When training camp opened in early August, the Hoosiers’ receiving corps was looking to define itself.

Indiana’s top two receivers in 2014, Shane Wynn and Nick Stoner, both graduated. The third best receiver in term of yards was J-Shun Harris, who tore his ACL this summer and will miss the season. Former running back Tevin Coleman was fourth on the team in receiving last season, and he left for the NFL draft.

No wonder questions were being asked. Who was going to fill the void?

"I’m excited about the quality of depth," offensive coordinator Kevin Johns said in August. "Now we have to determine who’s really going to take it to the next level and make the plays."

Simmie Cobbs was high on the list of receivers who could potentially breakout. The 6-foot-4 sophomore played in all 12 games a year ago, pulling in seven catches for 114 yards. Fellow sophomore Dominique Booth was also a candidate, pulling in eight catches last season, the most among any of the returning receivers who will play this year.

Then there was Ricky Jones.

Jones, a redshirt junior from Sarasota, Florida, came to Bloomington in 2012 after an impressive high school career that saw him make 58 catches for 897 and 11 touchdowns as a senior on his way to class 4A all-state first-team honors. He chose Indiana over offers from Stanford, Duke and West Virginia, among others.

The first game of his collegiate career came against Indiana State, and Jones caught one pass for two yards in the 24-17 win. During practice the following week, Jones suffered a broken ankle – and his season was over.

The injury continued to bother Jones in 2013, limiting him to just three games. Last season he was able to play in all 12 games, though he says he didn’t feel completely healthy, and he caught three balls for 58 yards.

That’s three years, 16 games played and four catches for 60 yards.

Still, Kevin Wilson and his staff knew the kind of talent and potential Jones possessed.

Throughout last season and the offseason, the 5-10 Jones worked with coaches on making the transition from slot receiver to the outside.

Johns was impressed with the how Jones made the transition so smoothly.

He’s done really well, because it is different," Johns said. "The thing with Ricky is that he’s so athletic, that his body allows him to do that. He can get in and out of breaks, he can get off press where some guys can’t. (Some receivers) are just a slot or just an outside guy. I think he has the ability to do both."

Jones said that this season was going to be a chance to prove to fans, teammates, coaches, and to himself that he can be an elite-level receiver. He was just ready to get on the field.

"I’m very excited for this year," he said. "This is my first season 100 percent (healthy) since my freshman year, so that’s why I’m coming in with so much enthusiasm and so much effort. I’m just trying to be the best me."

Now that two games are in the books, it’s fair to say that Jones has given fans a look at the talent he has.

In the Hoosiers’ 48-47 season-opening win Sept. 5, Jones made six catches for a whopping 186 yards and made his first career touchdown catch. Last week, in a 36-22 win over Florida International, Jones caught five passes for 56 yards.

Those are the kind of performances that Jones has known he had in him but was finally healthy enough to produce.

"I have been waiting on this field for a long time, so I took the opportunity that I had, and I feel that I converted on it," he said. "But I have to bring it again next week, and I feel like the team played really well and we have to bring it again next week."