and Mahaffey vie for
starting spot
record-breaking receiver Will Blackwell? (from left to right) Taj Johnson, Jason
Mahaffey and Jesus Reyes are all battling to step into a starting job this fall.
Big schools usually produce a number of players who make it big in professional football. Some schools are known for providing the NFL with great players from one specific position. Miami does it with quarterbacks; San Diego State does it with wide receivers.
From Haven Moses in the late ’60s to Webster Slaughter in the mid-’80s to Darnay Scott in the early ’90s, professional football has been graced with fine Aztec receivers.
This year the NFL took away starting receiver Will Blackwell from SDSU. Now, the task of the Aztec football braintrust is to find a new catalyst to replace him in the starting lineup.
“We have a lot of talent at wide receiver,” SDSU offensive coordinator Dave Lay said. “But it is important to find somebody who can fill in for Blackwell.”
Enter Taj Johnson, Jesus Reyes and Jason Mahaffey.
The heated competition for Blackwell’s starting spot has been taken over by the three this spring, each wanting to line up opposite starter Az Hakim.
“The key to football is competition,” Mahaffey said. “Without any competition, the game wouldn’t be any fun.”
But finding a replacement for Blackwell is not an easy task. Finding someone to replace an All-American candidate and 1,000-yard receiver is never easy.
“You can’t go out and just replace Will,” Reyes said. “We can only hope to get all the players together and play hard.”
Right from the start of spring practice, Johnson has seemed to be the heir apparent to Blackwell.
At 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Johnson has bigger size and comparable athleticism. It is these intangibles that make him the top contender to line up with Hakim.
After transferring before last season from the University of Miami (Florida), he found himself playing behind five other receivers. Johnson finally broke into the lineup late in the season after injuries depleted the team.
“I had to get used to not playing last year,” Johnson said. “But this year I’m prepared to play a lot and get the ball more often.”
Johnson has been impressive this spring. It was no more evident than in last Saturday’s scrimmage when Johnson stretched out to catch a Kevin McKechnie touchdown pass.
“Taj has been making the plays,” SDSU head coach Ted Tollner said. “He has made some tremendous catches this spring.”
Lay echoed Tollner’s sentiments.
“Taj has performed really well this spring,” Lay said. “He’s been making some nice catches and showing some good signs.”
Unlike Johnson, Reyes does not have great size. At only 5-foot-7, Reyes does not have the build of a prototype wide receiver. But he makes up for it with his outstanding abilities.
“I go out there and be the best I can be,” Reyes said. “The main focus is to hustle, and that is what I do.”
Reyes burst onto the scene in Las Vegas last season when SDSU played University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Reyes’ first catch of the season was a 61-yard touchdown from former quarterback Billy Blanton.
But he also found himself playing behind a number of other receivers. Now he’s been given the opportunity to step into the starting lineup.
“We all have to wait for our opportunities,” Reyes said. “I go out there and do everything one day at a time.”
Mahaffey may be the wild card of the trio.
Expected to make an impact last season, he fell victim to injury, missing the entire regular season.
At 6 feet and 190 pounds, Mahaffey has similar intangibles to Johnson, but he lacks the experience.
“We all bring something different to the team,” Mahaffey said. “But we all have one common goal: We want to win.”
Mahaffey is a good possession receiver who is not afraid to go through the middle of the field. His athleticism and demeanor have impressed the coaches this spring.
“He is young and he has talent,” Lay said.
The puzzle that is the Aztec receiver core is one of a thousand pieces and no corners. The best answer over who is playing well may come from the defensive backs, who go up against the receivers every day in practice.
“With a new offensive coach, the offensive style has changed a lot,” cornerback Eric Lewis said. “Despite the changes, Taj has really come on strong this spring, and he is really making plays.”
