'13 PA WR Will Fuller (Notre Dame Signed LOI)

[IHateMarkMay]

You guys can't tell me, out of all the members here who evaluate talent that you don't notice or see how inadequate catching the ball with your chest is. I blame coaching for this just as I blame them for Bryant constantly not switching the ball to his sideline arm.

Do we blame the coaches for Golson holding the football like a loaf of bread?

I honestly thought the coaches were always getting after him for this...

 

[Irish Insanity]

Very replaceable? No

I blame the chest catching on Golson's arm strength.
But man he sure lit up some Ds and put up top WR numbers for all the faults he has. Just wait till he fine tunes his craft.

 

[Rocket89]

Until he learns to extend his arms and use his hands to catch the ball I refuse to consider him even a Legit #1 receiver. Drove me crazy all season long watching him cradle catch the damn ball with CB's on his back. That being said he is our #1 receiver.

...

I am not complaining about the production we received from his play. I am saying that he is very replaceable as our #1 receiver. How many NFL wide receivers catch the ball with their chest?

...

You guys can't tell me, out of all the members here who evaluate talent that you don't notice or see how inadequate catching the ball with your chest is. I blame coaching for this just as I blame them for Bryant constantly not switching the ball to his sideline arm.

There's a couple of the most beautiful touchdown receptions from this year. Text book high pointing of the ball with his hands out.

A receiver can't catch every single pass with perfect form. Fuller should be criticized for some drops this past season but acting like he catches everything with his chest is not only completely false but just a super weird thing to nit pick when he made a lot amazing catches this year with just his hands.

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

Bottom line is that he provides us a quality that scares defenses and gives them something they need to plan around, which in his case is blowing the top off of defenses and being a homerun threat in the screen game. People think of #1's as the Michael Floyd type, but Fuller is more of a DeSean Jackson. He might never out-muscle or outjump DB's, but he's still a threat on every play and should give DC's nightmares. A perfect playcall can be negated if he beats his man and gets into the open field.

Basically there are a number of types of players that can threaten defenses, and your big-bodied traditional #1 WR isn't the only one. There are red-zone threats, there are deep-ball burners, there are multi-threat players in the slot/backfield. Fuller is definitely a considerable asset to this offense. His only issues are his size and that he's a body catcher as far as I can tell.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

There's a couple of the most beautiful touchdown receptions from this year. Text book high pointing of the ball with his hands out.

A receiver can't catch every single pass with perfect form. Fuller should be criticized for some drops this past season but acting like he catches everything with his chest is not only completely false but just a super weird thing to nit pick when he made a lot amazing catches this year with just his hands.

To be fair, those were all over his head. He'd have to have a Lebron-like vertical to make his chest touch those balls.

But I agree with your overall point.

 

[pkt77242]

There's a couple of the most beautiful touchdown receptions from this year. Text book high pointing of the ball with his hands out.

A receiver can't catch every single pass with perfect form. Fuller should be criticized for some drops this past season but acting like he catches everything with his chest is not only completely false but just a super weird thing to nit pick when he made a lot amazing catches this year with just his hands.

What? He also dropped a fair number of easy passes as well. Fuller is a very good receiver who could be great if he would be more consistent with using his hands to catch the ball.

Really weird that you say that he should be criticized for some drops this past season but then say that nitpicking how sometimes he doesn't catch with his hands is super weird. Um, most of his drops happened when he let the ball get into his chest, so shouldn't that be what we focus our criticism on?

 

[BossTown]

Now find a picture of him running a slant or a hook and receiving the ball away from his body. Good luck! Golsons arm strength probably is a factor but what does that tell you? Shouldn't a true #1 be able to catch a laser? maybe he should turn up the jug machine. I am a Fuller fan I just get a little concerned when I see him as our #1 WR for the next few years if he continues to catch balls the way he does. We throw the ball at a very high rate and he was our main target rightfully so he is our best route runner and creates the best separation of course he is going to get the stats. The real question here is on 4th and 5 would you throw to him on a hook route? I would not

 

[BGIF]

I am not complaining about the production we received from his play. I am saying that he is very replaceable as our #1 receiver. How many NFL wide receivers catch the ball with their chest?

"Very replaceable" Hyperbolize much?

Fuller has 14 TD catches. Tied for 2nd in the NATION with Amari Cooper.

In ND history there have only been 3 receivers have caught more TDs in a season ... one more. The ND record is 15 by McKnight, Samardzija, and Tate.

