With Sean Atkins having graduated, there are opportunities for receivers to shine
TAMPA, Fla. – Keshaun Singleton made quite a splash against visiting UAB midway through last season. Early in the second quarter of his first career start, the receiver hauled in a Bryce Archie pass deep down the middle and raced the final 25 yards for a 67-yard touchdown. It was his first career reception.
Singleton, who concluded the 35-25 win over the Blazers with four receptions for 105 yards, announced his arrival in a big way. A household name in the offense for the duration of the season, the Georgia native caught 26 passes for 408 yards (15.7 avg.) and three touchdowns. They are numbers that lead the way among all returning USF receivers.
READ: Countdown To Kickoff: USF Bulls Football Hits The Practice Field Monday
The Bulls are going to need a productive season from Singleton and others with Sean Atkins having graduated. Atkins, who went from walk-on to standout receiver, was 171-1,835-9 in his final two seasons at USF. That is tremendous production, not to mention No. 38’s dependability and maturity, that must be replaced.
“Great players come and go and when they leave, it is an opportunity for the next man up,” said offensive coordinator Joel Gordon. “We have different guys out there with a little bit of a different skillset. Part of fall camp for us is to figure out each one of those guys and figure out how we can use them the best in our offense.”
Quarterback Byrum Brown mentioned Singleton, Tennessee transfer Chas Nimrod, and Stanford transfer Mudia Reuben as guys that could be counted on when the curtain rises on a new season.
“Life after Sean Atkins is a little different because he was a special player,” he said. “We have a lot of new guys and younger guys that have stepped up. While it sucked to see Sean go, we have some weapons.”
Singleton, who missed what would have been his freshman season of 2023 due to injury, leads the way statistically. Josh Porter caught 25 passes as a freshman last season. Nimrod caught 29 passes in 23 games with the Vols, and Reuben’s resume includes 24 receptions in 25 games at Stanford. There are plenty of less experienced receivers, including a trio of high school recruits. Among them is Jeremiah Koger, whom Coach Alex Golesh spoke very highly of post-spring.
“Everybody on the field gets opportunities every single day and it’s going to be about the guys who are most consistent throughout training camp,” said Gordon.
Singleton likes the mix in the receiver’s room. He noted Koger’s size (6-3, 210), the athleticism of sophomore and Robinson High product Arkese Parks, and the speed of the 6-2 Nimrod. Singleton also embraces the opportunity to be a leader among a group that has many new faces, and with playing time up for grabs.
“I want the room to like, look up to me, basically come to me with any problems and when they have questions with plays or anything,” he said. “Last year, I wasn’t really a vocal person. As the season went on and I got more playing time and more confident, I was able to speak to my teammates more and help them with the things that I needed help with when I was a freshman.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
