One area of concern for the Northwest Ranger football team heading into the 2014 football season is the wide receiver corps.

As Ranger wide receiver coach Scott Oakley put it, the team has a lot of "new faces" they're working with.

"One play the routes aren't consistent and the next route someone is dropping a ball," Oakley related. "Luckily we have 18 more days until gameday to improve and get better."

Due to several dropped passes and inadequate depth at the position, the wide receivers earned a grade of C-.

But as Oakley stated, he expects a few young wide receivers to improve drastically over the next half month.

"We have some young guys that I think people will say 'who is that?' We have some young guys that might surprise some people," Oakley added.

As far as the young guns are concerned, Northwest will look to twin brothers Devante and Dominique Crow from Itta Bena (Miss) alongside Nathan Evans of Grenada (Miss.) and Columbus (Miss.) star Jason Dickerson.

Both Crow brothers are still trying to become accustomed to the speed of the college level. They seem pretty calm and cool for youngsters, but they'll need to quicken their instincts if they plan on making critical plays for the Rangers this fall.

As far as Evans and Dickerson are concerned, their games are pretty similar.

Dickerson runs tight routes and likes to torch cornerbacks with his straightaway speed. He's often asked to illustrate his speed on long verticals and 10-yard hooks.

Much like Dickerson, Evans uses his speed to jet past defenders. He's an aggressive wide receiver that isn't afraid to fight the defensive back for the football.

While Oakley and staff are excited about the future of the wide outs, he said he'll rely most heavily on veterans.

"I'm leaning on those guys," he said. "I'm going to coach them the way I'd want someone to coach my son."

Arguably the best wide receiver returning for the Rangers this fall is Kentrell Spencer.

Spencer, who played high school football for Starkville (Miss.), is one of the most explosive players on the football field. At 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, he isn't very tall, but all he needs is a little space and he's off to the races.

"It's very important to have a speed guy like him," Oakley said. "You have to have guys that can stretch the field."

Spencer runs smooth routes and understands how to juke his defender. He has very soft hands and eyes the ball all the way into his palms. Spencer's cuts are quick and he constantly runs north and south with the ball in his hands.

Spencer finished the 2013 Ranger football season with 264 yards receiving and one touchdown. He averaged 29.3 yards receiving a game.

Northwest's tallest wide receiver is sophomore Jamarius Mabry. Scaling in at 6-foot-4, the Jackson (Miss.) native has the leaping ability to snag the football from high up in the air.

"I feel my height is essential in the red zone," Mabry said. "I feel I can matchup with the corners. My big hands help grasp the ball better, too. It helps me with tough catches."

Mabry is very athletic and long. Unlike most lengthy wide receivers, he isn't afraid to go across the middle. He practices hard and seems to be improving daily. He has solid hands and is patient while waiting on the football.

Many wide outs move their legs and take their eyes off the ball right before it's caught, but not Mabry. He realizes catching the football is his number one job.

"He is a kid that came in with a lot of raw athletic ability," Oakley continued. "His growth over the last year and a half has been tremendous. He and Kentrell both are outstanding athletes and people. They're guys that will only make our team better. It's been a joy seeing them progress."
 
Much like the whole team, Mabry feels he needs to get into better shape. While the coaches continue to preach up-tempo, the realization is the players must be in great shape to eliminate mental and physical errors.

"We have to speed up our tempo," Mabry nodded.

According to Mabry, getting into shape begins with the extra wind sprints the team runs after every practice.

Mabry caught five passes for 70 yards a year ago.

While the Rangers have a few veteran wide outs from last season, one Northwest wide receiver brings a familiar face from two years back. Saltillo (Miss) native Jalen Gaston is back with the Rangers for the first time since the 2012 football season.

Gaston led Northwest to an 8-2 record two seasons ago. He caught 14 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 19.7 yards receiving a contest.

Considered to be a power wide out, Gaston uses his big frame to run over oncoming defenders. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he's a hardnosed runner that understands how to lower his shoulder pads, falling forward for extra yardage.

He's a very talented blocking wide receiver that could open up big gains in the short-yard passing game. He has a high motor and hustles throughout practice.  

"Since I go against linebackers, the stronger I am, the better I will be," he chuckled. "Right now I need to work on my route running and blocking more. I want to see my other wide receivers score, so I need to block well so they have that opportunity."
 
Ranger head coach Jack Wright discusses wide receiver corps…
Wright evaluates his wide receivers. He said he sees both positives and negatives from that group:
 "I think they're very athletic and we have some speed, but we have a long way to go as far as getting them to playing efficiently. We're having some dropped balls every day. Our route running is pretty good...We feel like we've brought in some talent, they just have to be coachable and they have been."

Wright talks about the importance of playing fast, but also staying smart in the up-tempo:
"It's always hard. I've done it a few years now. It seems to be one of the last things that comes along. You don't want to push it too much because it's about technique. If you're out there going too fast in the beginning, then you can be sloppy. We've been slower than I'd like."