SU needs receivers to fill void

• By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Mar 26, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:01 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Who will be making up the 575 yards and nine catches of Gerard Landry and the 737 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground and the other 566 yards and five touchdowns through the air of Darren Coates?

This was what Southern, 8-3 last season, was trying to figure out as spring practice began Tuesday.

Juamorris Stewart, who has teased with flashes in his first two seasons, and Corderious Gregory, who will be a sophomore but missed last season with a knee injury from spring practice a year ago, are in Landry’s “X” spot.

“This is going to be a big spring for myself and the group,” said Stewart, who had 23 catches for 237 yards and one TD last season and 21 catches for 237 yards and one TD as a freshman in 2006. “We have to prove ourselves.”

Wide receivers coach Eric Dooley’s post-practice message to his group: “It’s now. There is no tomorrow.”

RoShon Jacobs, who backed Landry, and speedster A.J. Turner also need to be replaced.

“We’ve got some good guys coming back,” Dooley said. “They don’t mind working. It’s just a matter of putting that chemistry together on the field.”

Stewart, Del Roberts and Clevan White are the most experienced returnees.

“I just feel real good about the depth we have at receiver,” offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said.

“There is a lot of kids who will step up. His (Landry) shoes are big to fill, but the biggest ones to me are at running back, with Coates.”

Senior Kendrick Smith, out Tuesday because of a foot injury, ran for 161 yards and had 80 yards and two TDs receiving last season.

Brian Threat, who will be a junior, has totaled 241 yards and two TDs on 77 carries in two seasons.

Two freshmen were redshirted last season: Amonte Harper and Micah Smith. Two signees will arrive in August: Ville Platte’s Jerry Joseph and Clinton’s Byron Williams.