2011 CFN Preview - Unit Rankings, WRs

CFN 2011 Preview Unit Rankings from top to bottom - Receivers

Preview 2011 - Unit Rankings

Receivers

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2011 CFN Preseason Rankings  
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CFN 2011 Unit Rankings
- Offenses | Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Offensive Lines
- Defenses | Defensive Lines | Linebackers | Secondaries  | Special Teams  
- Preview 2011 | 2010 Unit Rankings

Note: This is based on talent, returning starters, and skill. It’s not necessarily based on what the final total offense statistics will be.

1. Arkansas
The Hogs have a world of talent, several options, and all the tools across the board to be a destructive force. You know you’re phenomenal when a Cobi Hamilton or a Jarius Wright might be a backup or Greg Childs could be a No. 4 as he’s trying to get back to 100%. If Chris Gragg can be a 35-to-40 catch tight end, the passing game will be truly unstoppable. There might not be a sure-thing No. 1 NFL target in the group, but together, this group is loaded with speed, size, and enough good players to take turns burning opposing secondaries. Who’s going to be the star this week? Spin the wheel and you’ll have a good shot of getting the right guy.

2. Texas A&M
This was one of the nation’s deepest and most talented receiving corps last year, and now, shockingly, everyone is back. Including running backs and quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the top eight pass catchers are back for a group that should be explosive, dangerous, and very, very productive. Jeff Fuller would get far more publicity if he wasn’t in the same league as Oklahoma’s Ryan Broyles and Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon. Uzoma Nwachukwu and Ryan Swope are excellent and there’s terrific depth to rely on.

3. Oklahoma State
Everything came together last year for the Cowboy receiving corps, and now all the key parts are back. Bo Boling finished third on the team with 42 catches for 437 yards, but he’s replaceable. Counting the running backs, eight of the top nine receivers return, including the best wide receiver in college football last year, Justin Blackmon. This group is loaded with talent and experience, but it all revolved around Blackmon, who might go down as the great receiver in the terrific history of OSU receivers. If he can be close to what he was last year, everyone else around him should explode, too. Josh Cooper and Hubert Anyiam are just a few of the good targets who'll shine.

4. Oklahoma
Remember, for a long, LONG time, Oklahoma receivers were nothing more than accessories. The whole high-octane passing thing is a relatively recent phenomenon, so with that in mind, it’s not an overstatement to suggest that this might be the best receiving corps in the history of the long and storied program. While the running backs, particularly DeMarco Murray, played a big role in the passing game, the top three wide receivers are back along with experience among the backups and tight end. Helped by the continued emergence of QB Landry Jones, the passing game will be among the five best in the game, and everyone will benefit. Ryan Broyles is a true No. 1, but it’s not like the rest of the Sooners starters are going to struggle for catches, and that includes James Hanna, who’ll be a dangerous field stretcher.

5. Missouri
Everyone is back. EVERYONE is back. The Tigers return all the top targets to help ease in the new starting quarterback, and they should take the pressure off the rest of the attack. There’s speed, hands, depth, and lots and lots of experience, so if the passing game doesn’t shine, it’s probably not the receivers’ fault. The corps might not be the most talented in America, but there’s no real weakness whatsoever with a true No. 1 in T.J, Moe, arguably the best pass catching tight end in America in Michael Egnew, and a speed receiver on the outside in Jerrell Jackson. There’s talent, depth, and options to play around with. There might not be a Jeremy Maclin or a Danario Alexander, but this will be one of the talented team’s biggest strengths.

6. Arizona
For the second consecutive fall, Arizona returns the heart of its receiving corps, with last season’s top three pass-catchers back for their senior seasons led by Juron Criner. Making matters even better, the Wildcats will also be introducing a high-profile transfer from a major program. QB Nick Foles has been working with this group for the last couple of seasons, knows its tendencies, and can maximize all of its potential. From the moment Criner chose to return for his final year, Arizona was guaranteed of having one of the top receiving corps of the Pac-12 … if not the country. There’s a little bit of everything, from star power and a heralded transfer, Dan Buckner of Texas, to a handful of talented and unselfish role players.

7. Washington
The Huskies will have one of the best receiving corps in the new Pac-12. Even if both of the tight ends are unproven it’s still an upgrade over last year, and just about every notable wide receiver from 2010 returns, lead by Jermaine Kearse, who'd be considered one of the nation's top targets if he didn't have so many problems with drops. Add in potential stars, like Kevin Smith, Kasen Williams and DiAndre Campbell, and the sky is the limit for the unit.

