July 21, 2017
Seven players with starting experience and 10 total letterwinners return in a receiving corps that looks to be a potential strength of the Commodore offense.
The top seven receiving targets from a year ago – four wideouts and three tight ends – will showcase their talents in preseason camp to wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.
The wide receiver corps is a veteran unit, led by seniors Trent Sherfield, C.J. Duncan and Caleb Scott. Additionally, Kalija Lipscomb comes off a solid true freshman campaign last year. Together, the four wideouts combined for 129 catches and 1,751 receiving yards in 2016.
Sherfield is a two-year starter and has 86 career receptions. He posted 34 receptions and 472 yards last year. Sherfield also finished the campaign in outstanding fashion with a nine-catch, 184-yard effort in the Commodores’ win over Tennessee.
Duncan returned from missing the entire 2015 season due to injury to lead the Commodores in receptions and receiving yards. He finished the year by setting new single-season highs with 44 catches and 494 yards. 
Scott was one of the Southeastern Conference’s top deep threats, averaging 19.4 yards on 24 catches. Entering his final season, Scott has 54 career receptions for 891 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Lipscomb was a big contributor as a true freshman, ranking third on the team with 27 receptions, good for 319 yards and two scores.
The list of wide receivers includes senior Trey Ellis, sophomore Donaven Tennyson and redshirt freshman Jackson Winrow. The Commodores also added two physical receivers in James Bostic and Chris Pierce in the 2017 signing class.
The Commodores also welcome back their top three tight ends from a year ago in senior Nathan Marcus, redshirt sophomore Jared Pinkney and junior Sam Dobbs.
While Marcus is the team’s most versatile tight end blending solid blocking and receiving skills, Pinkney became one of the team’s top aerial targets in his first year, registering 22 catches for 274 yards. Dobbs is another passing target from the position.
Redshirt freshmen Turner Cockrell and Cody Markel also should contend for playing time this season.
