[projekktor id=’14605′]

After four full days of practice, the McMaster Marauders football team is shaping up quite nicely, according to head coach Stefan Ptaszek.

One area he’s particularly proud of is the receiving corps, which he considers perhaps the deepest pool of talent he seen during his nine years in maroon.

As a former receiver himself, Ptaszek admits he has a particular fondness for this position — but he has plenty of reason to be proud of this year’s crop.

“Whenever I evaluate a positional group I look at the ceiling, the very best, and I look at the floor, the group we need to develop the most. This is one of the highest floors we’ve ever had.”

McMaster’s receivers are not only good at catching the ball, they also pride themselves on their blocking abilities — creating holes for big runs, and taking pressure off their quarterback. That includes last year’s CIS Rookie of the Year, Daniel Vandervoort:

“You never want to settle…keep going…Marshall, Asher, Darius, great QBs… get good chemistry with them.”

After taking a year to pursue opportunities in the U.S., rookie receiver and Cardinal Newman alum, Daniel Petermann has made quick work out of Mac’s offensive playbook, and he’ll challenge some of the veterans for a starting spot on the roster.

“They do throw a lot, that’s good. It’s spread out… get people in good positions to make plays, that’s probably what I like most about it, yeah.”

When it comes to veterans, Ptaszek says the leadership of fourth-year receiver Ben O’Connor is invaluable. “To me, I’m not a big vocal player, so I try to lead by example. If everyone else can try to do that, we’ll be a better group as a whole.”

O’Connor is a great role model, both on and off the field, and he has a pretty good sense of humour too.