WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University football preseason camp is well underway as the team is working hard to prepare for the 2018 season. As the Hoyas get ready for the season opener at Marist College on Sept. 1, GUHoyas.com will take an in-depth look at each of the team's position groups, with this edition featuring the wide receivers.
 
The Hoya offense will be under new direction in 2018 under offensive coordinator Rob Spence, who brings more than 25 years of college coaching experience, including 17 years as an offensive coordinator. In his first year on the Hilltop, Spence will have a strong core of the receiving unit returning, including the team's top three receivers from 2017.
 
"The receiving corps has worked very hard these first few weeks," said Spence, who works directly with the Hoya receivers. "They are a very high energy group and have done an excellent job learning how to play with technique and fundamentals. They play hard every single day and they have learned to run hard and play hard when we ask them to."
 
Junior Michael Dereus (Hyde Park, Mass./Williston Northampton) earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors after recording team highs, and ranking among the league leaders, with 46 receptions for 696 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 15.1 yards per catch and 63.3 yards per game, surpassing 100 yards in a game twice. Dereus caught two of the top-five longest passes in Georgetown history, recording an 83-yard catch against Columbia before hauling in an 80-yard pass against Lehigh.
 
Joining Dereus as an outside threat is senior Brandon Williams (Germantown, Md./Northwest), the 2018 No. 35 Joe Eacobacci Memorial Jersey recipient. Williams was second on the Hoyas last season with 24 catches and 346 receiving yards, averaging 14.4 yards per catch and 43.2 yards per game.
 
"The leadership at our position has been very strong, and I think that is mostly because of Brandon Williams," Spence said. "It is apparent that our older players are tired of the status quo and have worked hard to try and raise the bar here and the standard of play."
 
Senior Winston Jackson Jr. (North Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) will look to bounce back after missing all of last season, while fellow senior John Schuster (Newton, Mass./The Middlesex School) and junior Cole Miller (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) will both look for increased roles this fall.
 
Max Edwards (Germantown, Md./Georgetown Prep) leads a strong returning sophomore class after ranking third on the Hoyas last year with 18 catches and 257 receiving yards. He caught his first career touchdown pass against Fordham. Skyler Springs (Leesburg, Va./Briar Woods), who played quarterback in high school before converting to receiver when he arrived on the Hilltop, will look to have a breakout campaign in 2018, while Dijon Williams (Atlanta, Ga./Miller Grove) caught four passes for 33 yards as a freshman.
 
Three freshmen will look to make an immediate impact in Georgetown's offense. Cameron Crayton (Rowlett, Texas/Rockwall), Dylan Hatajik (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) and Joshua Tomas (University Park, Ill./Crete-Monee) will all vie for playing time in various roles.
 
"The expectation when you walk in here is that you are going to play," Spence said. "Nobody comes to Georgetown to redshirt. We all come to play right away. That is the expectation and the younger players realize that and they have learned and adjusted quickly. They will all be in the rotation and there will be a role for every single player."
 
The Hoyas open the 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1 at Marist. Kickoff in Poughkeepsie, New York is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Blue & Gray will play its home opener at Cooper Field the following weekend, hosting Campbell on Sept. 8 for a 12:30 p.m. matchup.
 
Tickets are now available for the 2018 football season. Only a very limited number of tickets are being made available for this year's games due to construction on the west side of Cooper Field. Purchase in advance to guarantee your admission on game day. For the full schedule and to purchase tickets, as well as information on directions and parking, please visit WeAreGeorgetown.com/football.