Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Coronado graduate a catch at Southern Utah

Tysson Poots

Courtesy photo

Southern Utah receiver Tysson Poots, a 2005 Coronado graduate, catches a ball during a recent game. Poots leads his team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.

Southern Utah University wide receiver Tysson Poots is enjoying the chance to silence his critics.

Despite an impressive three-year varsity stint at Coronado, including his senior year when he had 68 receptions for 1,300 yards in 2005, Poots received limited interest from colleges.

They thought he wasn't fast enough to play wide receiver, and many wanted to move him to linebacker.

Southern Utah was the lone school to offer a full-scholarship to play offense and Poots jumped at the chance. Now, he's putting up some of the best numbers in all of college football.

After eight games this fall, the sophomore has 60 receptions for 866 yards and 10 touchdowns to average 108.2 receiving yards game per game.

"We just try to take advantage of the defenses we're playing," Poots said. "I've been put in situations where I have a good matchup or teams are trying to play me man-to-man. A lot of times I'm our quarterback's first read. He can sling the ball and I can catch it, so I've kind of become the go-to guy this season."

Former Coronado coach Alex Moore, who is now an assistant at Boulder City High, knew Poots would make an impact.

"Tysson always had the work ethic and intensity it takes to be a great player," Moore said. "Schools talked to him about being a safety, a defensive end, a tight end — and he could have been any of those. He's that kind of kid. I've already used him as an example for my receivers this year of what they can aspire to."

Poots red-shirted his first year with Southern Utah after breaking his arm in a high school all-star game two months before he was scheduled to report to camp.

The injury required surgery to the radius and ulna in his left arm as well as permanent plates and screws. He worked his way back into shape as a red-shirt freshman last year, picking up 423 receiving yards and three touchdowns off 29 receptions in nine games.

His 10 touchdowns this season are a school record, while his 13 career scores put him third all-time. His 866 yards are seventh in the school's season rankings while 1,289 career yards put him sixth all-time. His 60 receptions rank him seventh for a season while his 89 career receptions put him ninth for the program.

"Tysson is a great player with great size who can get up there and pull those passes down," Southern Utah coach Ed Lamb said. "He makes things look easy. We call him 'silk' because he's tough but smooth. He does what he's asked to do and makes it look smooth."

With three more games left this season, Poots has a legitimate shot to climb further into the record books.

"I guess I feel like I have something to prove to the other schools that passed on me or said I couldn't be a receiver," Poots said. "But I like it here, so it's not like it gets to me. I just do it for myself and my team. I want to give us the best chance we have to win in every game."

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].

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