Willie Haulstead, Wide Receiver: Florida State Football 2013 Preview

Florida State football kicks off on Labor day at Pitt. Tomahawk Nation previews the season up until that date by analyzing every player and other key issues facing the 2013 Seminoles.

No. 82 Willie Haulstead | 6'2", 227 | RS Senior | Wide Receiver

School Bio (Courtesy of Seminoles.com)

2012: Redshirt junior who played in 12 games on the season...was starting wide receiver against the Florida Gators...caught three passes on the season...finished with 31 receiving yards...all three receptions were passes from Clint Trickett...each reception this season was on a third down play which resulted in a first down...saw a lot of action on special teams...had two tackles on kickoffs against Virgin ia Tech to pin them inside the 25.

2011: Redshirted after suffering a preseason concussion that kept him out for the season.

2010: True sophomore who emerged as one of Florida State's premier playmakers in the passing game after managing just one reception in 2009...led all Seminole receivers with six touchdowns and a 15.4 yards per reception average...ranked third on the team with 38 receptions, but his 587 yards ranked second...played in 13 games, but made only five starts...collected his first career touchdown in a five-reception performance against Wake Forest...had single touchdowns in games against Virginia, NC State, North Carolina and Florida...enjoyed one of the most productive games by a Seminole wideout in recent history when he caught a career-high 10 passes for a career-high 154 yards and a touchdown against North Carolina...became the second of three FSU receivers in 2010 with a 100-yard receiving game...led the team with eight plays of 25 yards or more.

2009: Participated in 13 games with the majority of his playing time coming on special teams...one of only two true freshman receivers to see action...lone reception came in regular season finale against rival Florida on a 10-yard pass from EJ Manuel...logged 10 tackles, the most by any offensive player on the roster.

PERSONAL: Collected 75 receptions for 1,079 yards and 18 TDs over his final two seasons at Titusville...missed much of his senior season with a broken foot...rated a four-star prospect who earned All-Space Coast honors as a senior despite an injury...also participated in track & field at Titusville...helped open the recruiting doors to the FSU staff in the Space Coast area when he chose the `Noles over Michigan, Purdue, USF, UCF, Auburn, Boston College and South Carolina...born August 14, 1989.

We wrote this spring that Florida State was to return over 75% of its receiving yards in 2013. With Greg Dent's likely removal of himself from the program, that figure will be revised downward. However, the fact remains that the Noles will return an experienced receiver corps in the fall, and the senior most member is Willie Haulstead.

Just as yesterday's preview subject did, Haulstead suffered a nasty injury in 2011. His was in the pre-season, though, which caused him to miss the entire season to follow. I'm not saying Lamarcus Joyner is to blame for every FSU practice injury, I'm just saying he's dangerous. Anyway, Willie returned in 2012, but his production after the severe concussion he suffered was sparse. He played on special teams, but only caught 3 passes for 31 yards on the year. Over a year after his injury, Haulstead was still not the same player in 2012 that he was before it.

2013 provides an opportunity for Haulstead, as the Noles are now effectively down to six returning wide receivers with Bracy and Dent departing. #82 has a chance to find himself behind Kelvin Benjamin as the second Z receiver if he can return to form. While it's possible that someone like Shaw gets some time at Z, this also depends on finding a quality producer at the Y position, with Greene having locked down the X. I think it's more likely that Shaw is your starting Y and Benjamin is the starting Z, which means he'll need to improve upon his 54.5% catch rate from 2012. It follows that the big, physical, veteran Haulstead is the best-suited to play Kelvin's role in a backup situation. However, this depends completely upon his health. Willie in his 2009 and 2010 form is more than capable of being a productive part of the 2013 offense. 2012 Haulstead, though, is unlikely to provide the level of play that FSU will need. FSU fans hope for a resurgence from #82 in his fifth and final season in garnet and gold.