Connect with us

Published

on

The 2024 NFL draft features a tremendous collection of talented receivers, including Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, not to mention Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, all of whom could be top-10 picks.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be anyone left to catch the ball in the college game. Our list of the top 10 receivers in college football for the coming season, as determined by a poll of our reporters, includes five players who broke the 1,000-yard threshold in 2023, plus two players who missed significant time due to injury and one who had as big an impact at cornerback as he did as a receiver.

We asked our resident experts to rank their top 10 wide receivers/tight ends entering the 2024 season. Points were assigned based on their votes: 10 points for first place, nine for second place and down to one point for 10th place.

Here are the results.

Previous top 10 lists: Running backs | Quarterbacks

2023 stats: 86 receptions, 1,212 yards, 14.1-yard average, 9 TDs

Points: 92 (five first-place votes)

Burden was a lump of clay in 2022 as a dynamic athlete and a terrifying figure with the ball in his hands. The blue-chip freshman scored rushing, receiving and punt return touchdowns, but wasn’t where he needed to be as an actual receiver. He averaged just 8.3 yards per catch and finished his first year at Missouri with 375 receiving yards.

The light bulb came on for Burden in 2023. He moved to the slot and topped 375 yards by the second quarter of his fourth game. He gained 114 yards or more in five straight games, threw himself into blocking and dirty work late in the year when running back Cody Schrader began to catch fire and still finished the season ranked ninth nationally in receiving yards. He dropped only two passes all season and finished in the top five in the nation in yards after catch (711, third), forced missed tackles (30, fourth) and yards after first contact (300, fifth). He caught a desperate fourth-and-17 pass to set up a game-winning field goal against Florida and the game-clinching touchdown pass in the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. Schrader received some Heisman votes for his late-season work, but Missouri doesn’t go 11-2 in 2023 without Burden. And now he enters his junior season as maybe the most proven receiver in the country. His potato chips are pretty good too. — Bill Connelly


2023 stats: 90 receptions, 1,402 yards, 15.6-yard average, 10 TDs

Points: 78 (three first-place votes)

After an impressive freshman year in 2022, where he caught 39 passes for 702 yards, McMillan broke out as a sophomore, hauling in 90 passes for 1,402 yards with 10 touchdowns as Arizona won 10 games for just the second time in more than two decades. No returning power conference receiver had more receiving yards than he did last year, catching passes from both Noah Fifita and Jayden de Laura.

The offseason saw a major change in Tucson with head coach Jedd Fisch departing for Washington, which led to some initial speculation that McMillan might move with him to the Big Ten. However, both McMillan and Fifita announced they would stay at Arizona to play for new head coach Brent Brennan, who arrived from San Jose State. It will be hard for McMillan to top his statistical output from a year ago, but the Wildcats will no longer have Jacob Cowing — who caught 90 passes as a senior — which could make them more dependent on McMillan. — Kyle Bonagura


2023 stats: 41 receptions, 515 yards, 12.6-yard average, 4 TDs

Points: 59

Top-three national wide receivers typically don’t have a ton to prove, but Egbuka is looking to deliver more for an Ohio State offense with the highest of expectations. After a breakout season in 2022 — he had 1,151 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 74 receptions, while adding two rushing touchdowns and 75 yards on punt returns — the Steilacoom, Washington, native seemed poised to make the leap to the NFL in 2024. But last season didn’t go as planned, as Egbuka was slowed by a midseason ankle sprain that sidelined him for three games. He finished with only 41 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns, never reaching the 100-yard mark and eclipsing 40 yards just once in Big Ten play.

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s departure puts Egbuka in the spotlight as Ohio State’s No. 1 receiver and a Biletnikoff Award candidate. He had displayed top-end speed and route-running and averaged 15.7 yards per reception in 2022 while contributing to the return game his first two seasons. Egbuka will be instrumental in easing the transition for Kansas State transfer Will Howard and leading a receiver group once again pegged to be among the nation’s best. — Adam Rittenberg


2023 stats: 86 receptions, 1,182 yards, 13.7-yard average, 10 TDs

Points: 41 (one first-place vote)

Johnson racked up 86 catches for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns, playing as Oregon’s No. 2 receiving target last season. Those are hardly No. 2 numbers as only five other receivers in the country — including his 2023 teammate Troy Franklin — posted an 80-1,100-10 line. The only two players from that group returning for 2024 are Johnson and Arizona’s McMillan.

