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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 26, Digital 6

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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 26, ISSUE 6 26 offense, and they're just fine with that distinction. "Receivers have a unique personality in which I think they invite the pressure and they like the attention and all that. Just look at the guys in the NFL," said projected starting slot receiver Cameron Posey, one of six upper- classmen in the group. "And I think we've all been here three, four, five years and we have the experience, good and bad, so I think we invite that pressure and we know that the offense is going to revolve around us. Depending on how successful we are will be how successful the of- fense is. So we understand our role and how important it is. I think we invite that pressure and are going to take it head-on." The responsibility is welcomed, in part, because the group is mature enough to handle it, senior rising star DeAngelo Yancey said. "It's not going to be like a problem of, 'This is too much pressure,'" Yancey said. "We've got so much talent in our room, so much experience in our room, it should be easy." Yancey will be the go-to player, based on his position playing the X position and his skill set. He's 6-foot-4, 216 pounds and says he's "pound-for-pound" the strongest he's ever been. He proved in his resurgent junior season that he's a player who can stretch the field, registering 14.6 yards per catch in a 48-catch, 700-yard season. His sights are set for more in 2016 — and so are others for him. "We need him to be really, really good this year," Darrell Hazell said. "We've got to be able to have him ask teams to play double coverage on him. That's the ultimate sign of respect, if you can get a team to say, 'We're going to roll over the top of you,' which will help us in other places. He needs to have a great year for us." Posey, finally free of someone else's shadow, can rev- el in being a full-time starter with what's expected to be a considerable amount of opportunities for a slot in Malone's offense. This could be his chance to not just break out, but shatter his career high of 26 catches, which he had last season and as a redshirt freshman. In the spring, he added a slippery element to his game to go with reliable hands and precise route-running. "I feel really good right now mentally and physically," said Posey, two years removed from ACL surgery. "I think I have a little bit of a unique deal to (bring to) the offense and can help any way they ask me to, and that's what I'm going to do. "Just being here four or five years … I think I've been able to evolve my game, just watch other guys and pick up on what they're good at and just try to add it to my own skill set." Domonique Young, another senior, has big-play capa- bility. His confidence will be key to having a good season, and that'll develop with an ability to shake off drops and still believe in his talent. If he does, he could double his 21-catch season from a year ago. And be quite the complement to Yancey as the other starting outside receiver. "I think (Yancey) sees his dreams and team goals right in front of him, and he's chasing it. When you've got a guy like him over there and Posey on the other side and Domo, it's just like, 'Wow, we could be really good on of- fense,'" Blough said. "Then you get some confidence and score a lot of points and it just clicks." But this receiving corps is about much more than the projected starters. In his final season, Bilal Marshall could play a pivotal role as the likely No. 3 outside receiver. After switching from quarterback early in his career, Marshall has picked up the nuances of playing receiver, and that could help him make a move on the depth chart. His length, high football IQ and good hands don't hurt either. Junior Greg Phillips' sticky hands and ability to stretch and contort his body to make tough catches should have him getting snaps in the slot. He has some big-play abili- Tom Campbell Cameron Posey could be poised for a breakout season in the slot after breaking free of Danny Anthrop's shadow.

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