Issue date: 10/13/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Christopher Peddecord Wide receiver Brent Casteel tries to escape the clasping arms of a TCU defender on Oct. 5 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

If the U football team had control of Webster's dictionary, it would give some serious thought to putting Brent Casteel's picture next to the word "dynamic." Not only is the sophomore wide receiver's role on the offense-the one that changes from running back to wide receiver-a dynamic one, but the burst of positive energy Casteel provides for the offense makes him the epitome of the word.

"He's a dynamic guy," offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said. "He's an excellent route runner, and a good pass receiver, but (he) also has some running back attributes about him, so we're trying to utilize him in both roles."

The San Francisco native's success on both facets of the offense might have something to do with No. 5's freakishly strong legs. Casteel can squat 500 pounds, which is more than two-and-a-half times his body weight. That, combined with the fact that Casteel has been training for the way he has been utilized since high school, has a lot to do with Casteel's emergence as one of the most potent Ute players.

"In high school, I played all running back, but I was versatile. I was still running in and catching the ball," Casteel said. "At the college level, (coaches) utilize you in different spots; you just have to go out there and make it happen."

A player like Casteel allows the Utes' offense to be much more versatile than it may otherwise be without him. Oftentimes, Casteel will line up in the backfield, either to directly take a Brett Ratliff handoff or to become a threat on the option portion of the Ute attack- something that you can find on a football team every day.

"He's a wide receiver who can come into the backfield and become a running back," coach Ludwig said. "Not every wide receiver can do that, so he's a special guy."

Possibly the only problem with having a guy like Casteel on your team is that a lot of people are going to notice when he isn't touching the ball, including Casteel himself. After getting 10 touches and a touchdown to go with his 105 all-purpose yards on offense during the Utes' first game against UCLA, Casteel saw a noticeable drop in his involvement on offense.

Continued...

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