Power of Caring
  presented by CIGNA

Wide open

Arizona looking for healthy receivers at spring drills

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Monday March 22, 1999 08:14 PM

Arizona coach Dick Tomey isn't worried about his passing game, but is quite concerned about who will be on the receiving end of those passes. Todd Warshaw/AP

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Although Arizona has plenty of quarterbacks at its disposal, it lacks top-flight receivers.

"Our passing game has not come along as much as we would have liked because we don't have a full complement of receivers," Arizona coach Dick Tomey said Monday after the Wildcats, who had last week off, resumed spring practice.

The Wildcats, fresh off a 12-1 season which culminated with a 23-20 Holiday Bowl victory over Nebraska, conclude the spring drills April 5.

Tomey plans to continue alternating quarterbacks Keith Smith and Ortege Jenkins. But proven targets are scarce for them because wideout Jeremy McDaniel is working out for NFL teams in hopes of getting drafted.

Dennis Northcutt, who led the team with 63 receptions for 922 yards and six touchdowns last year, returns. So does Brad Brennan, the Wildcats' No. 3 receiver a year ago. But he is on crutches and unable to practice after surgery on his left ankle.

Tomey is counting on transfers Marvin Brown and Brandon Marshall to come through in the fall. Malosi Leonard, Nick Fleury, who walked on as a quarterback, and freshman Mike Hairgrove also may make a difference.

"A wide receiver candidate will emerge," he said. "We need one person out of that group to emerge and conceivably compete."

Until then, the Wildcats quarterbacks will spend extra time throwing to tight ends and running backs and try to follow the coach's orders to improve.

"They have to get better," Tomey said. "Their focus as I have told them is to work on their own individual challenges and not worry about who the receivers are."

Smith and Jenkins rotated by quarters early last season, and later on were switched based on Tomey's instincts.

Smith wound up as a second-team all-Pac-10 selection after completing 69 percent of his passes for 1,732 yards and 13 touchdowns. Jenkins completed 49 percent for 1,011 yards and five TDs.

Jenkins started the 1998 season as a wideout before injuries forced the decision to try him at quarterback, and Smith has done spot duty at wide receiver. But Tomey is fighting off the temptation to make one of them a target for the other.

 

Related information
Stats
Arizona's 1998 Team Stats
Multimedia
Click here for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.