Freshman receivers important at AU
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 6, 2002
AUBURN (AP) &045;&045; Auburn coaches have issued a simple charge to Montavis Pitts and his fellow freshman receivers: Run fast, catch the ball and give them a chance to park tailback Carnell ”Cadillac” Williams every so often.
The Tigers finally landed the receiving talent they’ve been searching for in this recruiting class, six highly regarded freshmen competing for the chance to contribute instantly.
Auburn’s top two receivers, Tim Carter and Deandre Green, are gone from an already suspect corps. Enter the class of receivers Tommy Tuberville has been waiting for after missing out on top recruits like Fred Gibson (Georgia), Taylor Jacobs (Florida) and Michael Clayton (LSU) in recent years.
Most of the new receivers spent the summer in Auburn working out and getting a crash course in college football.
The freshmen went through their first practice on Monday and the varsity players join them on Thursday.
They’ve also been checking each other out, wondering how they stack up with the competition.
All of the new receivers are listed as being at least 6-foot tall. Taylor and Pitts both were high school quarterbacks while Anthony Mix could be moved to defensive line soon.
Obomanu might have the most impressive credentials, catching 31 passes for 460 yards and nine touchdowns last season for Selma High School. He averaged nearly 11 yards on 20 rushes, with three more scores and scored 30 career TDs.