Advertisement
Jefferson has the most experience of the team's young receiving corps. He caught the most passes (26) last season among the receivers.
At 6-foot-5, he's definitely got the most height. And he just might have the most ability.
Yet, he might not even start the opener against Akron on Saturday. Should ''most perplexing'' be added to the list, too?
Sophomore David Gilreath has emerged as the most consistent receiver at the ''X'' position. Jefferson shares the top spot at ''Z'' with sophomore Maurice Moore, a converted quarterback. Sophomore Isaac Anderson is right there, too.
But that doesn't mean Jefferson had a disappointing camp, receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander said.
''No disappointment at all,'' Alexander said. ''They're a young group. We're talking about sophomores, for the most part, that are going to contribute. No one has really jumped out, but they've all come together as a group, which has been special.''
It might be that kind of year for the receivers, without a consistent No. 1 guy.
''I don't think you'll have that one fixture, like we've maybe been lucky to have, where you knew 'Swanny' (Luke Swan) was going to be there,'' offensive coordinator Paul Chryst said. ''Or a couple years ago with Brandon Williams and Jonathan Orr.
''Basically, we stress to guys, 'Find a role, some way to contribute, whatever that may be, we'll get you on the field if you can do it consistently.' ... Kyle, he's just been up and down. That's a little bit to be expected with youth, but we also don't want that to be a crutch.''
UW coach Bret Bielema said Jefferson needs to catch the ball more consistently. Alexander said the two main factors in that regard are strength and concentration.
Even though Jefferson is listed at 175 pounds, he said during camp his weight is up to 186. Because he's tall and slender, it's easy for defensive backs to get their hands on him and jostle him. That makes it harder to be in good position to catch the ball.
''One of the things he's tried to work hard at is making the tough catch,'' Alexander said. ''Because he's long, because he's a little bit lighter, he can get bumped and turned and twisted a certain way, which makes it tough to catch the ball.
''Other than that, like anybody across the country, just plain concentration, focus on the ball.''
That's something Jefferson is trying to work at and he showed progress late in camp.
''You have to have a lot of mental focus, because you're doing a lot of different things,'' he said. ''You've got to have a lot of memory. You've got to read defenses, different things like that. Sometimes you get lost.
''You've got to get yourself out of being lost and find your way to that right area, that right hole, that right depth. You just have to have concentration and be 100 percent focused when it's your call and the ball is flying your way. It's your opportunity to make a play for yourself, for your team and for everybody else that is supporting you.''
That makes it sound like Jefferson's got a lot on his mind, although he didn't go into details.
With the new 40-second clock, Alexander believes he will be running even more receivers in and out of games. Colleges are adapting the NFL rule, where offenses have 40 seconds, after the completion of the previous play, to snap the ball. Colleges used to have 25 seconds after officials marked the ball ready for play.
''If a guy goes deep, another guy has to go in (for the next play),'' Alexander said. ''We have to feed off each other.''
Alexander said he has not been a part of teams that didn't have one or two established top receivers. But he said Boise State's offense is an example of using the group concept at the position.
''Everybody plays, everybody gets to show their strengths and there's no selfishness,'' he said. ''Everybody's on the field to contribute and help the team. One guy goes out and the next guy goes in. It makes it a unique deal.''
