The hardest thing for WRs coming into college is the transition to reading defenses. Very rarely in high school do you have true choice routes or multiple choice routes on each play. At the college level you may have 2 or 3 choices at the line and 2 or 3 choices during the route. We absolutely struggled with this and slimmed the play book down. They may not have been given a choice and when they are told to run a slant they run a slant and it might not be open.
I wondered about that last thing. How much choice are our WRs being given? I know Kill made some comments pretty early on about simplifying things.
In soccer, dual recognition by the first attacker (the player with the ball) and the support players (those nearby) as to the correct angles, distance and timing of runs made by those support players in order to provide easy outlets to the first attacker is critical to strong attacking soccer. Each time the ball moves to another player, the movement must adjust and start the recognition and reaction process again.
Novices to soccer think it's all about what the player with the ball does. But it's actually much more about what all the players do
off the ball that leads to good scoring chances. Great teams make it seem effortless and easy. But it's actually really hard to get right and requires nonstop movement by many players.
I see a lot of parallels with the passing game in football (and basketball). I would think that the QB and WRs have to share some tactical awareness based on what the D is doing pre-snap and then early after the snap. And they have to be on the same page about where to be and when. Then, knowing what needs to be done, just like in soccer, it requires the players to have the physicality to get it done.
Anyway, I suspect the off-season, the Spring, and next year's preseason training will lead to quite a bit of improvement. I think bringing in a QB coach who also can help with offensive schemes and can work with players down on the field with Kill sits up in the booth would be helpful.
