South Florida Football: Two-deep 2017 depth chart projection
By Zach Bigalke
Receivers
Starting receivers: Marquez Valdes-Scanting, Tyre McCants, Chris Barr
Backups: Darnell Salomon, Ryeshene Bronson, Kevaughn Dingle
Top receiver Rodney Adams is gone from the 2016 roster. After moving to the slot last season, Adams featured as Quinton Flowers‘ favorite target in 2016. The end result was a fifth-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2017 NFL Draft.
That opens the door for receivers Marquez Valdes-Scanting and Tyre McCants to see more passes in 2017. Valdes-Scanting tied with Adams for the team lead with five touchdowns receptions last year. He could see more downfield throws in the upcoming season as Flowers expands his portfolio for NFL scouts.
At the slot position, Chris Barr looks ready to win back the starting role at slot receiver that he held in 2015. He was supplanted by Adams after the positional shift, but Barr could thrive in the new system. True freshman Kevaughn Dingle, a heralded three-star recruit from Miami, will also be worked into the offense this year at the slot position.
Starting tight end: Mitchell Wilcox
Backups: Elkanah Dillon
Last season, Mitchell Wilcox earned a second-team All-AAC selection at tight end as a redshirt freshman. Wilcox earned the starting role midway through the season, and proved especially dangerous as a blocker. Expect him to catch more passes this season as well. He will split time with redshirt junior Elkanah Dillon, who lost the starting job to Wilcox after five games but is still a threat in his own right.