For a football team, returning a key starting wide receiver from a year ago and then losing him to a season ending injury would bring worry. For any team other than the Bowling Green Falcons that is.

When it was announced that redshirt junior Chris Gallon injured the same knee that kept him out the second half of last season it was heartbreaking to hear, redshirt junior Ryan Burbrink said.

Despite that news, the receiving corps haven’t seemed to miss a step.

That speaks to the depth of this receiving corps. They have about seven receivers that can play any day, redshirt sophomore Gehrig Dieter said.

“We have a solid seven receivers that are going to be playing every Saturday and Friday,” he said. “We worked hard every single day of the summer … we are just ready for the season.”

While this corps is deep, they still are relatively new to first year head coach Dino Babers’ offense. They have been adjusting to the so called “Falcon Fast” offense since their first spring practice in late February. While they are still learning, Babers believes they are getting better.

“They’re infants, they’re still in their diapers,” he said. “This is a group that’s still learning, a group that’s hungry and hopefully by the end of the season they will be able to carry us.”

This group may still be wearing their Pampers but they have been hearing all summer how talented and deep they are. Despite all of the expectations, they know they still have things to learn before they outgrow their diapers.

“I think we can be great, we just have to use all the fundamentals and techniques the coaches are teaching. Once we learn and master those I don’t think there will be anybody that can stop us,” Dieter said.

Burbrink agrees with Dieter about how good they can be.

“We are still infants; we have to soak everything in,” Burbrink said. “I feel as my freshman year we had a great receiving corps but I feel as with our corps this year we could be even better.”

That potential and depth was shown in the last scrimmage of training camp for the Falcons, against, what Babers calls the best defense he has ever worked with. Multiple receivers were seen making difficult catches in the corners of the endzone and along the side lines.

“I really believe that they have the ability to be really good, but potential can get you fired,” Babers said. “What we have to do is keep finding out where we are at with these guys. Every day they have to come to practice and find new tools to put on their tool belt. When they get all that stuff down they will be good.”

Chris Pohlman is one person who has come into camp and added to his tool belt. Although they use him primarily as a blocking tight end, Burbrink believes that if his number is called he will be ready. Pohlman’s contribution from the tight end position will be key for the Falcons after the loss of Alex Bayer and Tyler Beck this past year.

Despite the injury to Gallon the expectations are high for this receiving corps, but they just want to get the season started.

“I think we can live up to the hype,” Dieter said. “We know it’s all hype right now but when the first whistle blows I think we will be ready to go.”