Position breakdown: The wide receivers

The 2024 football prep camp is underway and GSEagles.com will meet with each of the 10 position coaches in early August to get their thoughts on their positions. Next up is the Wide Receivers Coach BJ Johnson.

Q: What guys impressed you both on the field during spring ball and tackled for you in the offseason?
BJ: Marcus Sanders Jr. is one I would definitely highlight. He stood out this spring, but we still have some things to work on. But what stood out was he was one of those guys that can catch a 5-yard route and make something happen. We have other guys in the room that can do that, but he did it more often than not. He played fast and made plays. Another guy that stood out was LV Bunkley-Shelton. He came in and is exactly what we expected from him: smart, polished and an experienced route runner who will really make the field explosive by creating space and winning matchups in the phone booth. Of course, there are Derwin Burgess Jr.who we all know what he can do. But I would definitely say these two guys as well as Taylor BradshawNumber 89. He’s had a really good spring. I’m looking forward to him progressing and adding value to the room.

Q: You have to replace the all-time best receiver in the history of the program. He was an inside receiver, but how do you generally replace production at Khaleb Hood as a group?
BJ: We need to keep working and understand what we lost with Hood, and we need people who are willing to take on that role. Daniel Cobb will be that guy for us inside this year, and we’re confident in who we have in both rooms.

Q: Who is someone who hasn’t played much that Eagle Nation should be on the lookout for this fall?
BJ: I mentioned two types: Marcus Sanders Jr. And Taylor Bradshaw. I know Marcus played last year, but he had a really good game against Georgia State with that touchdown and some really good routes that day. The ball wasn’t going his way in that game, but if you look at the tape, he got free and played fast. So I would say to really watch out for Marcus Sanders Jr. I have a feeling he’s going to do good, so I’ll leave it at that!

Q: What are your group’s main goals in the preseason?
BJ: We have to be consistent every day. I know it sounds cliché, but really we just have to be consistent and do our job. We talk about that a lot in our room. When we do our job as outside receivers, we help the offense get the ball downfield. That’s true every day, whether it’s going into the box and blocking defenders or digging out safeties to catch balls and move the chains. But we just do our job day in and day out and make sure we do it at a high level.

Q: What is the difference for you as a coach between the second and first year?
BJ: The system. Last year when I came in, I had to play catch up. But now that I know the system like the back of my hand and what we’re trying to do from a quarterback perspective and obviously from a scheme perspective, I can bring ideas and tweak this or that. But I would definitely say the system. Like I said, just knowing it like the back of my hand not only obviously adds more value in terms of technique and free agency, but also in terms of the scheme.

Q: We have a new offensive coordinator, but taking his place is a guy who was in the system last year. What can you tell people who aren’t in this building about how similar the offense is when they see what it’s like?
BJ: We are who we are. People know that. I think we’re going to try to do as many explosive things as we can, just like we did last year. Coach Aplin is going to do a really good job. He did a really great job last spring, so I don’t see any change. If anything, the biggest plus is that we’re in the third year with Coach Helton in his system. Coach Aplin is prepared and will lead us great.

Q: Finally, you mentioned the third year of Coach Helton’s system. How excited are you about all the athletes you have on the outside now? Three years ago, it was a running offense, but now you’ve had a few years of the transfer portal and some recruiting classes. How excited are you personally about the outside receivers in 2024?
BJ: I’m excited. I tell our guys, man, we have a lot of depth this year. We’re really good at certain positions, so I’m excited. That’s not a knock on the guys that have been here before; those guys laid the foundation. But when we talk about the receiver room this year and what we can contribute, just from an athletic standpoint, I’m excited to go out there and make plays.