Johnson was a wizard both before and after the catch. He hauled in more than half his contested catches, averaged more than 3 yards per catch after first contact (with 17 missed tackles) and racked up 727 yards after the catch, most among all Power Five receivers last year. Meanwhile, he was as reliable an option as there was in college football, hauling in 78.9% of his targets, third-most among all FBS receivers with at least 100 targets and tops in the Power 5. — David Hale


2023 stats: 54 receptions, 985 yards, 18.2-yard average, 8 TDs

Points: 30

One of the many transfers Ole Miss has cashed in on in recent seasons, Harris returns as one of the top pass-catchers in the country. He started his career at Louisiana Tech and had a breakout season there in 2022 with 10 touchdown catches. He missed one game at Ole Miss last season with an injury but still finished with 54 catches for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and has the athleticism and size to win most one-on-one matchups.

The Rebels will be deep at receiver with slot Jordan Watkins and tight end Caden Prieskorn returning and South Carolina transfer Antwane “Juice” Wells coming in, which will make it difficult for opponents to double-team Harris. Not only will Harris be a target for Jaxson Dart in key third-down situations, but he is one of the more dangerous big-play receivers in college football. He averaged 18.2 yards per catch last season, and his 21 catches of 20 yards or longer rank third nationally among returning FBS players. — Chris Low


2023 stats: 85 receptions, 1,092 yards, 12.8-yard average, 6 TDs

Points: 28

Restrepo had three relatively quiet seasons at Miami before 2023, when he turned in one of the best years by a receiver in school history. The South Florida native set a school record with 85 catches, becoming just the sixth Hurricanes receiver ever to break the 1,000-yard mark in a season (1,092). A first-team All-ACC selection, Restrepo was at his best in a loss to Louisville, when he caught eight passes for 193 yards with a touchdown late in the year.

He had a strong connection with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, but will now be catching passes from former Washington State QB Cam Ward, who briefly announced he would enter the NFL draft before reversing course and transferring to Miami. — Bonagura


2023 stats (at South Alabama): 91 receptions, 1,316 yards, 14.5-yard average, 7 TDs

Points: 27

Find you a slot receiver who can do it all. At South Alabama in 2023, Lacy was first in the nation in receiving yards from screens, shallow and hook routes (606 from 60 catches), first in yards after catch and first in yards after first contact. He was also an A+ deep threat, ranking 18th in receiving yards on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield and averaging 14.5 yards per reception on the season despite all the short routes. He was the No.1 in the Jaguars’ passing attack — he was targeted on 30% of his routes and accounted for 38% of his team’s receiving yards — and still, no one could stop him. He topped 100 yards in eight of his 12 games.

For each of four seasons, Lacy showed massive development, leaping from 11 catches in 2020 to 41 in 2021, 64 in 2022 and 91 in 2023. He was one of the nation’s best return men in 2022 as well. And now he takes the logical next step in his career: seeing what he can do at a Power 5 school. He will serve as the most proven pass-catcher in a drastically remodeled Louisville receiving corps as Jeff Brohm attempts to make his second ACC championship game appearance in two seasons. — Connelly


2023 stats: 45 receptions, 649 yards, 14.4-yard average, 4 TDs

Points: 23

Michigan has lost a lot of star power from its national championship offense, but Loveland, along with running back Donovan Edwards, will enter the spotlight in 2024. Loveland emerged as an elite-level tight end during his first two seasons in college and should be one of the top prospects at his position in the 2025 NFL draft. Michigan doesn’t have many recruits from Idaho, but Loveland made the long journey from Gooding, in the southern portion of the state, and arrived as a three-star recruit in 2022. He broke out late in his freshman season, starting five games, recording 16 receptions for 235 yards, while excelling on special teams.

