2008 CFN All-Americans & Top Players - WRs

CFN 2008 All-Americans and Top 25 Players - Wide Receivers

2008 CFN All-Americans

Wide Receivers

CFN 2008 All-Americans and Top 25 Players
2008 Preview | Quarterbacks | Running Backs  
Tight Ends | Off. Tackles | Guards | Centers 
Defense Def. Ends | Def. Tackles | Linebackers | Cornerbacks 
Safeties | Punters | Kickers | Kick Returners

2008 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans

Michael Crabtree, Soph. Texas Tech
Crabtree was a superstar recruit for the Red Raiders three years ago, but he had to sit out a year with academic problems and wasn't able to kick off his career until last year. He was worth the wait. The Biletnikoff winner as the nation's best receiver led the country with 134 catches for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns showing off tremendous speed in a 6-3, 208-pound frame. With great hands and next-level talent, the spotlight will be on as he's expected to be even better this season with all the talent on the rest of the offense to take away some of the pressure. The key will consistency. After starting off the season with 78 catches for 1,244 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games, he scored just five times over the final six games. However, he stepped up when he had to with 21 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns in back-to-back games against Texas and Oklahoma. He's not just part of a system; he's the real deal.
 
Percy Harvin, Jr. Florida
There's no question he has the heart, but the 5-11, 178-pound junior has a hard time staying healthy with all the work he gets. Not only did he lead the Gators with 59 catches for 858 yards and four touchdowns, but he also finished second on the team with 764 rushing yards and six scores averaging 9.2 yards per carry. While he's a tremendous receiver and there are more than enough running backs to carry the workload, the results are spectacular when the gameplan revolves around getting him carries. In the four games that Harvin ran the ball ten or more times he gained a total of 523 yards with four touchdowns averaging a whopping 10.64 yards per crack.

Preseason Top 25 WRs
1. Michael Crabtree, Soph. T Tech
2. Percy Harvin, Jr. Florida
3. Jeremy Maclin, Soph. Missouri
4. Mike Thomas, Sr. Arizona
5. Arrelious Benn, Soph. Illinois
6. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jr. Mary.
7. Aaron Kelly, Sr. Clemson
8. Chris Williams, Sr. NMSU
9. Brian Robiskie, Sr. Ohio State
10. Juaquin Iglesias, Sr. Oklahoma
11. Brandon Gibson, Sr. Wash St
12. Sammie Stroughter, Sr. Oreg St
13. Hakeem Nicks, Jr. No Carolina
14. Marcus Barnett, Soph. Cinc.
15. Kenny Britt, Jr. Rutgers
16. Tiquan Underwood, Sr. Rutgers
17. Derek Kinder, Sr. Pitt
18. Kenny McKinley, Sr. S Carolina
19. Jarett Dillard, Sr. Rice
20. Jamarko Simmons, Sr. W Mich
21. Eron Riley, Sr. Duke
22. Bryan Anderson, Jr. C Mich
23. Jeremy Childs, Jr. Boise State
24. Dante Love, Sr. Ball State
25. Michael Jones, Sr. Arizona St

2008 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans

Jeremy Maclin, Soph. Missouri
 Every rising program has a special talent who ends up coming from out of nowhere to become a major difference maker. Maclin was a very good recruit for Missouri, but he wasn't an elite, can't-miss, All-America caliber one, and he appeared to take a major step back after hurting his knee in a 2006 summer practice to keep him on the sidelines. And then he came back healthy to turn in one of the greatest freshman seasons in the history of college football setting the NCAA record for all-purposed yards by a freshman by amassing 2,776. He caught 80 passes for 1,055 yards and nine touchdowns, ran for 375 yards (second on the team) and four scores, averaged 24.2 yards per kickoff return, with a touchdown, and averaged 12.3 yards per punt return with two scores. At 6-1 and 200 pounds he has good size to go along with his speed and quickness. Not just a home-run hitter, he was a consistent all-around weapon who excelled whenever he got the ball in his hands. He'll start at the H position, but he'll move around to see action in a variety of ways.

Mike Thomas, Sr. Arizona
While only 5-8 and 195 pounds, he’s a beast for opposing defensive backs, and the ‘Cats’ top receiving threat for a third straight year.  The Pac-10 leader with 83 catches for 1,038 yards and 11 touchdowns, Thomas was also a threat on handoffs and kickoffs. Most dangerous when turning short hitches into long gainers, he’s shifting from one of the outside positions to small H-back. 

2008 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)

Arrelious Benn, Soph. Illinois
In the middle of one of the nation's hottest recruiting battles a few years ago, with Notre Dame and Florida State pulling out all the stops, Benn showed why as he led the Illini with 54 catches fro 676 yards and two touchdowns averaging 12.5 yards per catch. At 6-2 and 214 pounds with tremendous speed, he has the type of NFL talent to make the passing game go. A pure game-breaker who's also an elite return man, averaging 28 yards per kickoff return, he's one of the Big Ten's best offensive weapons. The key is getting healthy after suffering a shoulder injury.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Jr. Maryland
A unique blend of size and blazing speed, the only thing keeping him from being the nation’s most dangerous long ball threat is better play at the quarterback position. A year ago, he had 51 catches for 786 yards and three touchdowns, adding 107 yards and a touchdown on the ground. While consistency has escaped him, he’s able to overcome with superior physical ability that’ll make him a first round draft pick if and when he takes off early for the NFL.

Juaquin Iglesias, Sr. Oklahoma
Shhhhh. While Malcolm Kelly is considered by some to be the best wide receiver in the 2008 NFL Draft, he wasn't Oklahoma's best receiver last year. Iglesias followed up a solid sophomore season by leading the team with 68 catches for 907 yards and five touchdowns. With 4.4 speed he's always been known as a home-run threat, but last year he became consistent short, middle and long. While not the scorer Kelly was, that could quickly change now that he's the true No. 1 target, but that also means he has to deal with all the attention. Along with being the top receiver, he's also an elite kick returner averaging 28.5 yards per try.

Aaron Kelly, Sr. Clemson
In his first season as the go-to receiver, he responded with 88 catches for 1,081 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning First Team All-ACC honors and pulling within 52 receptions of the league’s all-time mark. Long and lean, he has outstanding ball skills, returning this year on a mission to get better in all phases of the game.

Brian Robiskie, Sr. Ohio State
One of the big question marks going into last year was whether or not Robiskie could go from being a great complementary receiver into a No. 1 target. He came through every as well as expected with 55 catches for 835 yards and 11 touchdowns averaging 17 yards per catch. At 6-3 and 199 pounds, he's a big, strong target who was a consistent producer all season long. A smart player with great hands and good toughness, he's a fantastic all-around NFL prospect who'll be Todd Boeckman's main man all season long.

Chris Williams, Sr. New Mexico State
Williams caught 56 passes for 772 yards and 11 touchdowns in just under eight games, but it was that eighth, a win over Idaho, that cost him his season suffering a broken collarbone. On the positive side, one of the nation's quickest, most productive receivers is back for a final year and, if he stay healthy, will be one of the nation's most productive receivers. a wisp at only 5-8 and 157 pounds, he can't take too many big shots, but he's uncoverable.  He didn't do much as a freshman, but he exploded with 92 catches for 1,415 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore, and was on his way to an even better junior year before the injury. A blur when he gets his hands on the ball, he's amazing when he gets the ball on the move from his Z position.