2012 Wide Receivers

[Awake in America]

Most of the comments in the AJC website were very complementary of Bennett. A few (including myself ) stated he's the best WR on the (th)UGA team. :thumb: I hope he rehabs like mad and recovers asap, whilst adding 5-10 lbs of muscle.

Most of what I saw on the UGA boards was to the effect that losing Bennett was a major loss, but there was depth at wide receiver. That's actually pretty true. He has been so good on so few targets, that he has stood out in a way that is impossible to ignore. Plus, it helped that the Georgia DWFs were still used to seeing Kris Durham making plays. Granted, Bennett is different (and better, though not as fast), but it still helped. No doubt he will recover physically. His build and running style are perfect for longevity. The question is whether he will get a chance. Even money on that.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Josh Lenz

if all you see when you look at Josh Lenz is a slow, sure-handed, over-achieving possession receiver ...

then you will quickly be seeing what the all-affletic secondary of TCU saw last week ... the back of his jersey as he scores.

Lenz ins't a "true" speedster, of course. as a White athlete, he has "deceptive speed."

yes, despite placing third in the 100 meter dash and in the 4x100 meter relay at the Iowa Boys State Track Meet and setting school records as a running back and kick returner in high school, Lenz isn't actually fast. he's "deceptively" fast. i guess he's a magician on the football field and just keeps tricking defensive backs as he blows by them, time and time again.

that must be what happened last week, when Lenz scored every offensive touchdown for the Cyclones in their 37-23 victory over TCU on Saturday. he caught 5 passes for a career-high 147 yards and 3 touchdowns and threw a 15-yard touchdown pass on a reverse in the fourth quarter that gave Iowa State a 30-20 lead. it was just his second career pass attempt, the first coming in a 24-20 win over Connecticut last year, a 40-yard touchdown toss.

just imagine what he could do if he had actual speed ... since he apparently doesn't.

fortunately, according to this article, Lenz is a Master Of Deception. even his own black teammates keep getting tricked, day after day, by his White Devil trickery.

“It’s really deceptive, how fast he is,â€￾ said nickel back Deon Broomfield.

perhaps Lenz will have a future career in politics or special effects with his ability to create such a convincing false reality, since it is unlikely that the NFL will be interested in a 6-foot tall White speedster. after all, Iowa State was the only collegiate team interested enough in Lenz to even offer him a scholarship.

 

[Freethinker]

CBSsports has Duke wideout Conner Vernon as one of their risers in the NFL draft section. Here's the blurb:

What head coach David Cutcliffe has done for the Duke football program is an impressive feat, leading the Blue Devils (6-2) to their first bowl-eligible season in almost 20 years. And there are still four ACC games left on their schedule, plenty of time to make more noise. Many warrant praise for Duke's revival, including Cutcliffe's coaching staff and quarterback Sean Renfree, but dependable wideout Conner Vernon deserves a lot of credit for his senior leadership. Duke's leading receiver (51 grabs for 749 yards and five scores) has been Mr. Reliable for the Blue Devils, not only this season, but over his entire career. Last week, he set the ACC all-time record for career catches (currently at 249 and counting), recording at least one catch in every contest he's played at the college level (43 games). Vernon lacks elite size (6-1, 200) and speed (estimated 4.53) for the position, but he knows how to get open and is a quarterback's best friend with his reliable hands. He runs sharp, precise routes with very good footwork to create a little separation and snatch the catch away from his frame. There is nothing flashy about his game and he lacks the tools to be a consistent starter in the NFL, but Vernon's competitive attitude and savvy ability to get open and secure the grab could push his draft value into the middle-round range.

