With only eight scholarship wide receivers, the depth at the position has been a concern of offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s this preseason.

Nonetheless, Bobo continues to be impressed with the quality of that depth, even if it may not be as deep as he’d prefer.

“The whole time I’ve been concerned about the quantity of numbers, but I feel good about the quality of guys. Those guys really did a great job of working hard and are in shape,” Bobo said. “They’re really busting their tails, working hard, they’re hardly hitting any loafs, and because they’re in shape, they’re getting better every day, and I really see a big improvement in their play. I feel real good about them.”

One move to improve the wide receiver depth was allowing Logan Gray to play the position, a move that has proved productive thus far, although Gray sprained his ankle in Tuesday’s practice and was forced to sit out Wednesday with a boot on his foot.

“Logan already had a knowledge of the passing game, but just his improvement daily at the wide receiver position has been very impressive to us as a staff,” Bobo said. “He probably had the best day he’s had since he’s been here yesterday until he had that ankle sprain.”

Another wide receiver impressing this offseason — besides the obvious references

besides the obvious references toward A.J. Green — has been sophomore Marlon Brown, who came in last season after being highly rated out of high school but took some time adjusting to the college game. Brown missed much of the spring with a shoulder injury, but has made up for the lost time this preseason.

Despite few wide receivers, Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo is confident in the team's ability to play. PHOTO BY WES BLANKENSHIP.

“Marlon has done awesome,” Bobo said. “For one, he has been healthy, and he’s been out there for every practice. He’s a stronger kid, he’s a more flexible kid, and he’s got a better understanding of the offense. He’s made a lot of tough catches. I’m very pleased with the progress of Marlon.”

With the season opener less than three weeks away, defensive coaches are working on solidifying positions for the different players.

Grantham wants players comfortable at multiple positions

A major mainstay of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s preseason focus has been building as much depth as possible.

The method behind this concentration on depth is to figure out ways to put his best players on the field as often as possible.

As a result, Grantham has his “inside [linebackers] are playing both positions, outside [linebackers] are playing both positions, defensive ends are playing both sides, nose [tackles] are playing some defensive end, safeties are playing both spots.”

Grantham said they will continue to do that for the next couple of practices, but they’re “honing in on where some guys are going to start [the season at].”

“You’ve got to move them around and kind of go through some growing pains for a couple days to get them used to those positions, because down the road it’ll help you because it’ll give you more depth,” Grantham said.

As senior inside linebacker Akeem Dent continues to rehab a fractured foot that has sidelined him for much of the preseason, the coaching staff plans to work him back slowly.

But hopes remain he will be ready for the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette.

“Yet to be determined,” Grantham said when asked of how much Dent would play in the opener. “We’ll kind of see how the other guys progress and how he feels. He is an older guy, so I don’t think it would take him as long to get ready to play. I think that how we would play him, or if we would play him, would kind of depend on how he does.”