Loveland took on a bigger role last fall in Michigan’s passing game, finishing third on the team in receptions (45) and second in both receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4). He had multiple receptions in each of the Wolverines’ final nine games, including three for 64 yards in the national championship win over Washington. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Loveland earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was named Michigan’s offensive player of the week five times. As the Wolverines reload at quarterback and wide receiver, Loveland will have even more responsibility on his very capable shoulders this fall. — Rittenberg


2023 stats: 57 receptions, 721 yards, 12.6-yard average, 5 TDs

Points: 21 (one first-place vote)

Hunter’s place here is sort of like if Michael Jordan had ranked as one of the White Sox’s top prospects in 1994. He really has no business being this good at what is, essentially, his part-time gig. While Hunter excelled as one of the elite cover corners in college football last year, his impact on offense was nearly as significant, catching 57 balls for 721 yards and five touchdowns in nine games. To put that in perspective, the last time a Colorado receiver hit all three of those marks was Laviska Shenault back in 2018 — and Hunter did it while also playing defense and missing three games.

How Hunter’s role evolves in 2024 is one of the more intriguing questions of this offseason, and whether he’s up to the rigors of playing both ways over the course of a full season for a second year in a row is anyone’s guess. But what’s unquestioned is Hunter’s rare talent, which makes him dangerous anywhere on the field — and perhaps at receiver most of all. — Hale


2023 stats (at Alabama): 48 receptions, 668 yards, 13.9-yard average, 4 touchdowns

Points: 19

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is hoping Bond can do what Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell did for the Longhorns’ offense in 2023. Bond had 48 catches for 668 yards with four touchdowns at Alabama last season. Most famously, he hauled in the winning touchdown on fourth-and-31 with 32 seconds left in a 27-24 victory at Auburn, which put the Crimson Tide in the SEC championship game.

A former Georgia high school sprint champion in the 100 and 200 meters, Bond has blazing speed and should develop into a reliable deep threat for the Longhorns. — Mark Schlabach

Also receiving votes: Brant Kuithe, Utah (17); Kevin Concepcion, NC State (16); Ricky White, UNLV (14); Juice Wells, Ole Miss (12); Zachariah Branch, USC (11); Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State (11); Tory Horton, Colorado State (10); Evan Stewart, Oregon (10); Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (8), Deion Burks, Oklahoma (6); Kris Mitchell, Notre Dame (6); Oscar Delp, Georgia (5); Moose Muhammad, Texas A&M (5); Benjamin Yurosek, Georgia (1)

Continue Reading

Sports

Phils’ Suárez K’s 10, continues historic run to 9-0

Published

on

By

Phils' Suárez K's 10, continues historic run to 9-0

PHILADELPHIA — Ranger Suárez stuck out 10 over seven innings and improved to 9-0 to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to their MLB-best 35th win, a 5-2 victory over the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

Suárez’s season-opening run rivals Hall of Famers Grover Alexander and Juan Marichal among the best in baseball history.

Bryce Harper hit his 11th homer of the season to help the Phillies win for the ninth time in 11 games and continue one of the best starts in franchise history.

The Phillies have won 35 of their first 49 games for the second time in franchise history (1976). The Phillies are 27-6 in their last 33 games, marking the first time since at least 1901 they have won 27 games in a 33-game span.

This season, no pitcher in baseball has been better than Suárez.

“He knows what it takes to win games,” Harper said.

The 28-year-old lefty walked off to a standing ovation in the seventh after he caught Leody Taveras looking on a 91.6 mph sinker to end the inning. Suárez took a no-decision in his first start of the season before he reeled of wins in nine straight starts.

“I just try to throw and do the best work that I can,” Suárez said through an interpreter.

Suárez lowered his ERA to 1.36, the third-lowest ERA by a Phillies pitcher in his first 10 starts of a season. Suárez trails Alexander, who had a 1.24 ERA in first 10 starts of 1916 and a 1.31 ERA in his first 10 starts of 1915.

