The ISU football team will be focusing on the passing game more often this upcoming season, meaning the wide receiver corps needs to adjust to a new playbook. Here are the four things that ISU fans can look forward to from the wide receivers in the 2016 season:

1. Leadership from Allen Lazard

Junior receiver Allen Lazard has had the last two years to understand the game of college football. The transition of different coaches and a different playbook during the offseason has put Lazard in a coaching role for the young receivers. 

Coach Matt Campbell has praised Lazard’s effort, whether it be on the practice field, in the film room or in the classroom. Campbell knows he can rely on Lazard day in and day out.

“If your best players are your hardest workers, you have a special football player,” Campbell said. 

As for expectations, Campbell thinks the sky is the limit for Lazard and believes he could be a top Big 12 wide receiver if he puts his mind to it. 

2. A fast-tempo offense with explosive energy

The ISU offense will try to have a faster tempo than past seasons to try and control the speed of the game. Numerous athletes on the offensive side have strengths of quickness that the coaches are going to use in their offense. 

“For us, we are a very tempo offense,” said Bryan Gasser, wide receivers/special teams coach. “We’re going to try to control the game with our tempo. We’re going to be fast, but then we might slow it down. We’re going to be more versatile in our sets.”

3. The flexibility of Trever Ryen

From track and field to running back to punt returner and now to wide receiver, redshirt junior Trever Ryen has done it all for ISU athletics. He is looking ahead to his last two years of college. 

This season, Campbell and the coaching staff want Ryen to be a part of the receiving corps and learn the different routes for the quarterbacks. Even though that’s Ryen’s focus, Campbell said he wants to take advantage of the opportunity to use him in the backfield as a running back. 

Ryen played running back last year along with Mike Warren. If you ask Ryen, he is most excited to stay in the special teams group as the punt returner. 

“I enjoy the risk involved as the punt returner,” Ryen said. “I feel like if you make one move you can have a great punt return.”

4. Chemistry with Joel Lanning

Redshirt junior quarterback Joel Lanning appears to be the favorite entering the 2016 football season, and his chemistry with most of his wide receivers has increased throughout the spring practice. 

“Our relationship is pretty good; we joke around a lot,” Ryen said. “He’s only a couple lockers down from me, but we always talk to make sure we’re on the same page.”

This chemistry is essential from a quarterback and wide receiver because it allows a trust between the two. The quarterback knows he can trust his wide receiver to catch the ball in any circumstance.