Countdown to UVA Football: #83 Ben Hogg

Position: WR/TE
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 170
Year: Redshirt Sophomore
Hometown: Lynchburg, VA

As we discussed yesterday with Ross Gardner, there isn't much room for a walk-on WR to get much playing time for the Hoos right now. This is even more true for Ben Hogg than it was for Gardner.

At 6'0' and 170 pounds, Hogg is one of the smallest guys on the team. That certainly hurts his chances of seeing the field. Of course, there are other small guys, including the guy right next to him on the roster, David Eldridge. Eldridge saw playing time as a true freshman, despite basically being the same size as Hogg. The difference, of course, is that Eldridge possesses elite top-end speed. Hogg isn't slow, he's clocked a 4.6 40. Unfortunately, that's too slow for a small WR.

Now, take a guy like Marques Hagans. He was a small WR. He was actually shorter than Hogg, though a bit thicker (especially in the lower body) and no faster. But Hagans was much much quicker. Hagans was one of the best open field runners the Hoos have ever had. He was nearly impossible to bring down one-on-one in the open field. This is why Hagans was a punt returner for the Hoos.

Hogg is quick, but not nearly quick enough. Here is his Hudl page, which has some highlights. Nothing jumps out at you about Hogg. He runs some deep routes and makes some nice catches. He pulls in a few back shoulder grabs.

Yesterday, we talked about how Gardner is a big WR who is a willing blocker. That gives him a chance to see the field, at least on special teams. Hogg is small, and that may remove that possibility for him. That said, in the highlight video, there are some clips of him at FS and also a few clips of him blocking. He certainly does not shy from contact. He could eventually see the field as a blocker on the punt return unit. That's likely his best path to see action on the field.