Catching On The Rise – Hoosier Receivers Have Lofty Aspirations

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Whop Philyor is unconventional, and not just because he's named for a certain fast food hamburger.

Indiana's junior receiver has a way with words, a way to make you laugh and think before you question.

And, of course, a way to draw attention whenever he catches a pass.

For instance, press coverage is coming his way.

His response:

Bring it on.

"I love press coverage," Philyor says with a laugh. "It's like you're in a fight. Football players love to fight. We love physical things. When it's one on one, that's what we want every play."

For the 5-11 Philyor, getting what he wants means using his vocal cords as much as his legs.

"I talk to everybody on the field," he says with another laugh.

What's his message?

"That you can't guard me. That you've got to cover me every play."

If you think this sparks on-field conversations with defensive backs, think again.

"They usually don't say anything," he says.

Philyor is not the player you might remember. For one thing, he is steeled by an injury plagued sophomore season that limited him to seven games. For another, he has a new number -- 1 instead of 22 ("I felt 22 was bad luck. I wanted to go back to my old high school number"). For still another, at 178 pounds, he's two pounds lighter than last year, and faster, although he says "It doesn't feel like it."

The goal is to have a career season. Last year, Philyor totaled 23 catches and 235 yards and a touchdown, including a monster game against Michigan with 13 catches for 148 yards and a 65-yard TD. As a freshman in 11 games, he had 33 catches for 335 yards and three touchdowns.

A difference-making season, he says, starts with leadership.

"I can make a bigger impact by being a better leader. I'm an upperclassman. Lead the younger guys. Help them do the little things right.

"It's all about doing the small things. Study the playbook. Always watch film. If you do the small things right, you'll be successful."

Offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer stresses that approach, and Philyor is all in.

"Coach DeBoer challenges receivers. We don't usually bring our notebooks. Bring our notebooks. We're holding everybody accountable. He knows we have the talent to do the things on the field. He wants us to do the things off the field to make us better."

Receivers coach Grant Heard pushes the same message. His job is to get his receivers to implement it.

It helps to have fast receivers, which he does, but getting open depends on more than speed.

That's where teaching comes in.

For instance, Heard says he once had a receiver get drafted in the NFL's first round despite an unimpressive 4.6-second time in the 40-yard dash.

Why? Because the player knew how to get open.

"To me, it's not how fast you can run the 40, it's what you do at the line of scrimmage," Heard says. "Can you win at the line of scrimmage? That's what creates your separation. There ain't many 4.3s out there. I know people think there's a bunch of them, but there's not many."

Still, IU's receivers are faster, and Heard credits the strength and conditioning staff.

"They've done an awesome job with my guys," he says.

That's among the reasons why receivers have lofty aspirations.

Seniors Nick Westbrook (42 catches, 590 yards, 4 touchdowns last season) and Donavan Hale (42, 508, 6) rate as one of Big Ten's best receiving tandems. Philyor, junior Ty Fryfogle (29, 381, 3) and redshirt freshman Miles Marshall have plenty of talent.

"We have a lot of depth in our room," Hale says. "Our confidence is at an all-time high. We've been working harder than we've ever worked. We're faster, stronger, pretty much all across the board. We're just better."

Heard is well aware of what he has, and if his receivers believe they have the potential to rate among the nation's best, he won't argue, but he will give them the blue print for success.

"Do their job and do it to the best of their availability, every play," he says. "There is a bunch of talent in this room. The key is to do it every play and to have every snap be the best. That's my job to get them to do that and, if they do that, we have a chance to be one of the best groups in the country."

Youth is part of that. Freshmen Jordan Jakes and David Ellis are pushing hard to crack the rotation, not just for the four games allowed to maintain redshirt status, but beyond.

Heard is all for it. He says he's maybe redshirted three freshmen in 11 years of coaching.

"As long as I feel comfortable with them knowing the offense, they'll play."

Consider the 6-5 Jakes, who never lost a high school game while playing in Georgia and Maryland.

He can wow by catching passes despite fierce defensive coverage or frustrate by committing pass interference while making those catches.

That leads to animated conversations with Heard, a coach very much committed to accountability and fast development.

As far as the quarterback competition with Peyton Ramsey, Michael Penix Jr. and Jack Tuttle, Heard says it's all good from a receiver perspective.

"It does make a difference in that you have two right-handed guys (Ramsey and Tuttle) and a lefty (Penix), so the ball spins differently, but at the end of the day, we don't care. Whatever ball is thrown to us, catch it."

That's fine with the 6-4, 218-pound Hale.

"This is the healthiest I've been. I have to make every play possible. Last year I left a few plays on the field I should have had. I have to make every play."

Hale missed nine games in 2017 because of injury, and says he's tougher because of it.

"When you're out and not playing, you get down on yourself, but you have to realize there's a bigger purpose. You know what you have to do and where you have to be. When you love the game, it's not something challenging. You want to do it every day."

Hale really wants to do it in this offense.

"We have a lot of down-the-field plays. This is the most I've been moving around on motion and stuff. I like it a lot.

"We're trying to get the ball in the end zone. There's a big sense of urgency."

And, perhaps, an even bigger chance the receivers will lead the way.

"Everybody is making plays," Westbrook says. "We have a lot of depth, a lot of playmakers that can just fly around the ball. We can make plays all over the field.

"I'm really happy about our depth. The last couple years we have struggled to have people stay healthy through camp. Fortunately, so far, knock on wood, everyone has been able to stay healthy going into this first game. So I'm really excited to see what we are going to do this season."

Indiana University Athletics

Catching On The Rise – Hoosier Receivers Have Lofty Aspirations

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Players Mentioned

David Ellis

Ty Fryfogle

Donavan Hale

Jordan Jakes

Miles Marshall

Michael Penix Jr.

Whop Philyor

Peyton Ramsey

Jack Tuttle

Nick Westbrook

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