The college football season is rapidly approaching and so are college football fantasy drafts. When the games begin for real at the start of September, which teams will have the best collections of receivers? College football depends on the passing game so much these days, so when considering the teams with the best receivers, don’t be surprised to realize that these teams are also conference championship contenders as well.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
There are several legitimate candidates for the top spot on this list, but ultimately, none of them can quite match Oklahoma State. The Cowboys check all the boxes for a really good group of receivers. First of all, their best receiver is an elite receiver, good enough to be a Heisman Trophy finalist this December. James Washington very easily could have gone to the NFL, but he chose one more year of school to try to develop his skills and win a Big 12 championship. He was devastatingly potent the past two years, but now he’ll have one more chance to make Big 12 defensive backs look bad. Oklahoma State has the best No. 1 receiver in the Big 12, but that’s just the start. Jalen McCleskey might be the best No. 2 wide receiver on any team in the Big 12. He made a big step forward last season, and he’ll thrive in a context of familiarity on the Pokes’ roster this season. Then Oklahoma State will have an excellent No. 3 wide receiver. Marcell Ateman wasn’t as good in 2016 as he was in 2015, but he is still highly skilled. He is one of the better receivers in the country in terms of tapping his feet in bounds to make sideline catches. Ateman is dependable on third downs, giving this group the balance it needs to move the chains, sustain drives, and ultimately wear out opposing secondaries.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Nittany Lions lose Chris Godwin from their receiver corps, but they return nearly every other important piece. DaeSean Hamilton is an established star, and Saeed Blacknall – similar to McCleskey at Oklahoma State, came on strong last year as a solid complementary piece. Juwan Johnson is viewed as an up-and-coming receiver to give Penn State elite-level depth and diversity in its group of receivers. Then don’t forget tight end Mike Gesicki, who has great hands and – like every other Penn State pass catcher last year – showed tremendous dexterity and a noticeable ability to make tough catches in traffic. The Lions can go toe-to-toe with Oklahoma State in a comparison of the nation’s best receiver groups.
Memphis Tigers
The Tigers might be a notch below the top two on this list, but they have a star: Anthony Miller could have collected a fat NFL paycheck, but he also (like Washington of Oklahoma State) wanted one more year in college to develop his abilities and pursue a championship. Tony Pollard and John Williams will give the Tigers enough diversity that Miller can’t be double-teamed with regularity. A lot of people in college football feel this is Memphis’ year to win the AAC West. This group of receivers will be a core reason for that achievement if the Tigers do reach it.
Oklahoma Sooners
This is a group without a superstar, which is why it is fourth. However, its balance and depth are significant. Jeff Badet, a transfer from Kentucky, should love playing for a great quarterback (Baker Mayfield) in an offense with a lot of targets. Tight end Mark Andrews will be a Mackey Award favorite. Jeffery Mead is a jitterbug wide receiver who will be hard for defenses to track and then tackle. Oklahoma will thrive not because of one man who becomes amazingly great, but because of a blend of skills from several very good players.
Clemson Tigers
This trio is similar to the Oklahoma group mentioned above. Deon Cain is probably a better receiver than Badet of OU. Ray-Ray McCloud Hunter Renfrow probably aren’t quite as good as Andrews and Mead, but they are close. Cain is the home-run hitter while Renfrow is the possession receiver, and McCloud fits somewhere between the two. Not having cookie-cutter receivers, but skill-specific role players, will enable the Tigers to beat opposing secondaries in different ways.
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