Last week, our first positional preview featured the quarterback room. Now, let’s take a look at who will be on the other end of those passes for Delaware this fall.
The room will look to fill production from two of their top five receivers last season in Phil Lutz and JoJo Bermudez. Phil grabbed the storylines in his final season as a Hen, finishing the year with 45 receptions, 863 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Lutz, who had a tryout with the New England Patriots this spring, was signed and later released by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Delaware also lost the speedster Bermudez to the portal in the spring, who accumulated nearly 500 receiving yards in two seasons in Newark. Bermudez eventually signed with Temple.
Outside of Lutz and Bermudez, the program returns and expects strides from a trio of wideouts that they signed in last year’s portal class: Max Patterson, Nick Laboy, and Jake Thaw. “Part of our plan a year ago was getting some guys with multiple years so we’d have some returners with that transition. And those three guys are just exactly what you’re looking for as far as maturity, hard work, and leadership,” Delaware Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Wide Receivers Coach Terence Archer said in a media availability session after the team’s first outdoor practice Monday.
Patterson, who transferred to Delaware after three seasons at Rutgers, caught 25 passes for 286 yards last year, including 86 yards against Monmouth. “Max made some big plays for us last year,” Archer announced. “He’s got to be consistent and make all those plays which we’ve talked about.” Patterson is expected to take a big leap in 2025.
Laboy came to Delaware after being named to the 2023 All-Ivy Second Team at Cornell. In his first season in Newark, he finished with 15 catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. Expect Laboy to take over some of the production left from Lutz’s departure, as Archer hopes he can showcase his big play ability in games this fall. “With Nick, it’s stretching the field a little bit more… catching those balls down the field and being more explosive after the catch, which he’s shown this summer and in practice.”
Thaw was second on the team in receptions (41), receiving yards (334), and touchdowns (5) after transferring from Michigan in 2024, including a 9-catch, 72-yard, and a touchdown night against Penn. Delaware pulsed Thaw both in the slot and out wide last season. “With Jake, it’s continuing to move him around and use him differently. He got a little banged up at times last year, but he continues to be a leader, is an excellent route runner, and has great ball skills,” Archer explained.
Delaware also returns younger pieces that have the potential to break out in 2025, including sophomore Sean Wilson. Wilson only appeared in one game last season, but scored touchdowns on both receptions, including a 27-yard completion down the left sideline against Sacred Heart. Archer acknowledged, “We’ve seen since the day he got here that he has a lot of ability and great balls skills. He’s going to get an opportunity this year to play a lot.” Wilson, also speaking to media on Monday, has been ready for this opportunity, stating “I just want to come in here and keep grinding. Keep doing what I can just to show them I’m available and here to help.”
Other familiar names that will get opportunities are juniors Ja’Carree Kelly, Donovan Lewis, and sophomores Matt McKinley-Daniels, Nick Tyree. Kelly was sixth on the team in receiving yards last year with 171, but will receive even more snaps in the slot after the loss of Bermudez. Lewis primarily spent time on special teams in 2024, but had 5 receptions for 31 yards on offense. McKinley-Daniels was held to just four games in his true freshman season, but had both a carry and reception go for over 10 yards. Tyree also redshirted last year, and will have opportunities to showcase his breakaway speed this fall.
Similar to last offseason, the program added a trio of transfers to the wide receiver room this summer: Rutgers transfer Thomas Amankwaa, West Virginia transfer Brandon Rehmann, and Coastal Carolina transfer Kyre Duplessis. Amankwaa split time between wide receiver and safety for Rutgers, but feels that his frame, wingspan, hands, and physicality best suit him on offense. “Growing up, I was always an offensive guy. From the moment I’ve put on the pads, I loved having the ball in my hands,” he admitted on Monday. Thomas played for Delaware Head Coach Ryan Carty’s brother Kevin at Hillsborough High School in New Jersey. He showed appreciation for his time on defense at Rutgers, allowing him to now dissect opposing coverages easier. “I feel like (wide receiver) was always my strong suit and what my skill set was made for.”
Rehmann, a 6’0″, 180-pound wideout from St. Joseph’s Prep in New Jersey, received over a dozen offers from schools in the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, and ACC out of high school. The former 3-star recruit landed at West Virginia, but did not see game time in 2024. Duplessis, a 5’10” receiver from Woodbridge, Virginia, had 23 receptions for 348 yards in three seasons at Coastal. Kyre spent the majority of last season on special teams, but had a strong 2023 with 242 receiving yards, including a 64-yard breakaway score against Duquesne. Expect all three of Amankwaa, Rehmann, and Duplessis to compete for immediate touches.
The program also signed three receivers out of high school: Calvin Thomas, Emmanuel Doku, and Ty Salazar. Thomas, a 6’2″ athlete from Gainesville, Florida, flipped his commitment from Air Force to Delaware just days before the Early National Signing Day period. Similar to Thomas, Delaware flipped Doku’s commitment from Temple last winter. Doku’s 6’5″ frame is something not really within the receiver room, so it will be interesting to see how the staff utilizes him out wide in the future. Salazar, a State College, Pennsylvania native, announced his commitment to Delaware a month later, rounding out the 2025 class.
Other members listed at wide receiver on the roster include graduate student Declan O’Brien, junior Dan Parisi, and sophomores Luke Brown and Ashton Navarrete.
“There is no depth chart right now. We got some guys from last year who made some big plays for us and hopefully will continue to do so. We brought in some good freshmen and transfers that I think can help us,” Archer concluded. “What we’re working on here these next two weeks is to get it from 17 to whoever those 8 or 9 guys that are going to get the majority of the reps for us.”
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