Gilyard led the Big East Conference last year in receptions with 87, in touchdown catches with 11 and in receiving yards per game with 91.6. He also led the league in kickoff returns and in total yardage and will likely play in the National Football League next fall.
But UC has a talented player waiting in the wings in Vidal Hazelton, a transfer from Southern California who sat out last year, but is raring to go in 2010.
“I don’t want to compare him to Mardy because Mardy has done so many great things here and it’s practice (number) four,” said UC coach Butch Jones, “but I will tell you this: Vidal has great, great skills. We’ve just got to develop them.”
Hazelton caught 50 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns at USC in 2007. He was injured the following season and never regained his role in the Trojans’ offense. He transferred to UC last year with the hope that he could play right away, but the NCAA turned down his appeal for immediate eligibility, leaving him with one year to play.
He intends to make the most of it
“The big thing for me to focus on this year is just to really try to get better,” Hazelton said. “Whatever the coach tells me to work on, after every route, I’m going to ask the GA how did that look? I’m just trying to get better at the little things. I know I’m a talented kid. I know the little things are what’s going to separate me.”
Hazelton has such soft hands that the ball seems to stick to him like glue. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior from Staten Island, N.Y., runs a 4.4 40 and when he catches the ball, he takes a lot of pride in taking off downfield.
Jones says Hazelton is a little rusty after working last year on the scout team, but there’s no question about his commitment to getting the most out of his ability.
“I see an eagerness,” Jones said. “He’s very hungry and passionate about football. He does his due diligence. He studies a lot of film. Right now he’s going through that transition of learning the offense, working on technique. Everything is happening very, very fast for him.
“He’s trying to refine his skills every day, but I see the makeup that great receivers have. He’s very smooth. He gets in and out of plays. He can run and he’s got very good ball skills.”
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/uc/2010/04/01/hazelton-fired-up-and-ready-to-go/
But UC has a talented player waiting in the wings in Vidal Hazelton, a transfer from Southern California who sat out last year, but is raring to go in 2010.
“I don’t want to compare him to Mardy because Mardy has done so many great things here and it’s practice (number) four,” said UC coach Butch Jones, “but I will tell you this: Vidal has great, great skills. We’ve just got to develop them.”
Hazelton caught 50 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns at USC in 2007. He was injured the following season and never regained his role in the Trojans’ offense. He transferred to UC last year with the hope that he could play right away, but the NCAA turned down his appeal for immediate eligibility, leaving him with one year to play.
He intends to make the most of it
“The big thing for me to focus on this year is just to really try to get better,” Hazelton said. “Whatever the coach tells me to work on, after every route, I’m going to ask the GA how did that look? I’m just trying to get better at the little things. I know I’m a talented kid. I know the little things are what’s going to separate me.”
Hazelton has such soft hands that the ball seems to stick to him like glue. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior from Staten Island, N.Y., runs a 4.4 40 and when he catches the ball, he takes a lot of pride in taking off downfield.
Jones says Hazelton is a little rusty after working last year on the scout team, but there’s no question about his commitment to getting the most out of his ability.
“I see an eagerness,” Jones said. “He’s very hungry and passionate about football. He does his due diligence. He studies a lot of film. Right now he’s going through that transition of learning the offense, working on technique. Everything is happening very, very fast for him.
“He’s trying to refine his skills every day, but I see the makeup that great receivers have. He’s very smooth. He gets in and out of plays. He can run and he’s got very good ball skills.”
http://cincinnati.com/blogs/uc/2010/04/01/hazelton-fired-up-and-ready-to-go/