Time and again this summer, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have been blunt about Auburn’s receiving corps.
Both have expressed that one player has to separate himself to take on the responsibility of being the team’s go-to receiver. That stance takes on even greater importance knowing that Auburn’s top pass-catcher last season, Emory Blake, left a massive void in his departure. Blake’s 789 receiving yards represented 42 percent of the Tigers’ total 1,879 receiving yards in 2012.
So who will step up to take Blake’s place?
If C.J. Uzomah has his way, that lead receiver will be a tight end. It’s an undertaking the junior said he’s already given plenty of thought.
“I think everybody would want to be that guy in a pressure situation, to step up on third down, or if you need a last-second touchdown, then who are you going to throw it to?” he said. “Everyone is working and battling to fill that position. I think this offseason, everybody has been training their hardest to be that guy.”
Uzomah played in the shadow of starter Philip Lutzenkirchen last year. That is, until Lutzenkirchen had season-ending hip surgery in October, which pushed Uzomah into the starting lineup. But it wasn’t smooth sailing for the Suwanee native (North Gwinnett High School), who broke a bone in his right hand late in the season.
Expectations are far greater this fall. Uzomah has already been named to the Mackey Award watch list, which goes to the nation’s top tight end. While he said it was “an honor to be mentioned” as a candidate, Uzomah knows how little weight that carries when you actually step on the field.
“Personal accolades and individual accolades are rewarding,” he said, “but we’re hoping to make it to the (Georgia) Dome and the national championship. That’s what our sights are on.”
But even Uzomah had to admit it “would be a lie” if he said the newfound praise didn’t add to the pressure he already puts on himself.
“There is always going to be expectations for me to perform every week,” he said. “I feel like that pressure is going to be there for all of us now with this new staff saying, ‘It’s a new day.’ I think that pressure is going to be there no matter what. It’s up to us to step up to the plate and take it head-on.”
To better handle the additional responsibilities he’s taken on, the junior has honed in on the areas of his game that need improvement.
“I was trying to focus a little more on my blocking and putting my hand in the dirt just because that’s still been a huge emphasis on me personally,” he said. “Coach Lashlee and (tight ends) Coach (Scott) Fountain have talked to (fellow tight end) Brandon (Fulse) and I about how they want to utilize us in this offense.
“Splitting us out a little bit is one of the things we’re going to have to do, blocking the corner, blocking the safety, blocking the defensive end, blocking the linebacker. We’re going to be moving around a lot.”
That means Uzomah is constantly shuffling between the backfield, the slot and the outside receiver positions. If he hadn’t put in time at all the spots, Uzomah joked he’d probably look “like a chicken with his head cut off.” While he has plenty of responsibility, Uzomah can’t do everything.
That’s why he’s been pleased to see the eagerness of the incoming receivers.
“They are just as anxious to get out there as I have ever seen a freshman class, including our freshman class,” Uzomah said. “They have wanted to be in with the first, second, and third group no matter what. They are always asking to get in, asking for advice, asking for tips on how to shake a corner or something like that. They have been really sure-handed.”
None have impressed Uzomah more than Tony Stevens, a Florida native who has “shocked” Uzomah with his performances during “captain’s practices.”
“He has grown up a lot because you’ve got to have that growing-up stage from high school to college,” Uzomah said.
But when asked whether any of the freshman receivers were ready to contribute immediately, Uzomah refrained. Without the benefit of seeing them in pads, it’s too soon to tell. But in Uzomah and other veterans, the newcomers have a saving grace.
Never underestimate the power of knowledge and experience.
“Watching film and looking at a playbook is one thing,” Uzomah said, “but having people that have played in the offense and been in the offense that can help you fine-tune the little things, especially with someone as meticulous as Malzahn (or) Lashlee, I think that pays dividends.”
