I mean, I thought it was opened up quite a bit after the Ohio game. I really wouldn't call it conservative from then on. You just hear people pumping up these WRs like they're the next big thing or the light bulb is coming on and then they flame out and transfer. Meanwhile, portal guys like Higgins or JUCO guys like Hutchinson are taking all their snaps. There's some kind of disconnect either in the staff's evaluations or in their development.
Earlier in CMC's tenure (after Butler, Jones, Milton etc.), if you weren't a top 1 or 2 receiver, you likely weren't getting the ball thrown your way, given the usage rates of our TE's. I believe Kolar had the most targets and 2nd most targets his final two years. Top 4 targets were 2 receivers and 2 TE's for a few seasons. And if you couldn't block as a WR, you weren't seeing the field.
Currently, I think the 'target' numbers are shifting where we have a 1 true pass catching TE, creating more opportunities for WR's to step up. We'll see if that changes productivity of high school WR's.