Scott, Cox bring size, speed to Wyoming receiving corps

LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - Jared Scott and Avante' Cox are very different receivers, but they've made a similar amount of noise so far in fall camp.

The Illinois signees are being looked at as true freshmen who could potentially play in 2017.

At 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, Cox is a slot-type receiver in the vein of Austin Conway.

"Austin is by far the best person to imitate myself after," Cox said. "Because he has about the same size and same height and same acceleration as me."

Conway, a redshirt sophomore, isn't necessarily in jeopardy of losing snaps to Cox.

"Austin had a significant impact on our football team," head coach Craig Bohl said. "Austin will be our return guy, our slot guy. We may move him around some, but Avante' is a guy that's really showing promise."

But the two are dynamic players in similar packages. Wide receivers coach Mike Grant said they have "an extra gear." And Cox does have one advantage compared to where Conway was a year ago in his first fall camp.

"He's been a receiver for a long time in high school and knows it all versus Austin was a basketball (player and) quarterback," Grant said. "So being a wide receiver was totally all new to him. So just slight difference there, but it's the same type of player on the field. So, (they're) going to be electric with the ball in their hands in a little space."

Cox, who said he has played mainly in the slot, said getting plays and formations down has been his main challenge.

"It's a lot of stuff you have to listen to," Cox said, "and you have to know which receiver's doing what route, and what spot to be at."

He also has worked at punt returner, though Conway has that position essentially locked down as well. Special teams in general could be a good way to get on the field this season, Cox told the Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/2w6cY76). Although he's happy with whatever happens.

"If I redshirt then the receiving corps is pretty young, so they would advance a year and I would have time in the offseason to get bigger, stronger and faster," Cox said. "And if I don't (redshirt), then I would be more experienced on the field and be ready for next year."

Scott, meanwhile, is listed at 6-foot-6, the tallest of any Wyoming receiver.

"Jared's a big presence out there, and he's got extra large hands, and he's got really good athleticism, and he was an excellent basketball player in Chicago," Bohl said. "And so as a result, we're taking a hard look. Anytime you can get a big body like that matched up against shorter defensive backs, it's a big advantage. So he's getting - not spoon-fed, he's getting fed with a firehose right now to see if he can really handle all the things in our pro-style offense."

Scott said it's his goal to play right away and he thinks his "chances are good" of forgoing a redshirt season.

"I've been trying to make the most of my time with the 1s, because I'm out there trying to prove myself and that I belong," he said. "... I think my body can definitely be an advantage out there. Because there's no one guarding me, especially, that's going to be my height or even really that close."

Having that height at receiver could be a boon for Wyoming. The Cowboys lost receivers Jake Maulhardt and Tanner Gentry - 6-foot-6 and 6-2, respectively - to graduation.

"Those guys could definitely go up and get it," Scott said, "and I want (quarterback Josh Allen) to be able to have that trust in me that I can go get that ball if he just throws it up."

"He's a threat kind of like Jake was, where it's just a size matchup," Grant said of Scott. "When you get a lot of DBs that are 6-foot or less and you've got a big guy out there, it's develops a whole new ball game for them, just trying to get the football to him. If that's the case, then maybe we can try and find ways to get him the ball and be a red zone threat, something like that."

Additionally, 6-5 receiver Parker Dumas will not be in school this semester because he is "doing some personal work," Bohl said Friday. After Scott and Dumas, the tallest receiver on Wyoming's roster is 6-4 Isaac Leppke, who recently moved from quarterback to receiver. All the other receivers are listed as 6-2 or shorter.

But Grant won't be putting any true freshmen on the field based on size or speed alone.

"I never want to take a kid's confidence away, so if he's not ready, I just won't put him in," Grant said. "But if he's in there, then the whole world should know he's ready."

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com