Of course there are the back-handed compliments and disparaging remarks, but what doesn't make sense to me is what took him so long to be a "riser". It's not like Vernon just had his breakout game. He's been putting up great numbers and production against ACC competition for 4 seasons now, most of which has been greatly ignored. Can the only difference be Duke winning this year? Though I'd argue that putting up those great numbers should be more impressive considering how bad Duke was. Either way, he's clearly one of the most underrated wide receivers in the country.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/risersandfallers

P.S. - Geno Smiff is a "faller"

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

undoubtedly, that same CBS sports "reporter" will have Conner Vernon plummeting, as the Duke standout (who is their only dangerous offensive threat) was held to 3 catches for 12 yards in a blowout loss to Florida State.

we seldomly speak of LA Tech, but on Saturday night they saw 5 different White receivers catch the ball, for a total of 10 receptions for 72 yards. running back/slot receiver Ray Holley also ran the ball 12 times for 130 yards and an 83-yard touchdown. fellow running back/slot receiver Hunter Lee had 5 carries for 22 yards. you can watch video highlights, including Holley's long run, here: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/video?gameId=323010166

in the WAC, it appears Arkansas State's Taylor Stockemer is finally getting healthy. he had 4 catches for 63 yards in a win.

Louisiana-Monroe continues to pile up points and are now bowl eligible for just the third time in school history. and speaking of school history, wide receiver Brent Leonard's 4 touchdown catches tied the school record, and he finished the game with 9 catches for 126 yards and the 4 scores.

as a side note, "fullback" Mitchell Bailey finally got a chance to show off his speed and burst for a 32-yard touchdown run. he finished the game with 44 yards on 2 carries. he has been criminally caste aside as a running option.

Alex Neutz continued to make plays despite being the ONLY option in the passing game for Buffalo. Neutz caught 6 passes for 135 yards and 1 touchdown. the team only passed for 202 yards. that Neutz can still get open and make plays shows just how gifted he is ... he might be the best wide receiver in the country that (almost) no one knows about.

after moving black quarterback Marquise (sic) Gray to wideout and replacing him with freshman quarterback Philip Nelson, the Gophers' offense exploded against the Boilermakers. A.J. Barker had a huge game for Minnesota in the win over Purdue, totaling 4 catches for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns (from 38 and 63 yards). fellow White wideout Derrick Engel had 1 catch for a 34-yard touchdown. Isaac Fruechte also had 2 catches, but for just 7 yards.

A.J. Barker scores one of his two touchdowns

Derrick Engel scores

[video=youtube;s2xhsa2wyfg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2xhsa2wyfg&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Wisconsin playmaker Jared Abbrederis had a team-high 4 catches but for just 48 yards (starting quarterback Joel Stave left the game early in the second half, and the Badgers struggled to throw the ball). he also had 1 carry for 7 yards and 1 punt return for 34 yards. tight end Jacob Pedersen had 3 catches for a game-high 65 yards and 1 touchdown in the overtime loss to Michigan State.

Ohio State wide receiver/tight end Jake Stoneburner accounted for more than half of his team's receiving yards on just 1 play: a 72-yard touchdown. he finished the game with 2 catches for 86 yards. you can see his speed on the long score by looking through the highlights here: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/video?gameId=323010213

Oklahoma State wideout Charlie Moore continues to make big plays in limited opportunities. he had a 20-yard touchdown catch. he finished the day with 2 catches for 21 yards but spent most of the game on the sidelines since the "real" wideouts were back from injury. :doh:

Charlie Moore scores for the third-consecutive game ... imagine if he had talent!

Jaxon Shipley had 6 catches for 66 yards in a Texas win.

Alex Amidon 9 catches for 137 yards in a Boston College win.

Michael Campanaro had 6 catches for 52 yards and 2 carries for 12 yards in a Wake Forest loss. seldom-used "fullback" Tommy Bohanon (who the coaches say runs routes like a wide receiver) had 3 catches for 29 yards and 2 touchdowns. so why is he seldomly used?

Bohanon (top) celebrates one of his 2 tds

in the SEC, the only two White wide receivers who saw snaps on offense were completely unstoppable: the rarely-utilized Tennessee Vol speedster Zach Rogers and slot machine sprinter Ryan Swope at Texas A&M.