71 Catches as a SOPHOMORE. ND only has about a half dozen players or seasons where and ND player caught more than 71, Gatewood 77, Samardzija 77 & 78, Tate 93, Floyd, 100.

ND has had ten 1,000 yds in a season receivers, Fuller has the 8th most yards and with a game to go and could pass a few more.

Most all of those record setting receiving seasons were accomplished by Seniors and Juniors not as a True Sophomore.

Someone noted earlier that Fuller was frequently wide open and Golson didn't see him. It's interesting that while Fuller caught 71 balls/14TDs, Amari Cooper, the recognized target in Alabama's attack caught 101 balls/14TDs. Fuller had 5.8 catches per game while Cooper had 8.8. Had Fuller been targeted as much as Cooper was his receptions per game would have risen correspondingly. At 3 more receptions per game Fuller would be in the nation's Top 3 in most receiving categories. One place Fuller lagged was yds/catch. He only had 14.4 ... the same as Heisman Finalist Amari Cooper.

Not too shabby for a kid, a true sophomore, without the best mechanics. Most players don't hit their prime until their junior and/or senior season. See Brown, Floyd, Tate, Samardzija, Mayes, Gatewood, and a host of OTHER #1 receivers.


I don't know how many NFL players catch with their chest and I don't care as it's irrelevant. This is college football where guys improve their game as they grow in size, strength, experience, and maturity.


Fuller is only going to get better but he's already performed, as a sophomore, better than most ND receviers have in their careers.

 

[BGIF]

Now find a picture of him running a slant or a hook and receiving the ball away from his body. Good luck! Golsons arm strength probably is a factor but what does that tell you? Shouldn't a true #1 be able to catch a laser? maybe he should turn up the jug machine. I am a Fuller fan I just get a little concerned when I see him as our #1 WR for the next few years if he continues to catch balls the way he does. We throw the ball at a very high rate and he was our main target rightfully so he is our best route runner and creates the best separation of course he is going to get the stats. The real question here is on 4th and 5 would you throw to him on a hook route? I would not

You're clutching at smaller straws with each post.

First he wasn't very good and can easily be passed by unnamed others. He catches the ball with his chest but Rocket provides visible proof to the contrary. Now he needs the jug machine despite a record setting season.

Now you've morphed your arguement into Fuller being the "our #1 WR for the next few years" I'm sorry I though he was to be easily surplanted? Which is it?

"He is our best route runner" ... and ... "creates the best separation" WOW that kinda sounds like the dare I say it, #1 WR!

And as for your hypothetical 4th and 5, everybody in the stadium knows the ball is going to be thrown high to Robinson in that situation. And that's why I would have the QB pump fake to Robby and hit Fuller for the score.

 

[kmoose]

Even with his drops, he garnered All-American recognition as a true sophomore! I don't know the last time we had that?

Floyd broke his collarbone, sophomore year, and missed a bunch of games. Had he not missed those games, I think it is probably safe to say that he would have gotten some AA love.

I assume that, when you asked this question, you were talking about WRs only? Because Manti Teo was honorable mention AA, his sophomore season.

 

[Irish Insanity]

"Very replaceable" Hyperbolize much?

Fuller has 14 TD catches. Tied for 2nd in the NATION with Amari Cooper.

In ND history there have only been 3 receivers have caught more TDs in a season ... one more. The ND record is 15 by McKnight, Samardzija, and Tate.

71 Catches as a SOPHOMORE. ND only has about a half dozen players or seasons where and ND player caught more than 71, Gatewood 77, Samardzija 77 & 78, Tate 93, Floyd, 100.

ND has had ten 1,000 yds in a season receivers, Fuller has the 8th most yards and with a game to go and could pass a few more.

Most all of those record setting receiving seasons were accomplished by Seniors and Juniors not as a True Sophomore.

Someone noted earlier that Fuller was frequently wide open and Golson didn't see him. It's interesting that while Fuller caught 71 balls/14TDs, Amari Cooper, the recognized target in Alabama's attack caught 101 balls/14TDs. Fuller had 5.8 catches per game while Cooper had 8.8. Had Fuller been targeted as much as Cooper was his receptions per game would have risen correspondingly. At 3 more receptions per game Fuller would be in the nation's Top 3 in most receiving categories. One place Fuller lagged was yds/catch. He only had 14.4 ... the same as Heisman Finalist Amari Cooper.