8. Notre Dame
Michael Floyd is an All-American who’ll be on everyone’s NFL Draft first round short lists, but the key to the passing game will be the emergence of the promising targets. Tight end Tyler Eifert and T.J. Jones are going to be great before their careers are over, and if John Goodman and Theo Riddick can step up their play with more responsibility, the results will be tremendous.

9. LSU
With just a marginal improvement in quarterback play, this unit will improve by leaps and bounds. If its new offensive coordinator does indeed open this offense up with more deep routes, this unit could see significant improvement. There’s speed and size to burn, and there’s more talent waiting in the wings to show what they can do, but the production has to come.  There are at least four, perhaps five, top shelf prep receivers in this unit. Speed and core skills are not the problem. Russell Shepard is a special talent who’s overdue to break out, and Rueben Randle might be the offense’s most talented player.

10. South Carolina
Alshon Jeffery is a special talent who has the potential to be the best receive to ever come out of a school known for cranking out talented targets. As long as he’s on the field and healthy, USC will have a dangerous passing attack. Now a No. 2 man has to step up and shine, and there will be plenty of opportunities with Jeffery taking away much of the safety attention. This is a massive group. It’s impressive to lose a big-bodied receiver in Tori Gurley and still be big with the 6-4, 233-pound Jeffery, the 6-4, 213-pound Barnes and the 6-4, 212-pound Moore forming an intimidating trio. Throw in the speed and quickness of the backups and the Gamecocks have some great combinations they can throw at SEC defenses.

COULD EASILY BE IN TOP TEN

Baylor	Big 12
California	Pac-12
Duke	ACC
Michigan State	Big Ten
Ohio State	Big Ten
Texas	Big 12

SOLID, WILL BE A POSITIVE

Alabama	SEC
Arizona State	Pac-12
Clemson	ACC
East Carolina	C-USA
Florida	SEC
Florida State	ACC
Hawaii	WAC
Houston	C-USA
Miami	ACC
North Carolina	ACC
Northwestern	Big Ten
Oregon State	Pac-12
Penn State	Big Ten
Tennessee	SEC
USC	Pac-12
Washington State	Pac-12
Wisconsin	Big Ten

AVERAGE

Boston College	ACC
BYU	Ind
Cincinnati	Big East
Colorado	Pac-12
Connecticut	Big East
Fresno State	WAC
Georgia	SEC
Illinois	Big Ten
Indiana	Big Ten
Iowa	Big Ten
Kansas	Big 12
Kansas State	Big 12
Kentucky	SEC
Louisville	Big East
Maryland	ACC
Michigan	Big Ten
Minnesota	Big Ten
Mississippi State	SEC
NC State	ACC
Nebraska	Big Ten
Ole Miss	SEC
Oregon	Pac-12
Pitt	Big East
Rutgers	Big East
SMU	C-USA
Stanford	Pac-12
Syracuse	Big East
TCU	M-West
Texas Tech	Big 12
Tulsa	C-USA
UCLA	Pac-12
Utah	Pac-12
Virginia	ACC
Wake Forest	ACC
West Virginia	Big East
Western Michigan	MAC

NEEDS WORK

Arkansas State	Sun Belt
Boise State	M-West
Bowling Green	MAC
FIU	Sun Belt
Georgia Tech	ACC
Iowa State	Big 12
Louisiana Tech	WAC
Miami Univ.	MAC
Nevada	WAC
Purdue	Big Ten
South Florida	Big East
Toledo	MAC
UL Monroe	Sun Belt
Vanderbilt	SEC

A PROBLEM

Ball State	MAC
Air Force	M-West
Buffalo	MAC
Central Michigan	MAC
Colorado State	M-West
Idaho	WAC
Kent State	MAC
Marshall	C-USA
Memphis	C-USA
Middle Tennessee	Sun Belt
New Mexico	M-West
Northern Illinois	MAC
Ohio	MAC
San Diego State	M-West
San Jose State	WAC
Southern Miss	C-USA
Temple	MAC
Troy	Sun Belt
Tulane	C-USA
UAB	C-USA
UCF	C-USA
UL Lafayette	Sun Belt
UNLV	M-West
Utah State	WAC
Western Kentucky	Sun Belt

THE BOTTOM TEN

Akron	MAC
Army	Ind
Eastern Michigan	MAC
Florida Atlantic	Sun Belt
Navy	ind
New Mexico State	WAC
Army	Ind
North Texas	Sun Belt
UTEP	C-USA
Wyoming	M-West

CFN 2011 Unit Rankings
- Offenses | Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Offensive Lines
- Defenses | Defensive Lines | Linebackers | Secondaries  | Special Teams  
- Preview 2011 | 2010 Unit Rankings