When Ja’seem Reed first played youth football, he would dart down the field carrying the ball. There parallel to him, in the bleachers, would be his mother. A former track star, she would run beside him, a private end zone escort.
Reed is now a standout University of San Diego wide receiver. His mother, Knechele, no longer pantomimes her son during games. Which is a good thing because if she did, Knechele would either be:
A) Fitter than Wonder Woman;
or
B) Passed out face-first in the bleachers, exhausted from trying to keep up with him.
USD will honor 22 senior players before Saturdays 1 p.m. game against Stetson, the Toreros’ final home game of the season. None of them have had a greater influence on the Toreros’ 6-3 season than Reed.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound pass-catcher by way of Thousand Oaks Westlake High School is enjoying one of the best seasons by a wide receiver in USD history. In nine games, Reed has hauled in 67 passes for 883 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Division I Football Championship Subdivision is comprised of 129 teams. Each team starts a minimum of two wide receivers. In this age of spread offenses, many start three. So out of nearly 400 starting FCS wide receivers, Reed ranks fourth in catches per game (7.4), sixth in yards per game (98.1) and 11th in touchdowns (eight).
“He is our most explosive weapon,” said USD coach Brandon Moore.
USDs Jaseem Reed hauls in a pass during the Toreros win over Davidson. (Abraham Arredondo, USD athletics)
Reed has put together a memorable USD career. His catches have increased each season, from 14 as a freshman to 28 as a sophomore, 56 last season as a junior and 67 with two games to play as a senior. Reed ranks 10th in school history in catches (165) and ninth in receiving yards (2,283).
There are multiple reasons for Reed’s success. At 6-2, he’s a big target, able to bully smaller cornerbacks. He’s also fleet, forcing corners and safeties to play soft, lest they get beat deep and wind up looking at his back on Reed’s path to the end zone.
Moore cites another factor.
“He’s a gamer,” the coach said. “He prepares like a pro. He’s hard on himself and he gets after it.”
Reed says one reason for his big senior season is that rather than returning home last summer, he stayed in San Diego. Reed trained with his USD teammates, spent more time in the weight room, worked on routes with quarterback Grant Sergent and took part in 7-on-7 drills.
“It was more a sense of accountability,” Reed said. “Working with teammates, pushing each other to be the best we could be. Just that competitive energy.”
Jaseem Reed
Maybe no one is more familiar with Reed’s skill set than USD cornerback Eric Haney, a graduate student who lines up against him daily in practice.
“He brings a lot to the table,” Haney said. “He’s big, he’s fast, a really good route runner, has good hands. It’s a good matchup going against him. It’s very beneficial.”
Here’s how vital Reed is to the USD offense: he has led the Toreros in catches in every game but two and topped them in receiving yards in every game but one. He’s had two monster games: Reed caught eight passes for 162 yards and two TDs in a rout of Marist; and 14 catches for 186 yards and two TDs in a romp past Davidson.
Wide receiver Jaseem Reed leads USD into Saturdays Senior Day festivities at Torero Stadium. (USD athletics)
Those who know Reed well say his value to the football team extends beyond his ability to catch a football.
“If you asked him, he could probably name all 95 players on the team,” said Haney. “I mean every single player. I think he’s had conversations with everyone on the team. He’s not cliquey, hanging just with wide receivers or starters. He knows everyone from top to bottom.
“There’s not one person in my four years on the team that would say something bad about Ja’seem. He’s just a good dude. He brightens your day.”
Reed said there’s a simple reason why he left Thousand Oaks for USD. No other school recruited him.
“Honestly, why not (come to USD)? he said. It’s a beautiful campus. The people I met here are great. They’re going to be some of my best friends for life. They gave me a chance to play football at the Division I level. Why not take a chance?”
Stetson (2-7, 0-5) at USD (6-3, 4-2)
When: 1 p.m.
Where: Torero Stadium
Streaming: ESPN+, with radio call on usdtoreros.com
History: USD leads the series 10-0. The Toreros have won the last eight by at least 24 points.
Hatters notes: The team from DeLand, Fla., has lost seven straight, giving up an average of 45 points during the losing streak. Quarterback Brady Meitz has thrown for 2,023 yards but has been intercepted 13 times.
Toreros notes: USD, which closes the season next week at Morehead State, will try to cap a perfect 6-0 record at home. The Toreros have won eight of the last nine on Senior Day. USD’s defense has been dominant of late, allowing just 23 points in a two-game winning streak. Giovanni Iovino, who started his career at Washington State, leads the team in tackles (68) and tackles-for-loss (10). Sixth-year quarterback Grant Sergent is playing efficiently, throwing for 1,908 yards and 18 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
DON NORCROSS