Season in Review: Josiah Deguara

The Numbers

• 11 receptions
• 98 yards

This is going to be a short one, which is unfortunate because I had high hopes for Josiah Deguara in 2017. The sophomore tight end stepped in as the No. 1 tight end following the departure of Tyler Cogswell and was a part of a Mike Denbrock offense. As we’ve discussed before, Denbrock’s history of developing tight ends makes it possible that the position will produce a star in the next few years. However, Deguara wasn’t that star in 2017, and he may have trouble getting there as highly-touted newcomers like Leonard Taylor and Josh Whyle enter the fold.

In 2017, Deguara caught 11 passes for 98 yards and zero touchdowns while playing in only seven games. He set a career-high in those catching statistics, but played five fewer games than in 2016. He was targeted more often, but that increase was pretty minor considering he had only four receptions the year before as Cogswell’s backup.

The Best of the Best

Sept. 30 vs. Marshall

Deguara set a season-high of four catches for 30 yards, making up 36.3 percent of his receptions and 30.6 percent of his yardage for the entire year.

For Next Year

As alluded to earlier, Deguara is going to have more competition this season, depending on how the spring goes and the roster shakes out. With four new tight ends added in the 2018 recruiting class, including Taylor and Whyle, Deguara may not have the firmest grip on the tight end spot. He improved as a pass catcher in 2017 and continuing that will be critical as will being a strong blocker, since the offense may revolve around the running game and Gerrid Doaks next season.