Nevada Football Position Preview: Can Nevada’s New-Look Receiver Room Transform the Passing Game?

When Jeff Choate and his staff attacked the transfer portal this offseason, one position stood above the rest: wide receiver.
After finishing near the bottom of the Mountain West in passing production a season ago, Nevada completely rebuilt its receiver room. The Wolf Pack return just one proven contributor in Marshaun Brown but added four transfers expected to compete for starting roles immediately: Donnie Cheers, Jaceon Doss, Gary Givens III, and Damien Morgan.
Advertisement

The talent level appears significantly improved on paper. Now Nevada must determine whether that production will translate to Saturdays.
With so many new faces entering the program, Marshaun Brown provides something Nevada desperately needs: continuity.
The Reno native appeared in 10 games during the 2025 season and finished with 16 receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown. While those numbers won’t jump off the page, Brown showed flashes of becoming a reliable target and remained one of the few receivers on the roster with experience in Nevada’s offense.
Advertisement

At 6-foot-4, Brown possesses the size that offensive coordinators covet on the outside. His role should increase significantly in 2026 as Nevada searches for a true No. 1 receiver.
The biggest question isn’t whether Brown will play. It’s whether he can become the go-to target that Nevada’s offense lacked a year ago.
Of Nevada’s offseason additions, Donnie Cheers enters with arguably the strongest résumé.
The Southeast Missouri State transfer put together a breakout season in 2025, catching 44 passes for 585 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 13.3 yards per reception. His 585 receiving yards led SEMO and demonstrated his ability to be a primary option within an offense.
Advertisement

What stands out about Cheers is his consistency.
Nevada’s passing game often struggled to sustain drives last season. Cheers has already proven he can be a volume receiver while still creating explosive plays. His longest reception went for 67 yards in 2025, showing the big-play ability Nevada has been searching for.
Entering fall camp, Cheers looks like a strong candidate to start immediately.
If Cheers brings consistency, Jaceon Doss brings explosiveness.
The Towson transfer was one of the most dangerous vertical threats in the FCS last season. Doss finished 2025 with 29 receptions for 657 yards and five touchdowns, averaging an eye-popping 22.7 yards per catch. His longest reception covered 84 yards. Those numbers immediately stand out.
Advertisement

Despite catching fewer than 30 passes, Doss finished among Towson’s leaders in receiving yards because of his ability to stretch defenses. Nevada lacked that element for much of 2025.
Whether it’s Carter Jones or Luke Duncan throwing passes this fall, Doss gives the offense a receiver capable of changing a game with one play.
While some transfers arrive with gaudy statistics, Gary Givens III arrives with something equally valuable in FBS experience.
At Northern Illinois last season, Givens recorded 12 receptions for 145 yards and one touchdown while appearing in all 12 games. His production was modest, but he played within a run-heavy offense that struggled to generate consistent passing numbers. What Nevada likes is his versatility.
Advertisement

Givens can line up both outside and in the slot, giving offensive coordinator Matt Lubick flexibility when building personnel packages. He may not enter camp as the most productive receiver in the room, but he could become one of the most valuable.
The fourth major addition is Idaho State transfer Damien Morgan. He was All-Big Sky honorable mention at Idaho State last season under new Nevada wide receivers coach Keith Price. Morgan had 53 catches for 607 yards and three TDs in 2025.
While Morgan may enter camp with less fanfare than Cheers or Doss, his addition gives Nevada another experienced receiver capable of competing for snaps immediately.
Advertisement

One of Nevada’s biggest issues a year ago was a lack of proven options behind its top targets. Injuries and inconsistency quickly exposed the room. Morgan helps raise the floor of the entire position group.
Few position groups on Nevada’s roster have undergone a more dramatic transformation.
Brown returns as the lone receiver with meaningful experience in Nevada’s offense. Cheers arrives after a 585-yard season at Southeast Missouri State. Doss brings 657 yards and elite big-play ability from Towson. Givens adds FBS experience from Northern Illinois, while Morgan rounds out a transfer class expected to compete for immediate playing time. The biggest question isn’t talent; it’s chemistry.
Advertisement

With a quarterback competition still ongoing and several new receivers learning the offense, Nevada must quickly build continuity before Week 1. If that happens, this receiver room has the potential to be one of the most improved position groups in the Mountain West.
Position Grade Entering Summer: C+
Nevada may not have a proven All-Mountain West receiver, but it has significantly more talent, depth, and production than it did a year ago. If Cheers and Doss replicate their FCS success at the Mountain West level, the Wolf Pack’s passing game could take a major step forward in 2026.
Read More Feedzy