Florida State football enters preseason camp still searching for No. 1 option at receiver

Florida State wide receivers coach Ron Dugans couldn’t articulate his feelings about Winston Wright Jr. without pausing a couple times.

Speaking about the West Virginia transfer had him on the verge of tears.

The resilience Wright has shown while recovering from a car accident in March – which left him with a significant leg injury that required surgery – continues to inspire Dugans and many others within the Seminole football program.

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“I get a little emotional when I talk about him,” Dugans told a group of reporters during FSU’s football media luncheon Tuesday. “Because when that happens to a young man who transfers in, has expectations, wants to play and that happens to him, when you get a chance to see how he’s handling things, it inspires you as well as a coach and mentor.”

When he joined the Seminoles this offseason, Wright brought the potential to immediately emerge as their top receiver. With the Mountaineers last season, Wright recorded a team-high 688 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 63 catches. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.

With FSU starting preseason camp Wednesday, the timeline for Wright’s return remains unclear to the public. But Wright seems to be progressing through his rehabilitation process faster than initially expected. He has benefited from spending a considerable amount of time receiving treatment in the training room.

“He’s been awesome,” Dugans said. “With the way he’s handled adversity. With the way he’s responded to adversity. His positive attitude every day. There hasn’t been a day where he comes in and hasn’t felt good.

“Every day, you see the kid in the training room and on the football field catching balls. It’s always been positive. It’s been really great to have him and see his response."

For their passing game to reach another level this season, the Seminoles needed a No. 1 receiver like Wright to keep opposing defenses honest. Without Wright, though, FSU lacks a healthy player who has eclipsed 400 receiving yards in a season.

The Seminole coaching staff knows how important it is that a receiver emerges during Wright’s absence.

“The receiver group are the leaders of the team, because those guys are allowing everybody to have success,” FSU offensive coordinator Alex Atkins said. “The O-line, the running backs, the tight ends. Everybody has to be right for them to be right. So they are leading the team. They are the most vulnerable position to get the ball.”

Preseason camp gives the Seminoles a final opportunity to find their top receiver. Below is a closer look at a few of the most promising options.

Ontaria “Pokey” Wilson

FSU head coach Mike Norvell singled out Wilson when discussing the current state of the receiver group.

“He’s coming into this fall camp with a different body,” Norvell said. “I don’t know what he was advertised as last year, but he’s probably about 10 pounds heavier than he was last year. You see his leadership, his consistency, who he is and what he’s about. Seeing that growth. Seeing that emerge.

“I’m excited to see him this fall in those one-on-one (coverage) opportunities.”

Under Norvell, Wilson has been the most consistent receiver on the Seminoles. The sixth-year senior led the team in receiving in each of the last two seasons. But Wilson didn’t exactly establish himself as a true No. 1 receiver. He still needs to win one-on-one battles and stretch the field vertically on a more consistent basis.

Now listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, Wilson finally might have the strength necessary to be more of a dynamic receiver.

“That will help him be more durable,” Dugans said. “The impact, the hitting, tackling and stuff like that. It also helps you be physical at the line of scrimmage getting off press coverage, catching the football and having strong hands. So that will help his different phases, being a bigger and stronger player.”

Mycah Pittman

Maybe no receiver on FSU’s roster had a better spring than Pittman.

The Oregon transfer displayed alpha-like qualities with his ability to consistently win one-on-one battles, catch jump balls in traffic and fight through tackles. What could make Pittman the most valuable, though, is his versatility. He’s capable of playing every receiver position.

“His role as far as being a multi-position guy, he’s smart enough to do it. He can do it,” Dugans said. “At first, he struggled a bit and had a couple brain farts. But he is smart enough to do it. He wants to do it, according to him. He’s come in and has done a really good job.

“His biggest thing is to not just know what to do, but the details in the assignments and what needs to be the focus. Because he will know what to do. He just has to make sure he’s got the details in those assignments.

“But he is a guy who, when you get the ball in his hands, he can break tackles and make plays for us. So I’m definitely excited about him.”

Johnny Wilson

At 6-foot-7, 235 pounds, the towering Wilson has the look of a player who could lead FSU in receiving touchdowns.

But to unlock his potential, Wilson will need to be more consistent. The Arizona State transfer seemed to have as many drops as impressive catches in the spring. Dugans explained the reason behind Wilson’s hot-and-cold play, along with how he plans to develop him into more of a reliable option.

“You could tell that he was still really raw,” Dugans said. “Dropped a couple balls. But you saw the size. I saw his size, and I was like, ‘Wow. This kid has a chance to be a dominant football player.’ When you see him in person, you are like, ‘He might be stiff. I don’t know.’

“But then when you actually see him run, sink his hips and change direction, it’s like – actually, I’m not going to say anything yet. Let me wait and see him get hit first, because without the pads, everybody looks good.

“The fundamental part of it, the footwork – he still needs to clean up some of the change of direction stuff, body control and just the mental part of it. The thing I’ve been challenging him with is just playing big every play.

“So if I have to piss him off on the sideline every play before he goes out there, that’s what I’m going to do. But he’s been challenged, and I know he’s ready for it.”

Malik McClain

A breakout season could be coming for McClain, who may have the highest long-term ceiling out of any receiver on the Seminoles.

Among the current receivers on the roster who signed with FSU out of high school, McClain ranked the highest as a recruit. And as a true freshman last season, McClain showed enough to immediately secure a featured role.

Still, McClain only caught 16 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns across 12 games. He will have to substantially increase that production to be considered a No. 1 receiver.

“He has taken ownership,” Dugans said. “And not only on the football field, but in the classroom as well. He has done a good job since the spring. The thing that Malik has been challenged with is, no matter what, just play the next play. Have a short-term memory.

“The kid has been doing a good job with his steps, footwork and catching the football. He has really improved with that. I’m excited with the energy that he brings.”

Reach Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @CarterKarels.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU receiver Winston Wright inspiring many in Seminole football program