2014 BYU Football Newcomers: Devon Blackmon

Photo: democratherald.com

Leading up to Fall Camp at the end of the month, here at Lawless Republic we will be giving you a daily glimpse at the signees and return missionaries that will be part of the 2014 BYU Football team.

Devon Blackmon

Fontana, CA; Riverside CC

6-1, 185

Before BYU: Out of high school Blackmon was a four-star recruit and heralded as one of the fastest recruits in the west. A high school teammate with BYU running back, Jamaal Williams, Blackmon was an Under Armour All-American who eventually signed with Oregon in 2011. Blackmon ended playing in only three games for the Ducks where he then transferred to Riverside C.C.  Blackmon’s Riverside head coach was former San Diego State head coach, Tom Craft.

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Along with BYU, Blackmon was recruited by Fresno State, Utah, and Boise State out of Riverside. Blackmon was touted as one of the top 30 JUCO recruits in the country by ESPN.com.

In his one season for the Tigers, Blackmon had 18.1 yards per catch on 29 receptions. Along with being a deep-ball threat, Blackmon is a return specialist where he had 259 yards on kick returns.

Watching Blackmon’s highlights at Riverside C.C., this guy is an instant home-run threat for Taysom Hill over the next two seasons. BYU hasn’t had a wide receiver that can stretch the field since Austin Collie and Todd Watkins. Both of those guys eventually went on to have NFL careers. Blackmon has all the physical attributes to be a guy who plays on Sundays.

One thing that impresses me with Blackmon is his stride. He gets two or three steps ahead of defensive backs with how smooth he runs. Long strides that will give BYU a new dynamic they haven’t seen in years.

Expectations in 2014: Starter at wide receiver

The wide receiver unit in 2014 is the arguably the deepest the program has ever seen. BYU has had one or two great receivers in most years, this upcoming season you could make the argument that BYU goes five deep with potential #1 receivers. A lot of talent for Hill to throw the football to this year, and Blackmon looks destined to be one of those top targets for Taysom.

Wouldn’t be surprised if Blackmon is a back-up for the first few weeks of the season, but by mid-year Blackmon’s talented will be on the field for play #1 whenever the offense takes the field.

Potential in BYU career: Future NFL prospect

I mentioned it earlier in this article; Blackmon has the talent to be an NFL wide receiver after his BYU career is over. Talent like Devon Blackmon doesn’t come to BYU very often. You can’t underestimate the ability Blackmon has to stretch the field and give this team instant offense. One of the things that BYU has lacked the past few years is the lack of a game changer in the receiving unit. Yes, Cody Hoffman became the all-time leading receiver in his four years for the Cougars, but he wasn’t fast enough to be a top-end wide receiver; case in point Hoffman’s performance at the NFL Combine.

BYU needs to capitalize and take advantage of Blackmon’s abilities. Blackmon is going to be a crowd pleaser amongst BYU fans very quick.