Unclear Expectations For Virginia Football Receivers, Tight Ends

Olamide Zaccheaus is expected to be among UVA's top receivers.
Olamide Zaccheaus led Virginia with 7 touchdown catches in 2016. ~ Kris Wright

Sifting through the Virginia football roster, no positions feel simultaneously familiar yet uncertain like the receivers and tight ends. Reading those 20 names, it’s easy to pick out names that you’ve seen on the field. Yet as Bronco Mendenhall’s second season approaches, it’s not as easy to sort out expectations for those players.

The starting point seems clear for receivers: Olamide Zaccheaus and Doni Dowling. Those two players are the only returnees among the top six pass catchers in 2016. Taquan Mizzell, Keeon Johnson, Ryan Santoro, and David Eldridge have moved on from the program. Mizzell led the team with 52 receptions that created 404 yards and two touchdowns, while Johnson posted 49 catches for 476 yards and three touchdowns. Santoro (9 receptions) and Eldridge (8 catches-177 yards/2 TDs) had more sporadic supporting roles.

Mizzell’s absence creates an interesting outlook for a player like Zaccheaus. Last season, he hauled in 51 catches for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. That more than doubled his true freshman receiving totals of 21 catches, 216 yards, and one touchdown. Of course, he didn’t make as big an impact in the running game as he got three carries for 24 yards as a sophomore after tallying 33 carries for 262 yards and one touchdown as a freshman.

That could shift back toward more of a dual threat role with the Hoos needing to replace Mizzell’s production, though. The hint of that is already evident on the roster where Zaccheaus is no longer listed as receiver, but as a halfback. With the running back corps possibly (or should that read likely?) featuring at least two freshmen in the rotation, an experienced option like Zaccheaus to mix in through jet sweeps or otherwise seems like a good option to entertain.

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