Bearcats Position Preview: Family Matters

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, July 26, 2023

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A family mentality will motivate the Bearcat wide receivers this season.

Wide receivers coach Blake Cecil has all but one of his receivers returning from last year. He said that relationships between players are an essential part of the group’s identity,

“It’s been an easier summer, I guess, than others because I have so many returners,” Cecil said. “Everybody knows the expectations, and they do a good job of holding each other accountable. It makes the locker room better. We truly are a family.”

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Seniors Antavious Murphy, Darius Mills, Corey Sanders, and juniors Luke Griffin and Camryn “Scoop” Scott make up the wide receiver core. Junior Antavious Harris and sophomores Jah’Bari Smith and Nekorian Thomas round out the depth. Murphy said having a group of returning receivers to play next to makes him feel comfortable. 

Murphy is the leader of the group, according to Cecil, and he said he’s encouraging the senior wide receiver to step more into the role this season. 

“It’s been going good, being vocal, being a leader,” Murphy said. “I’m trying to get the team to where we need to go.”

Cecil said he’s “excited” for the upcoming season. He said the receivers group’s X-factor is their experience and commitment to the program and getting better.

“It’s going to be a fun year for these guys if they continue to buy in and work hard,” Cecil said. “The thing that they have on their side is their willingness to buy in and get dirty, you know, blue-collar mentality.”

Cecil expects big things from his guys and said they’ll have to do their job for the team to be successful.

“And I think they will,” Cecil said. “We have full faith in our kids. I think the fans will enjoy watching them. Watching them compete because they’re definitely going to do that.”

Murphy is getting attention from college football programs and has fifteen offers on the table.

 

Full Offer List

 

Charleston Southern University

Cincinnati University

Coastal Carolina University

East Carolina University

Georgia Southern University

Georgia State University

Georgia Tech 

James Madison University

Liberty University

Louisville University

Texas A&M University

Troy University

University of South Florida

Western Kentucky University