Old Dominion University Football begins camp on Monday, Aug. 7. With camp less than a week away, ODUSports.com will do a position-by-position preview this week. Today we preview the wide receivers and tight ends.
Wide Receivers on Roster (12)
| Darrell Brown | So-r. | 5-9 | 174 |
| Amari Colbert | Fr. | 6-1 | 191 |
| Jonathan Duhart | Sr. | 6-3 | 220 |
| Noah Ellison | Fr-r. | 6-2 | 202 |
| Travis Fulgham | Jr-r. | 6-3 | 208 |
| Isaiah Harper | Jr-r. | 5-9 | 168 |
| Eri'Reon Hayes | Jr. | 6-2 | 199 |
| Jake Herslow | Fr-r. | 6-0 | 166 |
| Marques Little | Sr. | 5-9 | 182 |
| Scott McCluney | Fr-r. | 6-1 | 172 |
| Hasaan Patterson | So-r. | 6-2 | 199 |
| Kevin Todd Jr. | Fr-r. | 6-2 | 189 |
Tight Ends on Roster (5)
| Nijee Cox | So-r. | 6-3 | 234 |
| Marcus Joyner | Fr-r. | 6-2 | 254 |
| Melvin Vaughn | Sr-r. | 6-2 | 233 |
| Keion White | Fr. | 6-4 | 230 |
| DeAndre Woods | Jr. | 6-3 | 229 |
Wide Receiver/Tight End Preview
ODU graduated their all-time leader in receptions in Zach Pascal, who is currently a member of the Washington Redskins, but returns virtually every other member of the 2016 receiving corps, as well as a few key additions.
With the departure of Pascal, senior Jonathan Duhart will take over as the top receiver after finishing second on the squad in 2016 with 48 catches for 735 yards and tying Pascal with a team-high nine touchdowns.
Junior Travis Fulgham had a breakout 2016, as he caught 29 passes for 478 yards and eight touchdowns, including seven-straight games with a touchdown grab at one point in the season.
Melvin Vaughn returns for his senior season as a quality security blanket for whomever is at quarterback. Vaughn caught 22 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown in 11 games last season, and was often a check down option for David Washington.
Junior Isaiah Harper contributed with 14 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. Harper’s speed and versatility can make it difficult for defenses.
Senior Marques Little and junior Er’Reon Hayes have both played integral parts during their ODU careers but were overshadowed by Pascal, Duhart and Fulgham last season. Little has caught 38 career passes and played in 37 games, while Hayes has played in 19 career games. Despite not bringing in a lot of receptions, the pair played a key role on special teams.
Redshirt sophomore Hasaan Patterson caught one pass last season and saw action on special teams in seven games last year and will look for a bigger role this season.
Sophomore Darrell Brown earned Conference USA All-Freshman team accolades as a punt returner, and will look to make his mark on the offense in 2017.
Noah Ellison, Jake Herslow, Scott McCluney and Kevin Todd redshirted in 2016. Ellison was a three-star recruit out of New Jersey.
ODU signed one wider receiver in the 2017 recruiting class, Amari Colbert, a 6-3, 195 pounder from Warner Robins High School in Georgia.
In addition to Vaughn at tight end, ODU returns sophomore Nijee Cox. Cox played in 10 games, playing a key role on special teams and as a blocker out of the tight end position.
Marcus Joyner, a 6-2, 250 pounder from Camden County High School in North Carolina, redshirted last season.
The Monarchs added a pair of tight ends in the 2017 recruiting class, including DeAndre Woods, a grad transfer from Vanderbilt. Woods battled injuries in his time with the Commodores, but has two years of eligibility remaining.
ODU also brought in true freshman Keion White. White is from Garner High School in North Carolina.