Utah doesn’t throw to receivers and why it’s a bunch of hogwash nonsense

[Utah]

2005 – Latendresse – 55 catches
2006 – Hernandez – 47 catches. Richards – 60 catches
2007 – Richards – 57 catches. Godfrey 50 catches
2008 – Brown – 77 catches. Godfrey 56 catches.
2009 – Reed – 81. Brooks 56.
2010 – Jerome Brooks 51 catches
2011 – Devonte Christopher – 42 catches – (Jon Hays)
2012 – Jake Murphy/Kenneth Scott – 32 and 35 catches (Hays/Wilson)
2013 – Dres Anderson – 53 catches
2014 – Kenneth Scott – 48 catches
2015 – Scott – 39 Catches (Wilson)
2016 – Patrick – 45 catches (Troy Williams)
2017 – Carrington 70 catches (Huntley)
2018 – Covey – 60 catches
2019 – Kuithe – 30 catches
2020 – COVID
2021 – Covey – 52. Kuithe – 50
2022 – Kincaid – 70. Vele – 55

Point being? Look at the list. If you are a good WR, Whitt will get you catches. He always has a receiver with 50+ catches, and many in the 70 catch range.

Here are some “good” WR’s:

AJ Brown – 75/85 catches
Devonta Smith – 48/68 catches
Jefferson – 54/111
CeeDee Lamb – 65/62
Tyreke Hill – 31 catches (but he is a headcase)
Chase – 84 catches
Julio Jones – 43 and 78
Calvin Johnson – 54 and 76

Whitt gives WR’s the same opportunity to be successful in his offense. If you are good, you will get the ball. The problem is, most WR’s that come through here just aren’t that good.

[2008 National Champ]

I think you’re missing the distinction between receiver and tight end. 3 of the 5 in the latest Ludwig era per your list were not receivers. Also, having your leading pass catcher in 2019 with only 30? woof 🙂

2019 was actually Kuithe 34, Simpkins, 32, Moss 28 and Dixon 24. The big play threat that year was Thompson who only got 18 in 12 games played. 25.6 average and couldn’t even get two touches a game?

I think you should also look at the yards for those comparison players and check them against Utah which hasn’t had a 1,000 yard pass catcher since Dres in 2013. Carrington was close at 980.

2020: DeVonta Smith, 117-1856-23. That’s a go to receiver

[DataUte]

Devonta Smith? That’s not only a go to receiver, that’s a Heisman winner 😉

[2008 National Champ]

Very true. Which is why I found it strange that you didn’t include his 2020 stats in your list. You only showed his Sophomore and Junior years where he was splitting routes with Jeudy, Ruggs and Waddle.

[22Ute22]

We haven’t had a 1000 year WR since Anderson in 2013, and you also listed TE’s. I said it before, but in the offseason, I’m going to do a mini write up project examining the best WR’s since 2010, and looking at their recruiting ranking. I guarantee it won’t be pretty for the “we need better WR talent” crowd.

[Utah]

I look back at my title and was too harsh. I’m not taking accountability away from Whitt…or at least that wasn’t my intent.

He needs to either recruit better WR’s or develop them better.

My point was just this: If you are a talented pass catcher, Whitt will get you the ball. Who were Whitt’s best WR’s?

Tim Patrick, Carrington, Brown, Reid, Covey, Kincaid.

They were all NFL guys. They all had 70+ catches, except for Covey and Patric. But Patrick was hurt every freaking game and Covey plays the least in the NFL, ie, he is the least talented.

All I’m saying is that if I’m Whitt and I’m talking to a WR transfer, the whole “Whitt doesn’t throw the ball to WR’s” isn’t a great argument. If you are a NFL guy, he will get the ball to you as much as any top flight receiver gets the ball at any program.

That’s all. If you are a WR and want to be highlighted on your way to the NFL, Utah will highlight you and Utah will get you to the NFL.

But if you are a three star WR with all the raw potential and talent in the world…well, Whitt will make you into a NFL DE. lol.

[Ghost of the HEB]

So we haven’t had an outside guy lead the team in catches since 2017. That’s going to make it really hard to attract elite portal or HS WRs

[J Rocksville]

We brought in the Simmons kid from Indiana that was supposed to add a solid, reliable target. He’s been thrown to, and unless we’re over inflating balls in the Pac 12, dude looks like his mitts are full of concrete.

Maybe our QB isn’t throwing very catchable balls, but I think there are plenty of receivers that have 20-30 catches in our system, that would have 30-40 if they would just catch the ball. Do we have numbers for drops somewhere? Target % vs catch %? I don’t think you can teach a guy to catch, but you can teach a guy that can catch to run routes, block, and other techniques to maximize their other skills. So a certain portion of the receivers success is going to rely on coaching to the system, and the rest is up to the guy prove to the QB that he can catch the ball when open. I would bet with 99% certainty that if you plugged any of the top receivers in the country into our system, they are still a top receiver in the country. Ha ha, ok maybe not THIS year, but generally speaking.

I also wouldn’t say Covey is the least talented. That kid is oozing with talent. He’s just the size of an 8th grader. Put his talent in the body of a 6’2″, 210 lb guy and you have an all-pro receiver. The NFL is a different beast and there just aren’t that many tiny dudes that find lasting success in the NFL. My bet is he’ll end up making many millions of dollars in football in his career, but most of it won’t be as a player. It would absolutely surprise me if he’s not on staff at the U as a coaching assistant within 90 days of retiring.

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