Not too shabby for a kid, a true sophomore, without the best mechanics. Most players don't hit their prime until their junior and/or senior season. See Brown, Floyd, Tate, Samardzija, Mayes, Gatewood, and a host of OTHER #1 receivers.


I don't know how many NFL players catch with their chest and I don't care as it's irrelevant. This is college football where guys improve their game as they grow in size, strength, experience, and maturity.


Fuller is only going to get better but he's already performed, as a sophomore, better than most ND receviers have in their careers.

/discussion.

 

[Rocket89]

Now find a picture of him running a slant or a hook and receiving the ball away from his body. Good luck! Golsons arm strength probably is a factor but what does that tell you? Shouldn't a true #1 be able to catch a laser? maybe he should turn up the jug machine. I am a Fuller fan I just get a little concerned when I see him as our #1 WR for the next few years if he continues to catch balls the way he does. We throw the ball at a very high rate and he was our main target rightfully so he is our best route runner and creates the best separation of course he is going to get the stats. The real question here is on 4th and 5 would you throw to him on a hook route? I would not

I'll give you a video instead.

TubeChop - FB vs. Purdue Highlights (00:11)

It's pretty clear you have some weird vendetta against Fuller.

 

[Rocket89]

What? He also dropped a fair number of easy passes as well. Fuller is a very good receiver who could be great if he would be more consistent with using his hands to catch the ball.

Really weird that you say that he should be criticized for some drops this past season but then say that nitpicking how sometimes he doesn't catch with his hands is super weird. Um, most of his drops happened when he let the ball get into his chest, so shouldn't that be what we focus our criticism on?

He was saying that Fuller doesn't catch the ball with his hands. Ever. He can't do it. That's completely false.

Drops are going to happen to every receiver. Does Fuller need to improve on using his hands to catch the ball? Sure, but what receiver doesn't? He did drop a few balls right off his hands and a couple other drops got in on his body. It happens. But when he can go up and make tough catches in traffic--using his hands--as he did with consistency all season it's really not that big of a deal.

Certainly not the the hyperbolic level the poster took it where he's saying Fuller can't catch the ball a certain way or that he wouldn't throw Fuller a slant because of it. It's really one of the most ridiculous things I've read on here.

 

[BossTown]

Rocket if it makes you feel better I will remove the very from very replaceable. My point is simply that I will not consider him a legit #1 until he learns and proves he can catch the ball consistently away from his body. Trust me not one person hopes he figures it out more than me. It would save me some vocal cords for the rest of the weekends.....

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Part of the disconnect here is the gap between "#1" and "among the best #1s." Treadwell is a top-tier #1, and I think our idea of Greenberry, at least, is that he is as well. Assuming the injury doesn't change Treadwell, I think we expect both to not just be drafted (a feat 30 WRs achieve each year) but be drafted at the top of the draft. That would put them among the top 10 to 15 WRs in the country, or approximately the top 10% of all #1s.

I don't think anyone would argue that Fuller's got a ton of work to do before he's in that class. Instead it's that that standard doesn't capture the full universe of #1s. Fuller is 19th in receiving yards, tied for 2nd in TDs, and tied for 27th in receptions. And he's done that as a sophomore. He's not looked like a big, dominant #1 doing that; he's looked like a very good, fast #1 with shaky hands, occasional concentration lapses, fantastic speed, and elite vision. He reminds me a bit of Kenny Stills. I'd call that a legit #1, just not an elite #1.

I watched Houston play this year and the analyst (can't remember who it was) noted that while Deontay is talented, he's prone to a fair amount of drops. Don't know the numbers on this but he pointed it out right after Greenberry dropped a sure TD.

 

[Irish YJ]

+1. Chris Brown was way over hyped.

hmmm. wasn't he a 3 star under the radar kind of guy. I know BK hyped him, but didn't think there was a lot of rumbling when he committed.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Floyd broke his collarbone, sophomore year, and missed a bunch of games. Had he not missed those games, I think it is probably safe to say that he would have gotten some AA love.

I assume that, when you asked this question, you were talking about WRs only? Because Manti Teo was honorable mention AA, his sophomore season.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas.

I was only talking about WRs but I appreciate the facts. The more I hear them, the more apt I am to remember for another month before I forget again, ha ha.

