BEAUMONT, Texas – With the start of preseason camp in full swing, LamarCardinals.com will be doing its annual position-by-position breakdown of the team heading into the season opener at Texas State (Aug. 31, 2024).
 
Today LamarCardinals.com will break down the LU receivers and tight ends.
 
WR Quick Facts:
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/2
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/0
Newcomers: 5
 
Stats: The Cardinals hauled in 159 passes for 2,056 yards (12.9 ypr) and 17 touchdowns in 2023. The exciting part here is that Lamar returns its top seven targets from last year (a stat which also includes two running backs).
 
Key Player(s): Andre Dennis and Sevonne Rhea – Why the copout by picking two players here? There are any number of players we could pick here with all the returning talent, but it would be hard not to go with leading receiver from last year – Dennis (36 receptions for 482 yards and three touchdowns. He is a preseason all-conference first-team selection. With that being said, Rhea entered last season with a ton of hype, but his season was slowed by injuries. After missing the first half of the season, all Rhea did was come back and earn SLC Offensive Player of the Week (his first week back as a starter) to help LU defeat Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, La.
 
TE Quick Facts:
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 2/2
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/0
Newcomers: 5
 
Stats: Lamar's tight ends hauled in 19 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns last season.
 
Key Player: Devyn Gibbs – another returning starter for the Red and White who enters the year looking to improve upon a strong 2023 campaign. Gibbs caught 14 passes for 172 (12.3 ypr) with two touchdowns. A common theme so far with the LU offense, Gibbs also enters the year with preseason all-conference hype.
 
The Storyline
The one thing that LU fans should be hopeful for is that if the Cardinals can stay healthy, the offense should have plenty of weapons to turn to. As we've said before, preseason hype is meaningless if players don't go out and perform on the field but there is more excitement surrounding this year than what the Golden Triangle has seen in quite some time.
 
Lamar's stable of receivers brings big-play ability, possession guys, strong route runners, good size and speed. Both Dennis and Rhea are preseason all-conference selections entering the year. While Dennis ranked in the top 10 in the Southland in receptions, yards and touchdown catches last season, Rhea caught 15 passes for 299 yards (19.9 ypr) and three scores despite the injuries.
 
It's worth noting that Lamar may not have any one player with "sexy" stats simply because the Cardinals have so many weapons. Perfect evidence of that is Kyndon Fuselier. Entering his junior season, the Nederland, Texas native made 26 catches for 310 yards (11.9 ypr) last season with two touchdowns. Fuselier has spent his career being that "underrated guy" but all he's ever done is produce. If a pass is thrown anywhere close to him, he just has that ability to outbattle the defensive back for the ball.
 
Throw in Izaha Jones (6-3, 200, Jr.) and the Cardinals have a strong quartet of receiving options that most schools can't match. All Jones did last season was make 21 catches for 255 yards (12.1 per return) and lead the team with four touchdown receptions.
 
All these guys have started multiple games for Big Red so the Cardinals could have four highlight type players at the same position. Lamar's top-end depth at the position could very well cause many sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.
 
Those names alone would give any fan base reason to smile, but we've not yet mentioned Cameron George. A 5-10, 200-pound junior from Missouri City, George has also recorded starts for Lamar in the past and was a strong part of the Cardinals rotation at receiver last year.
 
Adding to the depth, the coaching staff also went out and brought in five newcomers to the stable during the offseason.
 
Switching gears to tight ends, Lamar has two returning letterwinners from last season in Gibbs and junior JaCorey Hyder (6-3, 240, Jr.). Gibbs is the returning starter and during his career Gibbs has played in 26 games making 14 starts with 33 catches for 363 yards and four touchdowns.
 
Standing 6-6, 245 pounds, Gibbs brings quality size to the position. As a group, the Cardinal tight ends stand 6-3, 240 pounds.
 
In addition to newcomers, Mason Thomas (6-3, 235), Aidan Grummer (6-2, 246), C.J. DeMas (6-3, 240), Kmare Balfour (6-3, 220) and Tyler Bonkowski (6-2, 225), the Cardinals also return 2023 redshirts Shaun Grayson (6-3, 235), Iyioluwa Adekoya (6-4, 235) and Morgan Sampson (6-4, 242).