Natalie Boydston / Staff Photographer / nb397205@ohiou.edu

Brandon Peterson (left) and Chris Garrett (right) are two of the 10 Bobcats vying for starting jobs as Ohio’s wide receiver.

Wide receivers coach Derek Mason wants a few good men.

And that’s all. Just a few.

Last season, up to seven different wide receivers could be seen on the field in any given game. The result? The team’s wideouts caught only three touchdowns, all by the departed William Norwood, and the team’s reception leader was tailback Kalvin McRae.

Mason thinks that by narrowing those that see playing time to a select few, the unit will become more effective, and in turn, a greater presence on the stat sheet.

“The best guys are going to be on the field playing,” Mason said. “I want my best two or three playmakers on the field. I’d like to see the percentage of balls for those guys playing to go up. Instead of having five guys catch 20 balls, I’d like to see two guys command the position and try to catch between 45 and 55 balls.”

Departing seniors Scott Mayle and Norwood led the 2006 wide receivers in both yards and catches last season. With his two leading pass-catchers gone, Mason is left with a pool of 10, mostly young, players vying for the top spots.

“We’re solid,” Mason said. “We got a couple guys who didn’t play at all last year, but when you look at the group, they’re all stepping up.”

One of the players Mason specifically pointed out as stepping up is the eldest and most experienced of the group, senior Justin Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has been running with the first team in practice and caught a 27-yard pass in the team’s first scrimmage of the spring on April 6.

“The competition is great,” Fitzgerald, who caught 15 passes for 115 yards last season, said. “We got a lot of talented guys this year. We’ve got a lot of size, a lot of talent and a lot of speed. Competition is going to bring the intensity up in spring ball.”

Sophomore Chris Garrett, who made a name for himself as one of the best punt returners in the nation last season, should be the team’s primary weapon in the slot. Listed as a wide receiver, Garrett is as much of a threat to run the ball as he is to catch it.

“I think me being in the slot opens up a few things,” Garrett said. “The defense may key in on me, but then the offense is spread out so Kalvin (McRae) will get his plays and the other receivers will open up. It works both ways.”

Whatever offensive position is analyzed on the 2007 Bobcats, McRae’s name always seems to pop up. In this case, it’s not only because the wideouts are responsible for blocking for the tailback, but McRae, himself, puts up wide receiver-like numbers.

McRae not only paced the Bobcats running attack last season, but also led the team in receptions. Even though Mason would like to see one of his guys lead the team in receptions in 2007, he realizes how important McRae is to the passing attack.

“Kalvin is 60 percent of our offense,” Mason said. “I don’t care how you slice it up. He’s the man. We’re going to get the ball to him as much as we can. But I think these guys (the wide receivers) will get their touches. Their time has come.”

Injury Update

Wide receiver Chido Nwokocha, who suffered a hip pointer in Saturday’s scrimmage, is expected to be back for Saturday’s Green & White game, coach Frank Solich said yesterday. Nwokocha actually wanted to be back by Wednesday’s practice, but Solich said that was doubtful.