Zach Rogers demonstrates where he should be on the depth chart

Rogers is so under-used that he should ask to be traded. LOL. anyway, he caught 6 passes for 107 yards and 3 touchdowns: from 8 yards, from 37 yards, and from 22 yards. you can see video of the scoring plays by clicking here: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/video?gameId=323012579

the Vols still lost, though.

similarly, Ryan Swope was a dominant force in the passing attack, albeit in a winning effort. Swope caught 6 passes for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns (from 16 and 19 yards, respectively) with a long catch of 50 yards. the Auburn secondary had no answer for him.

Ryan Swope was untouchable for the "real" talents of Auburn

another dynamic White athlete was also a juggernaut in the A&M-Auburn contest: Aggie freshman dual-threat qb, Johnny "Football" Manziel. the frosh passed for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions and ran 9 times for 90 yards and 3 more scores.

if a freshman can be considered for the Heisman, then Johnny Football should be in the conversation, because he has taken the SEC by storm.

you can see highlights of A&M's White blitzkrieg by clicking here: http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/video?gameId=323010002

i'm sure there are several others worth noting this week, but i'm tired of typing!

 

[Riddlewire]

Even though he's a white FCS receiver, meaning almost an impossibility to reach the NFL, I'm going to include Eastern Washington receiver Brandon Kaufman here. The 6'5" WR snagged 10 catches for an impressive 192 yards in EWU's narrow loss to Southern Utah yesterday.


Another good performance was turned in yesterday by compact San Diego wide receiver Sam Hoekstra. Hoekstra tallied 11 catches for a mind blowing 246 yards with 1 touchdown in San Diego's 41-9 beatdown of Dayton.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

it's not often that a team's leading receiver hasn't started a single game on the season ... but with the caste system, nothing is impossible! :doh:

Josh Boyle is a true freshman wide receiver for the one-loss Kent State Golden Flashes. he leads the team with 23 catches for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns (also a team-high).

i've caught a little Kent State action this season (their starting quarterback Spencer Keith is from Arkansas), and Boyle looks super quick and appears to have "deceptive" speed. LOL

at any rate, i wonder how a record-setting receiver who played at Venice High in Florida ended up at Kent State in Ohio ...

Josh Boyle celebrates a touchdown catch with his teammates

 

[Freethinker]

Those were some epic post JC, especially for a guy like me who missed most of the action this weekend. :hail:

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

thanks, Freethinker.

below i've posted a Josh Boyle highlight from Kent State's win over Rutgers. his score is near the end of the video.

[video=youtube;xgHqOlUl2qU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgHqOlUl2qU[/video]


also, i predicted that the draft "experts" would claim that Conner Vernon's draft stock was "falling" after the Florida State game (3 catches, 12 yards). i was right: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...erback-mike-glennon-set-to-climb-draft-boards

Conner Vernon, WR, Duke
Vernon had just 12 receiving yards on three receptions and was a non-factor in Duke's 48-7 loss to Florida State on Saturday. The limited production was a surprising development for a player who'd entered the game on the verge of eclipsing the ACC record for career receiving yards (Florida State's Peter Warrick amassed 3,517 yards between 1996 and 1999) while pacing the Blue Devils with 51 receptions for 749 yards this season. Against the Seminoles, however, Vernon was unable to break the conference record, failing to get open consistently or make a significant impact on the game despite being the focal point of the Blue Devils' passing attack.

of course, the "report" neglects to mention that Vernon was playing on a sprained knee (suffered from the blind-side cheap shot against North Carolina last week) that caused him to miss several days of practice. i mean, why bother with inconvenient facts when reporting for the Caste System?

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

damn it! the internet ate my looooooong post! :censored:

i'll try again topost a compilation of receiving performances tomorrow if i get the chance. :dodgy:

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

The Boston College-Wake Forest matchup was very entertaining, and it featured White athletes all over the field. How is that possible?!? LOL

Michael Campanaro celebrates one of his 3 touchdowns

Wake Forest’s phenomenal playmaker Michael Campanaro set an ACC record with 16 receptions, as the Demon Deacons utilized a short passing game to overcome their complete lack of a running attack. Campanaro’s 16 catches went for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns. For all intents and purposes, he is the Demon Deacons' running game, so why not give him a shot playing tailback?

