Tre Lennon isn’t difficult to pick out among the Elon University football receivers.
Amid a group of shorter guys known for their speed, Lennon sticks out as a tall, lanky option with his 6-foot-3-inch, 174-pound build. That’s what makes him a favorable target along the outside for Elon as well as one that’s been producing lately.
Lennon, a freshman from Greensboro Smith High School, caught the first two touchdowns of his career in Elon’s 34-24 loss at the University of Delaware Oct. 11.
“Coach brought me in with the opportunity to get the big play. I rose up, and I conquered,” Lennon said.
Both touchdowns came in the second half, during which Elon scored 21 points to bounce back from a 27-3 halftime deficit. Lennon stepped in when starter sophomore Demitri Allison went down with an injury.
The first grab came on a 13-play, 90-yard drive, Elon’s longest of the season. Lennon hauled in a pass from senior quarterback Mike Quinn for a 10-yard touchdown.
The latter became Elon’s longest touchdown of the season, a 35-yard connection with Quinn.
“When your number’s called, you have to perform, no matter how big you are,” said senior receiver Kierre Brown. “Tre’s a slender dude, but he’s going to play like he’s 220 [pounds] out there. That’s good to see he’s not scared to go against anybody.”
Getting Lennon bigger and stronger has been a primary focus for head coach Rich Skrosky and Elon’s coaching staff since he arrived in the summer. Lennon has already gained 14 pounds in that time.
While he doesn’t have the biggest build, he stands tall over a group of Elon receivers who are almost all shorter than 6 feet tall.
“He’s a highlight of our recruiting class, just being 15 minutes down the road,” Skrosky said. “I knew a lot of people who coached him, and they spoke to his character. That’s shown since he’s been here.”
Lennon was one of two true freshmen to play in Elon’s season opener at Duke University Aug. 30. He caught two passes for 19 yards. He didn’t see the field against North Carolina A&T State University Sept. 13, but pulled in two more passes for 22 yards against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Sept. 20.
Lennon led the Phoenix with seven catches for 95 yards against Delaware and followed that performance with five catches for 51 yards against Stony Brook University Oct. 18.
Lennon said it was a big transition from high school to college football. He mentioned having to actually take his playbook home and study the plays now, something he hadn’t done in the past.
He pointed to older players like Kierre Brown and juniors Andre Davis and Ricky Brown as mentors to him as he made the adjustment to college. They’ve stayed after practice with him to help with route running and rhythm.
It’s that willingness to learn and compete that’s stood out to Skrosky and the other coaches.
“A lot of times when freshmen come into college, when it doesn’t click that first day, they just take the role of a freshman,” Skrosky said. “Tre hasn’t done that. He came in wanting to compete since day one. I don’t think we’ve scratched the surface of his potential.”