Let’s Build The Ultimate Bearcats Wide Receiver

Earlier this month I built Cincinnati’s ultimate quarterback. It was so fun I decided to do it again, this time with wide receiver!

On paper this should be relatively easy. After all, with so many talented pass catchers to come through the doors in Clifton, there’s a bevy of players to choose from. It’s not like we’re UConn and have Geremy Davis and ??? to pick from. But that makes this inherently tricky. Having too many choices can sometimes be a bad thing. It’s like having a blank check and going to a luxury car dealership with the task of picking just one suped-up machismobile.

That’s the situation I was in here but I buckled down, pushed through, and think I pulled off a wide receiver that would make Bearcats fans see angels.

Height: Mekale McKay

He’s 6’6″ and the tallest thing to line up at wide receiver in over a decade. That’s pretty much all that needs to be said.

Size: Travis Kelce

Ok, technically he’s not a wide receiver, he’s a tight end. What I’m going for here is a pass catcher in the mold of the 6’5″ 236 lbs Calvin Johnson and no player provided Cincinnati the perfect blend of size and speed that Travis Kelce could. Plus, during the 2012 season when Kelce led the Bearcats in catches and receiving yards he might as well have been a wide receiver. So Kelce’s the ideal pass catcher in this category.

Hands: Shaq Washington

He’s led the Bearcats in receptions each of the last two years with a remarkable first down rate of 62%. That’s exactly what you want out of a possession slot receiver and Shaq’s filled that role and then some. The reason he’s been Gunner Kiel and Brendon Kay’s favorite receiver during that time is because of his innate ability to catch whatever pass is thrown his way. High, low, right, left, he’ll grab it. So if I’m building the ultimate UC receiver, I’m slapping on Shaq Washington’s sticky hands.

Vision: Mardy Gilyard

It’s an uncommon trait among receivers. After all, they’re tasked more at beating one-on-one coverage and getting downfield as quickly as possible, not necessarily finding and exploiting the smallest creases to eat up yards like running backs. That being said, if there’s anyone that could probably line up in the backfield it’s Mardy Gilyard. He proved it time and time again on punt and kickoff returns. Gilyard was also Brian Kelly’s main weapon on tunnel screens, primarily because of his ability to find the path of least resistance to the endzone, weaving his way through defenders to scamper into the promised land.

Top End Speed: Chris Moore

It’s a tough choice between this guy and Gilyard but I think Chris Moore would win in a footrace. It’d be a photo finish but #15 would cross that finish line first. If Moore can get a clean first step on opposing defensive backs, he can beat them with his pure speed. That’s what you want out of an outside receiver, someone who can take the top right off defenses. If they’re unprepared for it, Moore can wide open deep downfield streaking towards the endzone. If the safety commits to him, it opens up more options underneath. Either way, somebody’s getting open, Cincinnati’s getting a first down or more, and it’s all because of Chris Moore’s horse-like legs.

Agility: Mardy Gilyard, Again

A pretty easy choice here. In addition to Gilyard’s vision, what made him such a dangerous receiver was his ability to turn a 5 yard catch into a 15 yard gain in a flash. His quick feet, a head shake, that little hip wiggle, all of it put defense backs on skates. Gilyard was a nightmare for opposing defenses and his agility was a huge reason why.

Route Running: Shaq Washington

Another aspect of Shaq’s game that makes him such a preferred target by UC quarterbacks over the years is his ability to run not only a variety of routes but crisp routes as well. He’s always where he was supposed to be, when he’s supposed to be, it’s like clockwork. It’s allowed Shaq to develop an excellent rapport with his quarterbacks and make him one of the most versatile and dangerous receivers in Cincinnati’s arsenal.