Suárez is the first pitcher to start 9-0 with a sub-1.50 ERA through 10 starts since Marichal did it for the San Francisco Giants in 1966. Oh, he’s also the first Phillies pitcher since Robin Roberts (1952) to win at least nine consecutive starts.

“It’s kind of mind-boggling, this historic run that he’s been on,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

Jose Alvarado worked a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.

Ranger bested the Rangers, and continued his reign as Philadelphia’s top pitcher this season — no small feat for a rotation that already boasts Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. Suárez walked two and gave up a run before he yielded to Jeff Hoffman in the eighth inning.

Corey Seager hit a solo shot off Hoffman in the eighth to make it 3-2.

Hoffman got only two outs before Matt Strahm retired Nathaniel Lowe on a sharp line drive to left field with two runners on to end the inning.

This three-game series comes oh-so-close to serving as a World Series rematch. The Rangers needed only five games to beat Arizona and win the franchise’s first World Series — after Arizona won Games 6 and 7 in Philadelphia to rally and knock out the Phillies in the NL Championship Series.

Suárez fell into a rare early deficit after he gave up Marcus Semien‘s RBI single to left in the third.

The Phillies went ahead 2-1 off Jon Gray (2-2) on Kyle Schwarber‘s run-scoring single in the third and Alec Bohm‘s RBI single in the fourth. Harper connected off Rangers reliever Jacob Latz in the sixth for a 3-1 lead and help them snap a 12-game losing streak against the Rangers, that dates to 2014.

Bohm — who has 11 RBIs over his seven-game hitting streak — knocked in his NL-best 44th RBI on a double in the eighth, and Bryson Stott followed with a sacrifice fly for a 5-2 lead.

“They’re pitching well and they’re getting big hits,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “They’re a very good offensive club. They’re one of the best team in baseball, right now, that’s how well they’re playing.”

Continue Reading

Sports

The Gators, a top QB and a $13.85 million NIL deal gone wrong: What to know and what’s next

Published

on

By

The Gators, a top QB and a .85 million NIL deal gone wrong: What to know and what's next

Jaden Rashada, a former ESPN 300 quarterback recruit, sued the University of Florida and coach Billy Napier on Tuesday. Rashada is claiming he was defrauded of millions of dollars in name, image and likeness money.

The lawsuit, among other things, alleges that Napier promised the player’s father a $1 million “partial payment” upon signing. Rashada never got the money, and the boosters never fulfilled the deal, the lawsuit states.

It is the latest in a long saga involving the player and the school. Now, Rashada is the first college athlete known to sue his coach or a booster due to a dispute over an NIL deal.

What’s next for Rashada and Florida? Our reporters break it down.

How did we get here?

Rashada was ranked No. 31 overall in the 2023 class and had a prep career that featured several transfers. His freshman season in high school was played at Liberty High School (Brentwood, California). He then transferred to IMG Academy in Florida before going back to California to play three seasons at Pittsburg (California) High School. His college decision came down to two Florida schools and two big NIL numbers.

Rashada committed to the Miami Hurricanes in June 2022. The lawsuit states that Rashada had a $9.5 million NIL promise with the Canes. But Rashada decommitted that November and promptly flipped to the Florida Gators and Coach Napier. He signed his national letter of intent during the December signing period. However, he didn’t enroll at Florida, and his arrival in Gainesville was contingent on a four-year, $13.85 million NIL deal. Rashada asked for a release from his letter of intent when the deal fell through.

The Gator Collective, an independent fundraising organization that distributed money to UF athletes at the time, was responsible for the deal. However, the financial backing did not materialize, and the Gator Collective terminated the contract. Rashada was released from his letter of intent. He then took a visit to Arizona State and committed to play for the Sun Devils, arriving on campus in July 2023.

Rashada started the first two games of the season for Arizona State, but an injury kept him out for most of the season. In three games, he was 44-of-82 for 485 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions.

Rashada entered the transfer portal on April 18 and is now transferring to Georgia, where he will have four years of eligibility remaining. — Tom VanHaaren


What’s next for Rashada?

