Maze bringing speed to Bama receiving corps

TUSCALOOSA -- He's fast if not very big. Not yet anyway.

Marquis Maze, the speedy wide receiver from Birmingham, smiled when he confessed to being "camera shy" when walking toward a group of photographers Monday morning.

As one of the top candidates to fill in the second-receiver behind super sophomore Julio Jones, Maze will have to get used to the attention.

Coach Nick Saban has been high on the 5-foot-10, 179-pound sophomore since the end of spring practice. And while he did not get a catch in Saturday's scrimmage, Saban said Maze "has consistently made plays this camp."

In a postseason evaluation meeting, Saban told Maze that he needed to be more consistent in all phases, from practice habits to route running.

By the A-Day Game in April, Maze was clearly making a push toward being Jones's running mate. He caught a team-high five passes for 87 yards and ran a pair of end-arounds for a total 47 yards to earn co-MVP honors.

Unlike the tall and powerful Jones, Maze is shifty and hard to corral in space. In fact, he claimed to be "the fastest guy on the team," after his big performance that closed spring practice.

That quickness makes him a threat to keep defenses honest and away from over-playing Jones.

"The big play should be there and will be there," Maze said. "We just have to make the most of our opportunities."

He would not name one or two of the emerging receivers competing for the most playing time but said "each and every one of us" was making plays in practice. After Jones' six catches and 100 yards in the scrimmage, Darius Hanks put up the second-best stat line with four catches and 37 yards.

A sporadic starter as a redshirt freshman in 2008, Maze played in all 14 games and finished the year with 11 receptions and 137 yards. His four receptions against Tulane was a team-high as he picked up 22 yards in the 20-6 win on the season's second Saturday.

As the 2009 season looms just 18 days from this morning, each of the wide receivers are learning multiple positions. Maze has practiced at three different spots this August: X-, H- and Z-receiver. He's also competing for time as a kick returner where his speed would certainly be a weapon.

One player happy to play against Maze only in practice is Javier Arenas, an All-American kick returner and defensive back. Arenas deals with his speed on a daily basis on the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in pass coverage.

"You've got to be on point," the Arenas said. "You've got to be focused on a guy like him. He's sudden. He's going to make a quick move and get out of there so you have to be on your Ps and Qs with him."