MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The long list of 1,000-yard receivers that Dana Holgorsen has been involved with is really impressive.
Joe Filani (twice), Danny Amendola and Michael Crabtree did it when Holgorsen was an assistant coach at Texas Tech.
Then came Patrick Edwards, Tyrone Carrier (twice) and James Cleveland when he was running Houston’s offense.
Justin Blackmon was the next 1,000-yard guy when Holgorsen was calling the plays at Oklahoma State in 2010.
Since he’s been at West Virginia we’ve seen Stedman Bailey (twice), Tavon Austin (twice) and Kevin White eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier with Mario Alford almost getting there, too.
So, based on Holgorsen’s long track record of producing 1,000-yard receivers, it’s inevitable that another one is on the way.
The question is: who will it be?
Sophomore outside receiver Shelton Gibson hopes he’s that guy. He was once a four-star recruit from Cleveland, Ohio, who was brought here to follow in Austin’s and Bailey’s footsteps.
Gibson saw what Holgorsen’s guys have done at West Virginia (and at other places) and because of that, he turned down an impressive list of suitors to try and become the next great Dana Holgorsen wide receiver.
“I saw in high school all of the receivers coach Holgorsen has produced through the years, when he was at other schools and when he came here with Stedman and Tavon,” said Gibson.
Obviously, it’s now on Shelton because the door is wide open with White and Alford off to the NFL, White perhaps being the first wide receiver taken in the draft next week.
A bar graph of Gibson’s spring production so far resembles the stock market these days – up and down. There are times when Gibson looks really good, catching passes and blowing past defensive backs, and then there are other times when he disappears completely.
“I told Shelton (after last Saturday’s scrimmage at The Greenbrier) those two balls (during Friday’s practice) were touchdowns because you did what you were supposed to do,” said wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway. “(Saturday) they were long (incompletions) because you didn’t do what you were supposed to do.”
When Gibson is on he is the one guy out on the field capable of stretching defenses with his sub-4.5 speed and above-average athletic ability. He showed us a glimpse of that straight-line speed during the Liberty Bowl last year with his 47-yard reception late in the game against Texas A&M.
Of course, the depth chart could change this fall when Gary Jennings, Ka’Raun White and Jovon Durante get here later this summer, but until then Gibson is the guy taking the reps with Skyler Howard, who appears to be the No. 1 quarterback heading into the fall.
That alone puts Gibson ahead of the others.
“I’ve got to keep getting reps,” said Gibson. “I go against (cornerback) Terrell Chestnut a lot and when Daryl (Worley) gets back I will go against him. Going against them every day gives me confidence.”
It’s important that Gibson gain confidence in what he’s doing so others will have confidence in him, too.
“Shelton is getting better,” said Galloway. “The biggest thing this summer is (all of the receivers) getting with Skyler on their own and getting on the same page just like Clint (Trickett) did with Kevin and Mario. The summertime will be important to those guys … the routes, the timing and Skyler knowing where they are and saying ‘Can I throw the ball this way to this guy? How do I throw the ball this way to the other guy?’”
Gibson and Howard have developed a close relationship the last two years because they have risen up the depth chart together, which is something worth keeping in the back of your mind.
“He’s my boy,” said Gibson of Howard. “I go home with him sometimes and we get to work on (timing) there, or when I’m down (on the practice field). We can be outside of my house just throwing balls down the street.”
It was last summer in unsupervised situations when Trickett, White and Alford really developed the cohesiveness that benefitted West Virginia’s passing game last fall.
White caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns to turn himself into one of the most coveted players in this year’s NFL draft. Alford, too, made great strides last year with 65 catches for 945 yards and a team-best 11 touchdowns.
And standing on the sidelines watching those two players blossom was Shelton Gibson.
“I learned from Kevin but I learned more from Mario just because I was on Mario’s side and Mario showed me how to use my speed, how to get off the block and everything like that,” said Gibson. “They both taught me a lot.”
Gibson continued.
“Kevin is really, really strong so this spring I’ve tried to get into the weight room more just to get extra reps to get stronger because nobody can knock him off (his routes) because he’s super strong and I want to be super strong,” he said.
Last Saturday, Holgorsen listed Gibson and junior Daikiel Shorts as his top two outside receivers right now.
Again, that’s right now.
“Both have had a great week on the outside,” said Holgorsen. “Those guys are the clear-cut No. 1s at (outside) receiver. All this stuff could change. Once we continue to practice, have a whole summer and a whole camp with new people, anything can change.”
Whoever lines up at wide receiver when West Virginia opens the season against Georgia Southern on September 5 will set the wheels in motion towards becoming the latest 1,000-yard receiver under Holgorsen.
Once more, Gibson hopes he’s that guy.
“That’s what I’m looking to do,” he said.
Many Mountaineer football fans hope so, too.
