Season preview: A look at the FAMU's 2022 Rac Boyz 2.0
All they have to do is stick to the plan.
With key players returning this season, there is no expected drop-off in receiving in 2022 for Florida A&M football.
Monikered as the 'Rac Boyz 2.0' in honor of the original 'Rac Boyz' -- Jacquay Nunnally, Cainon Lamb, Cedric Mitchell and Demetris Bendrosssee in Billy Joe's Gulf Coast Offense - the unit annually has high expectations.
Let's see who will be hauling in passes for the 2022 Rattlers.
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Gang's all here
Four of the Rattlers' top five receivers from 2021 return: Xavier Smith, Jah'Marae Sheread, David Manigo, and Christopher Sanders II.
Chad Hunter graduated after catching 29 passes for 338 yards and a touchdown.
The Smith-Sheread duo is the main attraction as both placed in the top 15 in SWAC receiving yards.
Smith had 64 catches for 713 yards, and three touchdowns in 11 games. He became a FAMU icon in his All-American football career after scoring the game winning touchdown against Southern to edge them 27-21 in 2019.
Sheread had less receptions (55) and yards (622) than Smith, but scoredt nine times, tying for fourth in the conference while appearing in all 12 games. He had a game-breaking performance when he scored four touchdowns (three receiving, one punt return) in a 31-28 victory over Mississippi Valley College.
Manigo has the size at 6-foot-3. He had 31 receptions, 365 yards, and one touchdown in 10 games.
Sanders added 18 receptions for 182 yards in 11 games.
Darian Oxendine is also back for his junior season as the 5-foot-10, 170 pound receiver caught six passes in six games in 2021.
It's apparent that FAMU quarterbacks should have a multitude reliable options this season.
Who's new
Though there isn't a high demand for wide receivers for the Rattlers, they have a couple of new additions to the roster.
Trevonte Davis has made the jump from Division II entering his junior season.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder arrives to FAMU from Wayne State, where he had 38 catches, 686 receiving yards, and five touchdowns.
Ce'zaun Enge is a sophomore junior-college product. He is from Chicago and played at Minnesota State and Community College where he caught nine passes for 55 yards in 2018-19.
What could happen
It's simple -- run it back.
It's the last dance for Smith, Sheread, and Manigo.
Smith and Sheread are small, speedy receivers standing at 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10. This is where the supporting cast of Manigo and Davis can go vertical and take the top off of opposing defenses.
Sanders, Enge, and Oxendine all have the body similarities of Smith and Sheread.
The trio could be the connection of 2023. The snaps that they get will tell a lot about what's in store for them.
Surely Smith and Sheread will still field kicks and punts this season but with capable hands behind them, it should be no drawback in the event that they need to be relieved for a breather.
Gerald Thomas III covers FAMU athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Football: Main receiving core returns for final year with team