For the second game in a row, Wake Forest tight end/fullback (who runs routes like a wide receiver according to his coach) Tommy Bohanon was an integral part of the passing offense, catching 6 balls for 35 yards. Which once again begs the question, “Why has he been on the sidelines so much of his career?â€

Alex Amidon is unstoppable
In the loss, Alex Amidon had another stellar outing: 10 catches for 130 yards and 1 touchdown. Bobby Swigert added 4 catches for 56 yards, and tight end Chris Pantale added 4 catches for 37 yards and 1 touchdown.

[video=youtube;1ZGo-3jlizU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZGo-3jlizU[/video]

Conner Vernon
In a blowout loss to Clemson, Duke’s Conner Vernon had 5 catches for 47 yards.

Taylor Martinez is lightning fast and he lit up Michigan State

Nebraska’s future All-Pro wide receiver (but current dual-threat quarterback) Taylor Martinez flashed his phenomenal feet, running for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a beautiful 71-yarder, on just 17 carries in a win.

Jaxon Shipley had 2 catches for 30 yards and 1 touchdown in a Texas win.

Austin Hays runs away from an afflete for a 50-yard touchdown

Oklahoma State’s wide receivers did their part in a vain effort to knock off Kansas State. The vastly underrated Charlie Moore had 7 catches for 135 yards and 1 touchdown. True freshman Austin Hays snagged 4 balls for 81 yards and 1 touchdown, with fellow true frosh Blake Webb catching 2 passes for 46 yards.

For K-State, tight end Travis Tannahill totaled 5 catches for 48 yards.

Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert caught 6 balls for 62 yards in a win over Pitt. Sure-handed Robbie Toma caught 6 for 50. In the loss, Mike Shanahan caught 4 for 38.

The swift Nick Williams caught 6 passes for 48 yards in a UConn loss.

Michigan’s Drew Dileo once again comes off the bench to make big plays, finishing with 4 catches for 69 yards and a 45-yard touchdown. One wonders why he is stuck on the sidelines so often … Minnesota’s Derrick Engel finished with a team-high 45 yards receiving on 2 catches.

Future All-Pro wide receiver (but current quarterback) Taylor Martinez had 17 carries for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns for Nebraska, including a beautiful scoring run from 71 yards out.

Houston tried everything, even a facemask, but couldn’t keep Danny Webster out of the endzone.

Danny Webster had 6 catches for 46 yards and 3 touchdowns in an Eastern Carolina win. Andrew Bodenheimer chipped in 4 catches for 34 more.

Seldom-used sophomore wideout Thomas Roberson was a key part of Tulsa’s two longest plays from scrimmage in their loss at Arkansas. It turns out that’s not unusual for him, though. He caught a beautiful 31-yard pass (one of his 2 for 36 on the day) in traffic, and he made the key downfield block that sprung tailback Watts for a 45 yard catch-and-run. It’s “weird†that Roberson isn’t thrown to more often, because he is the Golden Hurricane’s most explosive player in the passing game. He has just 14 catches on the year, but they’ve gone for more than 21 yards-per-catch (a team-high) and totaled 3 touchdowns. You’d think a 6-foot-3 track standout (state champion in the 400-meter relay who high jumped 6-foot-8) with that kind of playmaking ability would be targeted more …

Alex Neutz continues to carry the load for Buffalo’s passing attack, once again totaling a team-high in receiving yards (60), including a 43-yard touchdown on 3 catches. In the loss, Miami (OH) wideout Andy Cruse caught 6 balls for 87 yards.

Western Michigan senior walk-on wideout Eric Monette exploded in his first-ever appearance in WMU’s rivalry game against Central Michigan. Monette snagged 11 passes for 196 yards and 1 touchdown. You can see a little of what he is capable of here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1C7rj6axsw
So why exactly has this guy been buried on the depth chart?

In the loss, CMU’s Cody Wilson caught 7 balls for 81 yards.