Georgia emerged as Rashada’s likely transfer destination soon after he entered the portal. He selected the Bulldogs on April 25, captioning his Instagram announcement, “Compete with the BEST.” Rather than vying for the starting job at ASU with emerging Michigan State transfer Sam Leavitt, Rashada enters a situation where he will play behind Georgia’s Carson Beck, a top Heisman Trophy contender and NFL hopeful.

Barring an injury to Beck, Rashada will use the 2024 season for developmental purposes, while absorbing a different offense under coordinator Mike Bobo in Athens.

A realistic goal would be to start in 2025 for a Bulldogs team always in the national title hunt. He would need to beat out primary challenger Gunner Stockton, who enters his third season in the Georgia program and gained valuable experience this spring. Both Stockton and incoming freshman Ryan Puglisi ranked among ESPN’s top 110 recruits in their respective classes. Coach Kirby Smart likes to have four scholarship quarterbacks on his roster at all times, and the team has a 2025 commitment from ESPN 300 recruit Ryan Montgomery.

Rashada is the most decorated quarterback prospect of the bunch, but he will need to adjust quickly, especially with Stockton ahead on the learning curve. — Adam Rittenberg


How did this affect Florida on the field?

The Gators signed Rashada in December 2022, anticipating he would compete for the starting job with veteran Graham Mertz, who transferred in from Wisconsin. Without him, the job went to Mertz, who threw for 2,903 yards, completed 73% of his passes and threw 20 touchdown passes to three interceptions last season. Losing Rashada did not help Napier from a public relations standpoint, as he drew ire from the Florida fan base — especially after a 5-7 finish to 2023.

Florida did have a plan for its future, though, as Napier had a longstanding commitment from D.J. Lagway, the top-rated quarterback in the class of 2024. Lagway committed to Florida just weeks before Rashada signed his letter of intent, and the Gators were in a massive fight to keep Lagway as other schools went after him as signing day approached last December. Lagway has said Clemson, USC and Texas A&M all made late pushes, but he ultimately signed with the Gators and enrolled early, going through spring football.

His decision to come to Florida was absolutely huge for Napier, who has yet to find solid footing headed into Year 3 and desperately needed Lagway to sign. Mertz is back for one more season and is the presumptive starter. But there is a lot riding on this season for Florida and for Napier in particular. With the season opener against rival Miami, Florida fans want to see progress and results immediately. If Mertz struggles, do not be surprised if fans start calling for Lagway. — Andrea Adelson


Could the Gators face any NCAA repercussions from Rashada’s claims?

The NCAA alerted Florida almost a year ago that it was investigating claims that the football program had violated recruiting rules, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach confirmed the investigation was related to Rashada’s recruitment.

Rashada claims in his lawsuit that Napier directly promised Rashada a $1 million payment from a booster if he signed with Florida, which would be a violation of the NCAA’s policies. The NCAA penalized Florida State and suspended one of its coaches in January for getting involved in NIL offers made to a prospect.

However, the NCAA sent a letter to its schools in late February explaining that it was pausing all open enforcement cases “involving third-party participation in NIL-related activities” after a federal judge in Tennessee granted an injunction that prohibited the NCAA from enforcing some of its rules. That case was filed by Tennessee’s attorney general after the NCAA opened an investigation into the Vols’ recruiting tactics.

Any other high-profile enforcement actions taken by the NCAA — such as a penalty for Napier or the Gators — could invite additional lawsuits at a time when the association remains vulnerable to antitrust scrutiny, which makes it unlikely that any NCAA punishments could be coming soon. — Dan Murphy

Continue Reading

Sports

Yankees ace Cole faces hitters, eyes June return

Published

on

By

Yankees ace Cole faces hitters, eyes June return

NEW YORK — New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole says he thinks he could return to a major league mound in June after facing hitters for the first time since spring training.

The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, wearing a full pinstriped uniform, threw 20 pitches to Oswaldo Cabrera and Jamai Jones before Tuesday night’s game against Seattle.

Cole had thrown five bullpen sessions before the batting practice. The 33-year-old right-hander, sidelined by elbow nerve inflammation and edema, said he will have one or two more BP sessions before starting a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

Continue Reading

Trending