With just one week before fall camp starts, ODUSports.com will take a look at a position group each day this week to get you ready for ODU Football.
Wide Receiver Preview
ODU returns two of its leading receivers from last season in Antonio Vaughan and Zach Pascal, while a third, Blair Roberts, will redshirt this year.
Vaughan is the speedster of the group and had 60 catches for 843 yards and nine touchdowns in 2013. He is currently second in school history with 167 career catches and has also seen time at kick returner and punt returner, while even seeing a start at running back at Pittsburgh last season, where he surprised the Panthers by carrying 15 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. However, he did most of his damage at wideout, recording three 100-yard receiving games and catching a career-high tying 11 passes in the win over The Citadel.
A native of Rochester, N.Y., Roberts caught 46 passes for 560 yards and six TD’s in 2013. He missed a pair of games due to injury and sat out the spring as well but will be ready to go for fall camp. He scored ODU’s first FBS touchdown in the contest at East Carolina and caught a season-best nine passes for 74 yards in the game. In the comeback win over Liberty, he grabbed seven passes for 86 yards while catching the game-winning score with 28 seconds left in the game.
A sophomore, Pascal burst onto the scene last year after redshirting as a freshman, catching 41 passes for 534 yards and six touchdowns. He had nine receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown in the win over Howard while pulling in five receptions for 90 yards in the win at Idaho.
Melvin Vaughn is a big target for ODU at 6-2, 240 pounds for the Monarchs giving ODU a tight end type receiver that they have not had before. He caught 19 passes for 149 yards as a true freshman in 2013 and looks for a more expanded role this season.
Junior Kirk Spellman and sophomore C.J. Bradshaw add depth to the group as Spellman caught seven passes for 102 yards last year while Bradshaw moved to receiver midway through last season.
Backup quarterback David Washington is an athletic 6-3, 220 pound redshirt sophomore from North Carolina will most likely also earn playing time at wide receiver this season.
Kevin Privott and Nick England join the battle for playing time this season after sitting out last season, Privott redshirted, while England, a teammate of Taylor Heinicke in high school, sat out after transferring from FIU.
The Monarchs added even more depth to an already crowded position by signing six receivers on National Signing Day in February. Jonathan Duhart, Isaiah Harper, Will Howard, Marques Little, Vincent Lowe, Quintin Reynolds and Adam Swann add reinforcements to the position.