Carson-Newman Football Position Previews: The Wide Receivers
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the fourth part in an eight-part series breaking down Carson-Newman football’s positions for the 2021 season. Bret Story chronicles the wide receivers in this feature.
VIDEO: Bret Story Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is the fourth part in an eight-part series breaking down Carson-Newman football's positions for the 2021 season. Bret Story chronicles the wide receivers in this feature.
Arguably the deepest position on Carson-Newman's football team for 2021, the Eagle wideouts are loaded with top-tier talent.
Braxton Westfield (Simponsville, S.C.) returns after a stellar 2019 where he became Carson-Newman's first first-team all-conference and all-region wideout in a decade and the first since Reggie Hubbard earned a spot on the first team in 2009. In his second career game as a Carson-Newman football player, Westfield put his name in the record books. In a week two loss to Wingate, Westfield grabbed three passes, all for touchdowns, for a whopping 169 yards receiving. His scores traversed 81, 53 and 35 yards. The 81-yard catch is the seventh longest reception in school history. His 169 yards are the 10th highest single-game total in school history and the third most of the option era.
"He's a big body," Story said. "He catches the ball well and runs well. He's a physical kid who plays fast and belongs on Sundays."
Additionally, his 56.3 yards per catch are the most of any wide out with three catches or more in a single game and the fourth most among players with two or more receptions. His three touchdown catches are also tied a school record. For the year, Westfield has 36 catches for 680 yards. He set an option-era record for receptions with a 10-catch, 139-yard day against Lenoir-Rhyne. Westfield has found the end zone 11 times this season, the second most receiving touchdowns by an Eagle in a single season all-time and the most in the option era.
The Eagles have loads of additional size on the outside between Austin Peay transfer Gorel Soumare (New Market, Tenn.), JJ Lewis (Tampa, Fla.) and Romain Kelly (Spartanburg, S.C.).
"We are deep at the position," Story said. "If we're having a bad day or not doing well, we've got another guy who can step up."
All three players are at least 6-3 and 195 pounds.
Soumare caught 472 yards worth of passes at Austin Peay to go with three touchdowns.
As a sophomore, Kelly started in all 12 games for Carson-Newman, his 17-catch, 363-yard season would have led the Eagles in receiving in six of the previous 11 seasons if not for Braxton Westfield's breakout sophomore campaign. Kelly's best day came at Limestone (11/9) when he brought in three passes for 68 yards, including a game-saving 50-yard reception on Carson-Newman's game-winning drive. He appeared on Sportscenter for a one-handed 52-yard catch against UNC Pembroke (10/5). Kelly found the end zone once on the year, with a 29 yard TD catch against UVa-Wise (9/28).
Kelly caught four passes for 60 yards, an average of 15 per catch, in Carson-Newman's 40-37 four-OT game at UVA Wise.
"It helps us because opposing teams will have to double guys up and they won't be able to stack the box," Story said. "They all can play and they all have knick knacks that make them just a little bit different. Everyone is going to key on Braxton, but that opens up JJ, Romain, Gorel and whoever is on the other side."
Meanwhile, Lewis registered a career-high 100-yards receiving in the Eagles' four-OT win at UVA Wise in the spring. He caught five passes to hit the century mark. He had a 57-yard TD catch that pushed the Eagles' into the lead in the fourth quarter. In 2019, he appeared in seven games as a reserve member of Carson-Newman's receiving corps. Lewis caught his only pass of the year against his former team, West Florida (9/5) on opening night for seven yards.
Korey Waters (Bradenton, Fla.) and Tydricus Hellams (Greenville, S.C.) add tons of depth on the outside.
While size defines Carson-Newman's outside wide receivers, speed defines the interior.
Leonte Dudley (Harvey, Ill.) and Devon Moore (Baxley, Ga.) both have high-end speed.
"It's hard to explain just how fast they are. I really didn't believe how quick they were until I saw it in practice," Story said. "It's funny, they can go about 75 percent and beat just about everyone on the field. Then, when they kick it into second gear, it's a huge difference."
Moore, the fastest man in college football, is a 10-time All-American with Carson-Newman's track and field program. He has a career best 100 meter time of 10.12 seconds. He already has a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to his name. Dudley caught two passes for 94 yards and a touchdown against UVA Wise. His 89-yard touchdown catch from Trey Mitchell registers as the third-longest catch in Carson-Newman football history.
Luke Simpson (Knoxville, Tenn.), a four-time all-region wide receiver at CAK will also see time at the position.
Carson-Newman football's position previews resume Friday with the defensive line.
