TOWSON, Md. - As the Tigers held their fourth practice of the Spring, it is obvious that the team has vastly improved its depth at a number of positions.

One of those positions is wide receiver. The Tigers have no fewer than a dozen wide receivers on their Spring roster, a situation that both Head Coach Rob Ambrose and Wide Receivers Coach Dassin Blackwell enjoy.

"We have a number of solid threats at the wide receiver position," says Ambrose. "We have a lot of talent and everyone had a different strength. They can all help us in different ways."

Seniors Tom Ryan, Erron Banks, Alex Blake and Gerrard Sheppard are the most experienced wide receivers on the Tigers' roster. Ryan led the Tigers with 39 catches for 560 yards and three touchdowns. He will always be remembered for his 63-yard touchdown reception at Old Dominion that gave the Tigers an improbable 39-35 win.

"We love the experience that Tom Ryan gives us," says Ambrose. "He loves to play football and he is always working to get better."

Like Ryan, Banks and Blake are fourth-year receivers on the roster. Banks, who was limited to four catches for 38 yards last year due to an ankle injury, has caught 50 passes for 483 yards. Blake, who averages 16.3 yards per reception in his career, has 40 receptions for 519 yards and three TD's in his college career.

A transfer from the University of Connecticut, Sheppard joined the Tigers last season and made an immediate impact. He caught 22 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns last year. In the FCS playoff game against Lehigh, he gave the Tigers a fourth quarter lead when he caught a 52-yard touchdown pass.

Junior Leon Kinnard, another transfer from Connecticut, was the Tigers' second-leading receiver with 36 catches for 402 yards and a touchdown.

"We have a great rotation of wide receivers," says Blackwell, the Tigers' second-year Wide Receivers Coach. "There is a great mix of older guys and young guys and the veteran guys have done a great job teaching the yoiung ones. We are very fortunate to have so many experienced receivers."

Blackwell feels it is a tremendous advantage to have so many receivers.

"The depth gives us the ability to rotate a lot of players in and out of the game," he adds. "Everyone adds something different and it gives so many of them experience. We are lucky to have so much talent and depth."

The Tigers will hold their fifth Spring Practice session on Sunday morning. It will be the fourth consecutive day they have practiced.