Matt Miller had game-highs of 6 catches for 72 yards for Boise State in their upset loss to San Diego State. Chris Potter added 3 for 28, and Kirby Moore chipped in 4 for 23.

Stanford tight end Zach Ertz had 6 catches for 41 yards and 1 touchdown in a blowout win.

UCLA tight end Joseph Fauria totaled 5 catches for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Bruins upset mauling of Arizona.

A mere week after destroying an SEC secondary for over 100 yards and 3 scores, Tennessee wideout Zach Rogers was barely targeted against the whipping boys of Troy. He had just 2 catches for 26 yards, while the “real†affletes at wideout padded their stats.

Conversely, Ryan Swope continued his destruction of affletic secondaries in the SEC. the sprinter from Texas A&M had 9 catches for 121 yards in a beating of Mississippi State.

Brent Leonard continued his stellar play for Louisiana-Monroe, despite an upset loss. He finished the game with 11 catches for 168 yards and 1 touchdown.

Taylor Stockemer continues to be an afterthought in Arkansas State’s passing attack. He had just 4 catches for 50 yards in a blowout win.

In the FCS, there are 7 wide receivers who currently have 1,000 yards or more on the year. Three of them are White. Erik Lora is still at #1 and continues to run away with all the receiving marks. Luke Tasker (the son of former Buffalo Bills great Steve) is #4, with 66 catches for 1,044 yards and 7 touchdowns, and Eastern Washington’s Brandon Kaufman is at #7 with 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 51 catches.

 

[celticdb15]

Impressive size and speed could make prolific Saginaw Valley State receiver Jeff Janis a potential N.F.L. draft prospect.

 

[Freethinker]

In a losing effort to Arkansas St, Brent Leonard of Louisiana-Monroe, had 14 catches for 134 yards. I don't know what type of speed and agility numbers Leonard will put up, but at 6'-2" with his production he should be in the NFL. Of course, he'll probably be screwed due to his racial disposition.

On the opposing side, Tyler Stockemer only had 2 catches but one went for a 70 yard touchdown strike. As Jimmy C always says, he is severely underutilized.

 

[FootballDad]

In a losing effort to Arkansas St, Brent Leonard of Louisiana-Monroe, had 14 catches for 134 yards. I don't know what type of speed and agility numbers Leonard will put up, but at 6'-2" with his production he should be in the NFL. Of course, he'll probably be screwed due to his racial disposition.

On the opposing side, Tyler Stockemer only had 2 catches but one went for a 70 yard touchdown strike. As Jimmy C always says, he is severely underutilized.

I don't know what Brent Leonard's measurables/numbers are, but watching him play he is very fast and very quick. Nevertheless, here is what his scouting report will look like :grin: :

Positives
(delete Hartline) Leonard isn't the fastest guy out there. He's a crafty player who runs good routes. A hard worker with limited athleticism. He's a try hard player who gives good effort. Will catch in traffic but his hands are more quick than strong.

Negatives
Leonard has stiff hips and doesn't have the burst to get separation. He has short arms and is not an explosive athlete. Timed speed does not correlate to being a vertical threat. Tight through his core. Limited upside. Is white.

Leonard is best suited for the slot. Will never be a number 1. Could be a 5th or 6th receiver for a desperate team.

 

[dwid]

very good post but why do you have Taylor Martinez listed as future all pro wide receiver, I mean yeah he could play the position but he has been doing very well as a passer and improving, and still has one more year left. Yes our White dual threat guys have been screwed over but they are desperate for the hispanic market, they don't have any successful qbs right now. Even though he has no hispanic heritage. His father was adopted by a hispanic family and has said in an interview that Martinez is Irish, French and German, his biological mother left him at an early age and his stepmother who is polynesian raised him, which is why he has a big poly tattoo, that they now require him to cover up I believe. In the NFL this won't be the case. Many Nebraska fans are confused about his heritage because of the tat, and the last name, and some stupid low level college newspaper writing an article about how Nebraskans don't have problems with Mexicans and said that he was Mexican.

