New-Look WR Room Catching On For Miami Football

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When Joe Wilkins Jr. says something three times in a row, you'd better pay attention.

Talk to the transfer redshirt senior wideout after a fall practice, and it doesn't take long to figure out that when Wilkins is excited about something, he'll repeat it for emphasis.

"I love the game. I love the game. I love the game," Wilkins said. "I knew that this was a place for me where I could come and play right away. That's what I wanted to do. I could have stayed at Notre Dame another year…and possibly caught 10, 12, 15 balls, but I wanted to come and I wanted to play my last year of football. I love the game."

It's also clear that Wilkins is excited about the Miami RedHawks' wide receiver room in 2023. After all, Reggie Virgil is 'explosive, explosive, explosive.' And the list of talents goes on (and on and on!) from there.

Reggie Virgil and Javon Tracy — Reggie Virgil (L) and Javon Tracy (R) are several of the
WRs looking to fill the shoes of 'Walk' and 'Hip' in 2023

Wilkins is far from alone in his assessment; that optimistic outlook for the new-look WR unit is shared throughout the Miami program. Although several productive players from the past few seasons have graduated, taking more than half of the RedHawks' 2022 receptions with them, that means an opportunity for the playmakers in this year's group to step up and replace a Jalen Walker or Mac Hippenhammer.

"My expectation is that our receivers will be really good this year," head coach Chuck Martin said. "We are a long way from being that group, but I believe we're going to be that group.

"We're going to surprise some people with the level of play," he continued. "You lose your top three guys over two years – between Walk, Hip and [Jack] Sorenson, I don't want to know how many catches have left the building (editor's note: 396 combined career receptions!) – but I think it's going to be a really good group.

"We have a lot of trust and faith in those kids to get the job done."

Veteran quarterback Brett Gabbert agreed. "That wide receiver room is unbelievable," Gabbert said. "They're a group of special guys. Honestly, they're probably the deepest the wide receiver room has ever been…you saw in spring ball: they make a ton of plays, and they're doing that already in fall camp.

"It's going to be an exciting season."

Wilkins, who made 31 appearances for the Fighting Irish from 2018-2022, is one of several new faces expected to contribute this fall, including former Southeastern Louisiana standout Gage Larvadain. The 2021 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, Larvadain was named All-Conference in his rookie season as both a wideout and kick returner, and followed that up with 59 catches for 731 yards in 2022 while averaging more than 25 yards per kickoff return.

What can Miami fans expect from Larvadain when the season kicks off next month at Miami (Fla.)? Well, he's electric in the open field, and his philosophy is simple: "Never let the first guy make the tackle." The 5-foot-10 speedster played both FCS football and Division I basketball at Southeastern, appearing in 11 games as a freshman for the Lions' hoops team, and credits his hardwood experience with helping develop his gridiron skills.

"Those two sports overlap a lot," Larvadain explained, specifically mentioning the similarities in footwork from one sport to the other. "In football, you play one play, get a 20-second break, and then play another play. In basketball, you keep going, and that makes you think a lot faster…I think that's where I get my quickness from and my ability to think fast."

Larvadain has appreciated the versatility of his fellow receivers and is eager to show where he fits into that mix. "We've got bigger guys that can jump up and go get the ball and run across the middle. Fearless guys. Guys that can run past people…

"We just have the mindset of trying to be the best group in the building every day."

Wilkins, Larvadain and Michigan State transfer Cade McDonald join a group of wideouts in Oxford that includes up-and-comers like Virgil and Javon Tracy and is led by redshirt senior Miles Marshall.

Marshall, who ranked second on the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns a year ago after transferring from Indiana, is looking forward to making an even greater impact in his final collegiate season.

His game-winning 34-yard touchdown grab with 1:42 to play in the 2022 regular-season finale lifted Miami to a comeback victory over Ball State and helped the RedHawks secure bowl eligibility for the sixth time in seven seasons.

"I didn't feel like I was having a good year at all to my standard," said Marshall, who made 57 catches for the Hoosiers from 2019-2021. "I think that play topped it off a bit and put me in the right direction to push me forward to having a great season this year…

"I was an experienced player last year, but it was still a new environment…I feel like the game's slowing down [now] and I'm doing better."

Miles Marshall Touchdown Catch — *Marshall's game-winning catch against Ball State sent Miami to a bowl*

"Miles is our leader," said Larvadain. "We look up to him; we go as he goes."

Martin raved about how much Marshall has improved since joining the Red and White. "[You can see] how much his game has grown," Martin said. "What he did the first year was really awesome, but now you get a whole offseason with him, and he's got his feet underneath him. He had a monstrous spring too."

The RedHawks have produced an All-MAC receiver in each of the past three seasons, and Marshall intends to be part of extending that streak in 2023.

"When I came into college, I wanted to be First-Team All-Conference, and I haven't gotten close to that yet," said Marshall.

With plenty of capable targets for Gabbert to choose from on every snap, there should be a plethora of opportunities, catches and big numbers to go around. And the RedHawks hope the results show up on the scoreboard as they chase the program's 17th MAC championship.

"We're going to be really deep this year," Marshall said. "I feel like the receiver room as a whole is probably going to be one of the strongest rooms in the building.

"There's going to be some fireworks this year for sure!"

Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures

Tickets for the upcoming Miami Football season are on sale now. Come meet the 2023 RedHawks and watch practice at Kickoff with the Community on Saturday, August 19 in Yager Stadium! Gates open at 9 a.m. that day, and practice will start around 11 a.m.

New-Look WR Room Catching On For Miami Football

Players Mentioned

Brett Gabbert

Mac Hippenhammer

Gage Larvadain

Miles Marshall

Cade McDonald

Javon Tracy

Reggie Virgil

Jalen Walker

Joe Wilkins Jr.

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