Can Bobo’s strong history with receivers help in area of need for South Carolina?
In some ways, the matchup is perfect for South Carolina football.
The current Gamecocks roster appears desperately short on reliable wide receivers. And if one wanted to identify strengths of incoming offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s tenure at Colorado State, it was the identification and development of lesser-known wideout prospects into productive college receivers.
The situation isn’t exactly 1-to-1. Bobo brought over a wide receiver coach from Fort Collins in Joe Cox, who arrived at a different position and eventually shuffled over to that role. But he was not the receivers coach for most of the tenure, and Alvis Whitted, is now at Wisconsin following a one-season stint with the Green Bay Packers.
What’s more, neither Bobo nor Cox played a role in identifying or selecting any of the current wide receivers on the Gamecocks roster (Bobo did get to review three freshmen before they signed in December).
The situation is tight enough at the moment that four-star quarterback Luke Doty is helping at wide receiver, and the second- and third-most productive receivers on the roster, OrTre Smith and Josh Vann, went unmentioned when head coach Will Muschamp rattled off the five receivers he was confident could contribute if a 2020 season should happen.
A potential season would put a considerable level of stress on the ability of the offense of staff to quickly develop the pass-catchers on hand, so with that in mind, it is worth looking back at some of the receiver success stories from Bobo’s run with the Rams.
Rashard Higgins
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 198 pounds
Production under Bobo: 76 catches, 1,272 yards, 14 touchdowns as a junior.
Recruited by Bobo’s staff (national ranking): No
The story: Higgins is here because he had 1,000 yards in Bobo’s first season and was basically a bell cow for the passing game. He was a recruit from the previous staff and was coming off a 1,700-yard season and a powerhouse offense. He ended up a fifth-round draft pick.
Michael Gallup
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 200
Production under Bobo: 76 catches, 1272 yards, 14 touchdowns as a junior. 100 catches, 1418 yards, seven TDs as a senior.
Recruited by Bobo’s staff (national ranking): Yes (No. 108 among JUCO recruits)
The story: He was outside the top 1,500 recruits in his high school class despite a solid offer list, presumably in part because he was headed to junior college. He had a solid first season and injury-plagued second season, leading to him committing to the Rams less than two weeks ahead of signing day (his other offers were Kansas State and South Alabama). He was second in the Mountain West in yards twice, earned an All-American nod and was taken in the third round by the Dallas Cowboys. He posted 1,107 yards in 14 games last season. Certainly a strong career considering where he was rated at several levels.
Olabisi Johnson
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 195
Production under Bobo: 28 catches, 613 yards, four touchdowns (21.9 yards per catch) as a sophomore. 41 catches 595 yards, two TDs as a junior. 54 catches, 769 yards, four TDs as a senior
Recruited by Bobo’s staff (national ranking): Yes (No. 1,871)
The story: With only offers from Army and Colorado State, he committed to the previous staff and ended up a solid talent throughout the Bobo era. Was taken in the seventh round of the NFL draft and caught 31 balls as a rookie.
Preston Williams
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 218
Production under Bobo: 96 catches, 1,345 yards, 14 TDs.
Recruited by Bobo’s staff (national ranking): Yes (Transferred from Tennessee)
The story: Less a story of identification and more of opportunity. A target of Bobo’s when he was at Georgia, Williams was a top-50 national recruit who never caught on at Tennessee. He produced a big season after sitting out a redshirt year and departed for the pros.
Warren Jackson
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 215
Production under Bobo: 15 catches, 265 yards, two touchdowns as a freshman. 32 catches, 405 yards, four touchdowns as a sophomore. 77 catches, 1,119 yards, eight scores as a junior.
Recruited by Bobo’s staff (national ranking): Yes (No. 1,116)
The story: In terms of development, Jackson is as good an example as any of the Bobo staff’s work. He decommitted from Arizona closing in on signing day and turned down an offer from Colorado. He blossomed as Cox took over the wide receiver room, posting the fourth-most yards and touchdowns in the Mountain West. He was also a trusted blocker in the run game and one of the best offensive pieces the team had.
Dante Wright
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 170
Production under Bobo: 57 catches, 805 yards, four touchdowns, 214 rushing yards, two touchdowns as a freshman.
Recruited by Bobo’s staff (national ranking): Yes (No. 1,969)
The story: The undersized speedster had a slew of offers from strong Group of Five programs, but the former Tulane commit chose to cross the country from Florida to Colorado. He was an instant impact speed player, running sweeps, screens and adding a key threat to the Rams offense. He had run a 4.43 40-yard dash and let the Rams break out an extra level of creativity in their run game.
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 5:10 AM with the headline "Can Bobo’s strong history with receivers help in area of need for South Carolina?."