Despite the father coming out and saying he isn't in an interview that has been reposted many times, many hispanics (mostly mexicans) still debate with me about his ethnicity, and this has been going on for 3 years, they haven't changed their mind. They say "well there are White hispanics, hes from a city in Cali that has a huge Mexican population", yeah I am aware of White hispanics, but he simply isn't one.

He doesn't have the best height, but 6'1 isn't that bad especially since he is a dual threat guy. Hispanics can believe that he is one of theirs and dwfs will see a White guy on the field and figure he is spanish or something.

 

[Leonardfan]

Thanks for all that info on Martinez's ethnicity Dwid. It's nice to hear confirmation that he is white.

Regarding Martinez as a pro-QB prospect - I love his game and athleticism but I think he lacks the requisite arm strength at the next level. His evolution as a passer has been amazing - and is not talked about enough. He has done what all the jock-sniffing journalists/BSPN and DWFs expected Denard Robinson to do. I am glad he will be around for one more year to outshine Urban's new pet afflete Braxton Miller.

Not to say I don't think he should be drafted high and used smartly - he is an athletic, electric presence on the field. He could be a outside WR or even a RB.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

dwid, i expect Martinez to be moved to wideout at the next level. just my opinion. he's got blazing speed, and he's short for an NFL quarterback at 6-1. based on that and recent history of White dual-threat quarterbacks, it's unlikely he'll be given a crack to take snaps for an NFL team. *shrug*

******************************

last night in the Pitt-UConn game, White receivers made several big plays. UConn tight end Ryan Griffin flashed his "overachievingness" by effortlessly soaring over a hapless and helpless afflete.

Griffin, a 6-6, 247-pound senior, finished the game with game-highs in every receiving category: 6 catches, 84 yards, and 1 touchdown.

Nick Williams, the explosive-yet-under-used senior wide receiver for UConn, once again had a "hustle" play, in which he "deceptively" blew past the "real speed" on the field en route to returning a punt 80 yards for a touchdown.

Williams finished the contest with 3 catches for 31 yards, 1 carry for 7 yards, 2 kick returns for 42 yards, and the 80-yard punt return td.

for Pitt, wideout Mike Shanahan once again stood head and shoulders above the affletes in the opposing secondary.

Shanahan, a 6-5 senior, had 3 catches for 79 yards and 1 touchdown.

 

[bearclaw500]

This is the 2nd punt return for a TD for Nick Williams this year. Here he is Sept. 15th against Maryland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLk6gqB9Bd8

 

[celticdb15]

Son of ex-Buffalo Bill -- Cornell wide receiver/rising N.F.L. prospect Luke Tasker -- will prepare for the N.F.L. draft with noted speed coach Don Beebe. ***

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Eastern Washington wideout Brandon Kaufman had a HUGE night to help the Eagles advance to the FCS semifinals.

the 6-foot-5 wide receiver exploded in the second half, finishing the game with 9 catches for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns. perhaps the highlight of the game was his 76-yard touchdown catch-and-run, where he outleapt the cornerback, then shrugged off the tackle leaving the affletic db laying splayed on the turf in his wake, before outrunning the safety the length of the field for the score. it was a terrific play, and it showcased the all-around talent Kaufman has.

Eastern Washington advances to play against Sam Houston State and their talented wideout/returner, Trey Diller. in his last outing, an upset win over shorthanded Montana State, Diller had 3 catches for 104 yards and 1 touchdown (a 56-yarder).

***********************************

the other FCS semifinal game features the North Dakota State Bison. the top 3 wideouts for the Bison are former sprinters who were completely ignored by Division One programs.

leading receiver Ryan Smith is a slot machine. the 5-foot-7 junior has explosive speed (he has a personal-best of 10.70 in the 100-meters and was a State Champion in the 100-meters and 200-meters) and is a game-breaker in the return game.

sophomore Zach Vraa is the team's #2 receiver and caught the go-ahead touchdown in the quarterfinal win over Wofford. at 6-foot-2, Vraa was an exceptional basketball player in high school as well as being a State Champion in the 110-hurdles (he has a personal-best of 14.52). one "wonders" why he wasn't recruited by the bigger schools, because he obviously has the size and speed.

fellow sophomore Trevor Gebhart is the team's third-leading receiver. Gebhart might be the most talented of the bunch, but he has been plagued by injuries in his brief career (including missing the quarterfinal contest today). standing 6-foot-1, he was a two-time State Champion in the 200-meters and also won the State Championship in the 400-meters as a senior. (he has a personal best of 10.81 in the 100-meters and 22.06 in the 200.) again, one "wonders" why he wasn't sought after by larger programs ...

