Clemons, a converted quarterback, gives the offense a guy who can stretch the field and make people miss. Ducksworth, a transfer, is expected to compete right away and make an impact. Being able to go through spring is crucial for his development.

Coach Kodi Burns on the receivers

"We expect much more production out of this group in 2015. There's not a clear cut leader so Batties and Collis are expected to take that role. Batties has all the tools and can be very productive, while getting a healthy Collis back is critical. There's a lot of young guys who can make some noise so it will be up to them to take that next step."

Players

Wide Receiver (X)

ED BATTIES (r-Senior) – Led the team in receptions last year and was 32nd nationally in punt return average ... Has good ball skills and is really fast in and out of his breaks ... A go-to guy.

JEVONTEY SMITH (r-Sophomore) – Played in just five games last season ... A very hard worker with excellent straight line speed ... Should push to get into rotation.

TY CLEMONS (r-Freshman) – Sat out last year ... Showed signs during practice ... Spring will be big for him as coaches expect him to compete for a starting position ... Can stretch the field.

Wide Receiver (H)

RICHIE JAMES (r-Freshman) – Took a redshirt year last season ... Can play any of the receiver positions ... Is quick and excels when the ball is in his hands ... A great screen runner.

DEMETRIUS FRAZIER (r-Junior) – Had 15 catches a year ago and showed a lot of improvement ... A strong runner who is a player to watch for a breakout season.

Wide Receiver (Y)

TERRY PETTIS (r-Junior) – Had six starts and career-best 15 receptions last season ... Coaches expect him to take another step in 2015 ... Is a presence over the middle and the red zone ... Can also play tight end.

TRISTAN WALKER (r-Sophomore) – Played in one game a year ago ... A hard worker who possesses quickness and is good at underneath routes.

Wide Receiver (Z)

CHRISTIAN COLLIS (r-Senior) – Was not 100 percent healthy last season despite playing in 11 games ... Is moving back to his natural outside position ... A veteran leader of the receiving corp.

ROD DUCKSWORTH (Junior) – A transfer who arrived in January ... Expected to make an instant impact ... Quick in and out of breaks ... Will see the field a lot.

Tight End

SEAN SMITH (r-Freshman) – Was redshirted in 2014 ... A big kid who is long and athletic ... Very versatile ... Will be a tough matchup and coaches can't wait to get him on the field.

LUCAS HAMILTON (r-Sophomore) – Is coming off an injury ... Played nine games a year ago but most of his time came on special teams ... Is a big presence.

TYLER BARRON (r-Senior) – Will not go through spring while recovering from an injury ... Finished last season strong ... Coaches feel he will play a big role in 2015.

Returners

No.	Name	HT.	WT.	CL.
17	*Derek Barnes	6-0	180	Jr.
89	Tyler Barron (TE)	6-4	234	r-Sr.
80	Ed Batties	6-0	197	r-Sr.
13	*Houston Brown	5-10	193	r-Sr.
16	*Jim Cardwell	5-9	170	r-Fr.
10	Ty Clemons	5-11	179	r-Fr.
81	Christian Collis	6-0	217	r-Sr.
13	Demetrius Frazier	5-10	212	r-Jr.
88	Lucas Hamilton (TE)	6-5	262	r-So.
87	Richie James	5-9	170	r-Fr.
39	*Michael Kee	5-11	183	r-Sr.
84	Terry Pettis	6-5	232	r-Jr.
18	Jevontey Smith	6-3	208	r-So.
83	Sean Smith (TE)	6-7	241	r-Fr.
7	*Tristan Walker	5-9	161	r-So.
43	*Cory White (TE)	6-4	223	r-Sr.
82	William Wilson (TE)	6-2	252	r-Sr.

Newcomers

No.	Name	HT.	WT.	CL.
86	Rod Ducksworth	6-0	168	Jr.
36	*Tavaris Plymouth	6-0	180	r-Fr.
85	*Patrick Smith	6-0	180	Fr.
	Isiah Upton	6-0	185	Fr.
37	*Tyler Walton	5-9	190	r-So.
	Terelle West	5-10	185	Fr.
	*Nonscholarship

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Derek Barnes

Tyler Barron

Ed Batties

Houston Brown

Jim Cardwell

Devin Clarke

Ty Clemons

Christian Collis

Rod Ducksworth

Demetrius Frazier

Lucas Hamilton

Marcus Henry

Richie James

Michael Kee

Chris Perkins

Terry Pettis

Jevontey Smith

Patrick Smith

Sean Smith

Isiah Upton

Tristan Walker

Terelle West

William Wilson

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