For three seasons at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, wide receiver Wil Young has shown glimpses of what he's capable of doing on the football field.
He immediately stands out, with the chiseled 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame and the effortless gallops once he catches the ball. He's had the flashes: the six-catch, 82-yard game against Virginia Military Institute his freshman season, three catches of at least 25 yards that same year and an important 28-yard reception against Samford last season in UTC's road upset of the eighth-ranked Bulldogs.
But so many things - adversity, inconsistency, injuries - have derailed Young along the way.
His hope, as well as the coaching staff's, is that all of that is behind and he's ready for a breakout senior year.
"I'm just extremely excited, extremely blessed and anxious to get out there and give it all I've got," Young said before Monday's brief practice at Finley Stadium. "The guys in the receiver room, we've been going hard this camp, and for me to finally come out healthy is real satisfying, so I'm looking forward to it."
Young has 33 catches for 363 yards during his UTC career, including a junior year in which he set career highs in catches (16) and yards (181). The coaches hope he'll double that level of output this season.
"We hope this is the year for Wil, and he does as well," head coach Tom Arth said. "He's got to go out and earn it. Just because you're 6-3, 215 pounds and can run doesn't mean you're going to be the best player in the league - and he has that capability - but he's got to go out and earn it. He's got to go and prove it every single day out here in practice, in the meeting rooms, and he's got to prove it on Saturdays.
"We expect that from him, and we're pushing him hard to get there. We know there's a lot in him, but it's going to be what he puts out."
As the second-tallest receiver on the Mocs' roster behind Juwan Tyus, Young expects and is expected to be a physical presence who can stretch the field as well as be a target in the red zone. If he's that and more, those goals he set are very much within reach.
"At the end of everything, I'm hoping to be at least an all-conference player if not more," Young said. "Those are goals that me and every other receiver on our team has set in order for us to be successful. If the offense is going to go, you've got to have playmakers on the field so when you get the ball in your hands, you'll be able to make something happen."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.