 

[PANDFAN]

I watched Houston play this year and the analyst (can't remember who it was) noted that while Deontay is talented, he's prone to a fair amount of drops. Don't know the numbers on this but he pointed it out right after Greenberry dropped a sure TD.

i watched that very same game...it was a thursday/fri game....he had several drops

 

[Crazy Balki]

In addition, why isn't there a Fuller highlight vid. I understand that Folston doesn't have many "big-time" plays to his name, but that can't be said for Fuller. He was one of the best receivers in the country last year.

 

[GBdomer]

In addition, why isn't there a Fuller highlight vid. I understand that Folston doesn't have many "big-time" plays to his name, but that can't be said for Fuller. He was one of the best receivers in the country last year.

No one has made one yet?

 

[Crazy Balki]

No one has made one yet?

Not on Youtube at least. Searched it and got goose egg.

 

[ResLife Hero]

Fuller's Dominant 2014 Season in Perspective - NFL Combine Style - Irish Sports Daily

Here is how Fuller’s second season compared to that of the top receivers in the upcoming draft:

Will Fuller, Notre Dame: 76 rec, 1094 yards, 14.4 avg, 15 TD’s
Amari Cooper, Alabama: 45 rec, 736 yards, 4 TD’s
Kevin White, West Virginia: 36 rec, 535 yards, 6 TD’s (Lackawanna C.C.)
DeVante Parker, Louisville: 20 rec, 744 yards, 10 TD’s
Nelson Agholor, USC: 56 rec, 918 yards, 6 TD’s
Jaelen Strong, Arizona State: 67 rec, 1263 yards, 15 TD’s (Pierce C.C.)
Devin Smith, Ohio State: 30 rec, 618 yards, 6 TD’s
Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri: 59 rec, 883 yards, 12 TD’s
Devin Funchess, Michigan: 49 rec, 748 yards, 6 TD’s
Phillip Dorsett, Miami (FL): 58 rec, 842 yards, 4 TD’s
Sammie Coates, Auburn: 6 rec, 114 yards, 2 TD’s
Breshad Perriman, UCF: 26 rec, 388 yards, 3 TD’s
Ty Montgomery, Stanford: 26 rec, 213 yards, 0 TD’s
Justin Hardy, East Carolina: 64 rec, 658 yards, 6 TD’s
Stefon Diggs, Maryland: 34 rec, 587 yards, 3 TD’s
Tyler Lockett, Kansas State: 44 rec, 692 yards, 4 TD’s
Tony Lippett, Michigan State: 4 rec, 44 yards, 0 TD’s – 18 tackles (CB)
Devante Davis, UNLV: 61 rec, 854 yards, 4 TD’s
Antwan Goodley, Baylor: 2 rec, 26 yards, 0 TD’s
Kenny Bell, Nebraska: 50 rec, 863 yards, 8 TD’s

That’s quite impressive. The only player who had numbers better than Fuller was Jaelen Strong, who put up his numbers at Pierce Community College.

 

[scUM Hater]

Fuller's Dominant 2014 Season in Perspective - NFL Combine Style - Irish Sports Daily

"But he isn't a #1 reciever"-says alot of guys here.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Problem is he is humble, hard working, and not a bod-squad, date the hookers kind of guy.

 

[ACamp1900]

Cooper only had four TDs last year???

 

[jimmymac]

Yeah that's nor right lol. Cooper went for 1700 yards and 16 TD...

Though I bet the article is about all of the players sophomore seasons, which isn't as impressive a comparison, though still impressive nonetheless.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Problem is he is humble, hard working, and not a bod-squad, date the hookers kind of guy.

So that means Justin Brent is our #1 in 2015?

Yeah that's nor right lol. Cooper went for 1700 yards and 16 TD...

That was 2014. 2013 he had a rather disappointing year, but he was hurt for most of it.

 

[CanadalovesND]

So that means Justin Brent is our #1 in 2015?



That was 2014. 2013 he had a rather disappointing year, but he was hurt for most of it.

He might have played hurt a few games, but he did play in 11 games in 2013.

 

[Grahambo]

Its great to see but keep expectations realistic. We could be looking at slightly different looking offense with more weapons available then last season to include a new OC who ran the ball 54% of the time last year.

And if he does put up lesser numbers then this season, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Just keep your head down Will and keep working hard.

 

[BobbyMac]

That must be comparing Fuller's stats this year to the sophomore years for the other listed players. Two of two of the guys are showing juco stats.

*Note to self... Always F5 if you've stepped away from the screen for a while. So this ^ doesn't happen.

.