Untested receivers show optimism

A glance at last season's statistics shows the 2001 IU football team will lack experienced receivers.\nSenior Antwaan Randle El, who switched from quarterback to receiver this spring, said otherwise.\nSure, only two of six returning receivers played a game at the position last season. Sure, those two, senior Henry Frazier and sophomore L.J. Parker, combined for only six catches and 71 yards. And sure, next season, Hoosier receivers will be joined by an equally inexperienced quarterback, either Tommy Jones or Gibran Hamdan, both juniors.\nBut Randle El said that doesn't mean this receiving corps won't be ready for 2001 -- experience or not.\n"We're kind of like guys who have played here and there, but we've just got to put it together," Randle El said. "The tough time is now, but later on, when the season rolls around and we're in training camp, the concern will be gone.\n"The confidence level will be there, and the trust in Tommy and the trust in our receiving corps will be there -- that we're going to make the block or make the catch or whatever it may be."\nReceivers coach T.J. Weist said he shares Randle El's optimism. \nWeist said this group of receivers has a good enough attitude and work ethic to compensate for its lack of experience.\n"I think we've got a group that has a great attitude, and they want to win," he said. "It's really a mind-set for the players. They have to take the approach that every player is going to learn the offense like he's a starter. Whether we have experience or not, they just have to learn the offense and work hard." \nBut the Hoosiers don't have to replace attitude and hard work alone. They have to replace yards. Last season, then-seniors Versie Gaddis, Jerry Dorsey and Derin Graham combined for 1,353 of the 1,424 yards gained by IU receivers.\nFrazier, Parker, Randle El and junior Glenn Johnson have the most experience of the six returners and should pick up much of the slack left by the absence of last year's group of three. Frazier said redshirt freshmen David Lewis and Travis Haney are improving as well.\n"We're trying to be the key guys on the team, set the tempo," Frazier said. "We know we've got a lot of talent at receiver. 'Twaan came to receiver now, and we've got (Johnson) coming up and L.J. and myself. \n"We've been looking good. This is just the first two weeks of practice, so we still need a little work, but I think we're looking good."\nWeist said he feels confident his receiving corps will be ready to compete and said he'll prepare them by focusing on individual progress. Then, he said, the receivers will improve as a team.\nCoach Cam Cameron will need them to produce, as Weist said the Hoosiers have no plans to change their offense. And last season, the offense averaged just under 173 yards passing per game.\n"There may be a little more emphasis on (the passing game)," Weist said. "But our pass offense has always been there. With Tommy, we may focus on the dropback a little more, but we're still going to run our offense.\n"We have one of the best offenses in the country. We're going to run our offense"