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

at the FCS level, Lora and Kaufman did things that no one has ever done before ...

Eastern Illinois' pass-happy offense set a tone for the season when junior wide receiver Erik Lora caught 13 passes in an opening-night win over Southern Illinois. he surpassed the FCS record for receptions in a season on his final catch of the regular season, then added 12 more in a playoff game to give him 136 catches in 12 games. Lora's 1,664 receiving yards were the fourth-highest total in FCS history, but Eastern Washington junior Brandon Kaufman did him one better.

Kaufman got red hot in the playoffs and finished his season with 1,850 yards for a new FCS record.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Cody Wilson - Central Michigan

Cody Wilson ended his senior year and his collegiate career by living out a dream scenario. his final catch was a game-winning touchdown in a bowl game.

the leading receiver for the Chippewas on the year, the 5-10, 195-pound wideout/punt returner ended his CMU career on a high note, snagging 10 catches for 101 yards and 1 touchdown in helping his Chippewas prevail over Western Kentucky. it was his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season. for his career, Wilson tallied 230 receptions 2,729 yards and 14 touchdowns. he also added 1 rushing touchdown.

the two-time Academic All-American and three-time All-Conference honoree also owns the nation’s second longest games with a reception streak, catching at least one pass in 42 consecutive contests. his career will be remembered, as his name is well-represented in the CMU record books.

hopefully, he will get a shot to play the slot in the NFL, though the odds are stacked against him. perhaps his ability on special teams (he is a dependable punt returner and is a holder on kicks) will help him get his foot in the door.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Connor Vernon and tight end Travis Kelce

Duke squared off against Cincinnati tonight in the newly-named Belk Bowl. while i couldn't care less about those two programs as a rule, i was pleased to watch the talented pass-catching duo that dominated the game.

Connor Vernon, Duke's senior wideout and the best receiver to EVER play in the ACC, once again showcased his ability to completely dominate any secondary that attempts to cover him. he's like the Borg from Star Trek, resistance is futile.

Vernon finished his collegiate career with yet another 100-yard game, compiling a game-high 10 catches for 119 yards and 1 touchdown. he has the talent to dominate the NFL for years to come ... if he gets the chance.

i hadn't followed Cincy senior tight end Travis Kelce, but this guy is a BEAST. this year he led the Bearcats in every receiving category: receptions, yards, and touchdowns. according to the announcers, he's one of only three tight ends in the country who meet that standard.

in tonight's game, Kelce (pronounced Kell-See) caught 5 balls for for 123 yards, including the go-ahead 83-yard touchdown where he outran the safety and corner the length of the field. with his obvious speed and imposing size (6-foot-6, 260-pounds) he is likely a very high draft pick with a bright future in the League.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Ryan Spadola - Lehigh

All-American Ryan Spadola, a record-setting wideout at Lehigh University of the FCS, has been invited to the NFL Combine.

during his junior season, Spadola set a single-season Patriot League record with 1,614 receiving yards, and had 11 touchdowns on 96 catches. the 6-foot-3 former sprinter struggled during his senior season with mononucleosis (including completely missing two games and being hampered in several other contests), but still was his team's top receiving threat and finished with 57 catches for 851 yards and 4 touchdowns.

best of luck to Ryan. here's hoping he puts up an impressive showing.

as a side note, Spadola has already experienced the savage attacks of the caste-friendly system. he was suspended by the NCAA from his team's playoff game last year because he posted a "racially insensitive" tweet. no, we mustn't do that ... :tape: