Now we get to part three of our series ranking opposing teams that Michigan will see on their 2021 schedule based on positional group. So far we've covered QB and RB, and today we arrive on the receivers. For receivers, we're talking about both WR and TE, but not RB's who catch passes. They were included in our last piece on RB's specifically. As always, this ranking is based on a mixture of both star players who headline the positional group, as well as the quality of depth, since injuries and football go together like peanut butter and jelly. At the top of the list, well, you know what's coming: 

 

1. Ohio State 

Yep. Because Ryan Day has been attending Tom Izzo's classes on how to hold the grandparents of key players hostage as a way to coerce them to return to school, the Buckeyes returned Chris Olave, despite him being considered a lock to go in the first round. Olave was a nondescript freshman who I didn't even have on my spotting board when I broadcasted the 2018 Michigan-Ohio State game on the radio, a game that then saw Olave torch Michigan for two TD catches + blocking a punt that was returned by Sevyn Banks for a TD. My reaction when the first TD pass happened was to furiously comb through the roster and look for the number 17 because my overriding thought was "who the hell was that guy?". Well, nearly three years later and Michigan fans— and B1G fans broadly— are very aware of who Olave is. After that coming out party, he caught 48 passes for 840 yards in 2019 and then 50 passes for 729 yards and seven scores last season in just seven games. Olave's blazing speed and NCAA production made him seem guaranteed to depart to the NFL... until he came back to Columbus. As a senior this fall, you can pretty much guarantee Olave to be 1st team All-B1G again so long as he's healthy. 

But what makes this group so good is the fact they also returned Garrett Wilson, who caught 43 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns last season, en route to also being 1st team All-B1G. Wilson was a true sophomore in 2020, so Day didn't need to abduct Wilson's grandma to get him to return to OSU. Wilson had the honors of torching Michigan in 2019 and both he and Olave are hyper athletic, lightning fast receivers with the ability to stretch the field vertically and blow by 99% of NCAA CB's. That tandem is probably the best WR tandem in the country, but they also bring back TE Jeremy Ruckert, who isn't used all that heavily but has the combo of talent and size to be a mismatch for most defenses. Oh, and OSU's next three WR's on the depth chart are all five stars, sophomores Julian Fleming and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as well as true freshman Emeka Egbuka. And just for kicks, the Buckeyes have Marvin Harrison Jr., son of that Marvin Harrison, farther down on the depth chart. 

This positional group both has the wickedly good talent at the top, and the quality depth, and is a school with a track record of churning out NFL WR's (Michael Thomas,Terry McLaurin, etc.). They were #1 on our list by a wide, wide margin. 

[AFTER THE JUMP: Progressively less speedy dudes]

 

Jahan Dotson is a big reason why PSU sits at #2 [PSU Athletics]

2. Penn State 

2020 was a nightmarish season for the Nittany Lions, finishing 4-5, but it did see the breakout of Jahan Dotson, who is the biggest reason to get excited about the PSU receiving corps. Dotson hauled in a career high 52 catches for 884 yards and eight TD's. He led the B1G in receiving yards, and tied for the league lead in receiving TD, being named 3rd team All-B1G. Dotson should be one of the very best receivers in the conference this fall, a slot monster who may remind you of KJ Hamler. He will be joined by Parker Washington, who caught 36 passes for 489 yards and six scores as a true freshman. He has issues with blocking and committing penalties, but given that production as a true freshman, when this site's general expectation is for freshman receivers to suck, I think good things are ahead for Washington. The third spot on the depth chart is unsettled, but KeAndre Lambert-Smith seems to be the leader. He was too thin to really have an impact last season, producing a much more typical true freshman receiver stat line with 15 catches for 138 yards and no scores. Both Lambert-Smith and Washington should be in for better 2021 seasons as they gain more experience. 

TE is less firm of a spot on the field right now thanks to the departure of star Pat Freiermuth, with Brenton Strange getting some work last season and he begins as the incumbent starter. But, it seems probable that former top 100 composite recruit and RS FR Theo Johnson pulls through and gets the starting spot by the end of the season. His ceiling is very high and if he can develop into a reliable target, Sean Clifford will have quite a few weapons at his disposal. The Nittany Lions check in at #2 on this list because they boast legit star talent at the top with Dotson, in addition to a solid arrangement of contributors behind him in Washington, Lambert-Smith, and Strange/Johnson, all of whom have high ceilings and seem likely to progress towards that ceiling this fall.  

 

3. Indiana 

Another school with considerable star talent at the top is Indiana and the glorious name that is Ty Fryfogle, a 1st team All-B1G selection last fall who became Michael Penix Jr.'s favorite target. Fryfogle has been a productive receiver for three seasons now, but last year was his breakout to star caliber, catching 37 passes for 721 yards (19.5 YPR!) and seven touchdowns in just eight games. They did lose fellow glorious name Whop Philyor in the offseason, but IU still has Miles Marshall, who caught 19 passes for 290 yards as a RS So last fall, and the Hoosiers reeled in FSU transfer DJ Matthews, who sat out last fall but was a solid #2-3 option in 2018 and 2019. Once IU gets into the redzone, it's time to drive returning TE Peyton Hendershott out of the garage. Hendershott's production fell substantially last year after catching 52 balls for 622 yards in 2019, but he still managed to be on the receiving end of four TD passes. Those TD catches helped land him 3rd team All-B1G distinction. 

Indiana ranks in the #3 position primarily because of Fryfogle. Their depth names aren't as strong as PSU's (or even Wisconsin behind them), but the star power of Fryfogle and the experience of Hendershott, plus just enough depth tips the scales in their favor and lands the Hoosiers here on the list. 

 

This photo is from 2017. One of these two players is still in college [Bryan Fuller]

4. Wisconsin

The Badgers have our first WR clown car, boasting an excellent TE and then a ton of Guys at WR, none of whom are much better than the other, but all of whom are competent pass catchers. The star TE is Jack Ferguson, 1st team All-B1G last season after catching 30 passes for 305 yards and four TD's in just seven games, leading the team in all three of those categories. Ferguson will be a hugely important safety valve for Graham Mertz, whose potential is still sky-high but with whom there is quite a bit of uncertainty, as we discussed in the QB piece. Ferguson will likely lead the team in catches again this season, and will get the majority of targets for the TE position. Since Wisconsin does use two TE's a decent bit, we should mention Hayden Rucci, who slots in as the back-up behind Ferguson. 

The WR's are an absolute dogpile, but they've got quite a bit of experience. First up for the Badgers are two senior citizen wideouts coming back for their fifth seasons, Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor. Both lost nearly all of last season to injuries and while neither are high impact guys, they both boast over 800 career receiving yards and have been with Wisconsin so long that they were competent receivers back when Brandon Peters and John O'Korn were taking snaps under center for Michigan. Having two veteran WR's like Davis and Pryor is valuable for a young QB like Mertz. Petite WR Jack Dunn had 28 catches (mostly on screens) last season and he returns, as does Chimere Dike, who made 12 catches for 189 yards as a true freshman last fall and should be in line for improvement. None of these four players are on the level of an Olave, Dotson, or Fryfogle, but they all can be counted on to chip in here or there, have experience, and when combined with Ferguson, are enough to put Wisconsin #4 on the list. 

 

5. Maryland 

There is a lot of optimism surrounding Maryland's offense in TerpLand as they enter year #3 of the Mike Locksley experiment. Part of that has to do with a young receiving corps that should give Taulia Tagovailoa an array of options to throw the pigskin to. Dontay Demus Jr. has been a contributor for three seasons now and after posting 365 yards and 4 TD's in just five games last season, the potential for the 6-3 wideout to bust out to All-B1G caliber this season is high. He's their deep threat, which pairs well with slot receiver Rakim Jarrett, who put up 252 yards and 2 TD's in only four games last season as a true freshman. Jarrett is a former 5* recruit who is one of the most highly rated recruits to ever suit up in a Maryland uniform. Given what he did as a true freshman, and the athletic profile he possesses, Jarrett could turn into an absolute menace in year #2. Jeshaun Jones looked like a star in the making back as a freshman in 2018, but an ACL injury put him out for the year in 2019 and slowed down his return to action in 2020. Now fully healthy, he has the potential to be a big time weapon opposite Demus on the outside. Veterans Brian Cobbs and Darryl Jones are competent fourth options, while the TE spot goes to Chigoziem Okonkwo, who was very solid in 2019 but then missed nearly all of last year due to a "medical issue". 

Overall, this is a group with some star power in Demus, loads of potential in Jarrett, and a group of solid veteran options which mean that altogether, they rank in the upper-half of Michigan's opponents as a receiving corps. 

 

Jalen Nailor is as exciting of a receiver as you'll find in the B1G [MSU Athletics]

6. Michigan State

While the Spartans will be testing out a new QB, whoever wins that job will have a couple quality options to throw to this fall. For MSU, it's a one-two punch at receiver starting with Jayden Reed. Reed is a 6-0 playmaker with speed who can line up all over the field, a former transfer from WMU who put up 407 yards on 33 catches and 3 TD's last season for the Spartans. The other half of the duo is Jalen Nailor, who should be one of the conference's most dynamic players, an athletic receiver who was MSU's best deep ball guy a year ago, averaging a gaudy 19.8 yards per reception with 4 scores. His 515 receiving yards led the team in 2020. Nailor and Reed give Jay Johnson a lot of flexibility in where they can line up on the field, and you have to think they will get the majority of targets this season from whoever is playing QB. 

Outside of those two guys, the Spartans have a bit of a drop off in the receiver room. Ricky White will forever be burned into the memory of Michigan fans after ruthlessly stealing Vincent Gray's lunch money over and over last Halloween, but for those who tuned out of Spartan football after that game, White really just turned out to be an A-Ha style one hit wonder, with the Michigan game being his "Take On Me". He played in just two other games last season and accumulated 196 of his 223 receiving yards for the year in just that one game. Can MSU get more out of White when he goes up against non-Gray corners? To be determined. RS Fr Trey Lockett Jr. is an option, as is Louisville transfer Christian Fitzpatrick, but both have limited NCAA experience. TE is also a bit of a sore thumb with Matt Dotson exiting, as Trent Gillison and Tyler Hunt are options, but neither have shown a ton in the receiving game up to this point. 

MSU's ranking here is really a testament to the quality of Nailor and Reed, who are one of the better WR tandems in the conference, but for them to rank any higher than the middle of the pack, they're going to need to find a third option who can be productive in more than just one other game. 

 

7. Washington 

A decent bit of turnover in Husky land, as Washington is still cycling through WR options for Dylan Morris to target. Where they have stability in the receivers' room is with Cade Otton, a 1st team All-PAC 12 selection last year at the TE position. Otton is 6-5, 240 and caught 18 passes for 248 yards and 3 TD's in just four games last season. Otton is a massive problem for LB's who try to cover him: bigger, stronger, and faster than most of the defenders he faces, and there's no doubt he will be the #1 name of concern in Mike Macdonald's game plan for the week two clash between Michigan and Washington. Beyond Otton there's a pretty big drop off, as the Huskies bid adieu in the offseason to their top two receivers (by total yardage) from last season in Puka Nacua (what a name) and Ty Jones. That left a gaping hole who they have tried to fill by getting Giles Jackson from Michigan and Ja'Lynn Polk from Texas Tech, both of whom have potential but haven't shown a lot of it in the receiving game to this point in their careers. Polk put up decent numbers for Tech last season but hasn't made much of a move on the depth chart despite arriving in Seattle in the spring. Outside of those two names, they have limited returning production from Terrell Bynum (8 rec., 130 yards LY) and Rome Odunze (6 rec., 72 yards LY). Jalen McMillan projects to be one of the two slot options alongside Jackson, but has just one catch to his name. 

The Huskies are not lacking in options, but outside of Otton, they are very much lacking in quality options. Otton's a better receiver than anyone on any other remaining team on the list, which solidifies Washington's position at #7, but their lack of stability at the WR position docks them a bit and drops them below MSU. 

 

Bo Melton: Still at Rutgers [Patrick Barron]

8. Rutgers 

Continuing in our theme of Rutgers' offense not being an atrocity for the first time in awhile, we land on the receivers, which is headlined by Bo Melton. Melton's not a guy who gets a ton of separation but he does get a ton of targets, catching 47 balls last season for 638 yards and 6 TD's. He's emerged to be a legit #1 option over three seasons of consistent contribution in Piscataway, and Melton's reliability will likely make him Noah Vedral's favorite target in his RS Sr. season. Rutgers was also lucky enough to return their other two top receivers from last season, which is a big reason why they check in 8th on this ranking, bringing back Aron Cruickshank and Shameen Jones. Those two both had 30+ catches and 200+ yards in nine games last season, with Cruickshank being the dink-and-dunk option, while Jones was slightly more of a downfield option (though Rutgers didn't throw it all that far last season with a QB averaging 5.7 YPA). The Cable Subscribers also add Josh Youngblood to the mix, a KSU transfer who racked up 500+ yards with the Wildcats in 2019. Those four guys (+Aaron Young, who was discussed in the RB section) will get the majority of the targets this year, if last season was any indication, though TE Jovani Haskins could figure in. 

Is this a great group of receivers? No. But Rutgers has four WR's with 30+ career receptions at the P5 level and a decent #1 option in Melton, which is not something any of the final four teams on this list can say. 

 

9. Nebraska 

Just like with the RB's, the Huskers boast a clown car at WR, with a boatload of names and legitimate reason for optimism, but little experience in Lincoln and also big questions as to the rotation of all these Guys. Nebraska had *one* receiver catch more than 18 passes last season (Wan'Dale Robinson, 51) and that player is now going to be playing for Kentucky this fall, so there's a gigantic hole to fill if the Huskers want to give Adrian Martinez some viable options. Returning TE Austin Allen is 6-8, 260 and is an important red zone target to be excited about, while back-up Travis Vokolek and blue chip freshman recruit Thomas Fidone are all options at the TE position. Allen is the only thing close to a known quantity there, or in this entire receiving group. At WR, Nebraska fans are high on Zavier Betts, who was a top 150 composite recruit in the 2020 class and showed flashes last season as a true freshman. Now no longer a freshman receiver, this could be takeoff time for Betts. Big Red also got a couple transfers in Omar Manning, who was one of the country's top JuCo talents and packs a ton of athleticism into his 6-4, 225 frame, and Samori Toure, who was 1st team All-American in the FCS back in 2019 for Montana, before sitting out last season due to COVID. We also should shout out Old Friend Oliver Martin as a potential WR as well. 

Just like with RB's, a lot of names. I actually feel more optimistic about this group because between Betts, Manning, and Toure, it feels like there's a pretty good shot at least one of those lotto tickets hits, and also not a bad chance two turn into reliable contributors. If that happens, and Allen takes a step forward, this could be a good receiving group. But for now, the uncertainty holds them back. 

 

NW's got so little experience at WR, Willie the Wildcat may be lining up for them [Bryan Fuller]

10. Northwestern 

Northwestern isn't really known for WR's, and they are seeing considerable turnover at the receiver position, which lands them in the cellar among P5 schools on Michigan's schedule this fall. All four players who caught more than 10 passes last season exit the shores of Lake Michigan, meaning Bryce Kirtz and his 67 receiving yards last season is the most experienced returner from the 2020 team. Given that Northwestern has historically been where offense goes to die, that lack of returning production is a major warning sign. Joining Kirtz in the Measly Returning Production category is projected starter at TE Charlie Mangieri, who boasts 12 career catches over two seasons with Northwestern. To fill the other holes, Northwestern snagged transfer Stephon Robinson Jr. from the Jayhawks, because when you think "quality football players", you of course think of Kansas. Jokes aside, Robinson was actually very good for KU in 2019 (727 yards and 8 TD's) before injuries wiped out last season. If Robinson is back to 100%, I think he becomes the #1 receiving option for the NW offense this fall. The 'Cats also get JJ Jefferson back, who has 22 career catches across 2018-19, before opting out of last season. Beyond those four names it gets even more desperate, with Malik Washington and Wayne Dennis Jr. each making a few catches last season. 

Long story short, Northwestern really needs Robinson (or I guess anyone) to hit and be a stable option, because there is a whole lot of uncertainty, and no real top recruits or track record of exceptional WR production from Northwestern to calm the nerves about this situation. Which is why they rank in the #10 spot on this list. 

 

11. Northern Illinois

Out of the cellar! For the first time in our series, NIU is not last at a positional group, and that's thanks to a deep WR group that also has a star. These Huskies see Tyrice Richie as their clear #1 option at WR, as he accounted for ~43% of all receptions last season. Lots of balls were chucked his way and he managed to come down with quite a few of them, winding up with nearly 600 receiving yards and four scores, being honored as First Team All-MAC for his efforts. Richie will undoubtedly be Rocky Lombardi's top option and he may be the best singular player on NIU's football team this season. There is also a surprisingly solid amount of depth options, including Trayvon Rudolph, who caught 14 passes for 232 yards last year as a freshman, and Cole Tucker, who regressed in 2020 but led NIU in receiving yards in 2019. TE is a bit of a sore spot, but NIU did add Youngstown State transfer Miles Joiner, who had 521 yards and 7 TD's in two seasons with the Penguins (one of my favorite school mascots). Altogether, this is the group that gets NIU out of the basement, with Richie being slightly better (and certainly more critical) than WMU's top options, and their depth is also better. This group will make Rocky Lombardi's life a lot easier and help land NIU at #11 on this list. 

 

12. Western Michigan

If we had been doing this exercise last season, WMU would've ranked higher than the bottom two because they had D'Wayne Eskridge, who went in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft this past spring. But without Eskridge around anymore, the Broncos sink back to the basement of the list. That isn't to say they have a bad WR room for a MAC school; it's actually quite solid given the baseline. It's just they don't have any players anymore to bump them outside of the MAC range, nor do they have the depth that NIU boasts. They do have their own star in Skyy Moore, who has that odd extra "y" at the end of his name and was named 2nd team All-MAC last season. Moore has racked up 1,190 receiving yards and 6 TD's in 18 games over the last two seasons. He's a 5-10 slot dude who slides into Eskridge's old role, while Jaylen Hall plays on the outside and is the only other returning receiver with experience (780 career yards in 19 games), featuring as a deep ball option. WR Corey Crooms and TE Brett Borske round out the players projected for starting roles, but neither have stat-lines that draw much attention. I would anticipate that Moore will get the bulk of the work, with Hall getting a vast amount of the catches going to a second option, and we'll see if a third fiddle emerges. This is fine for a MAC school. 

 

The biggest reason for optimism about Michigan's WR's [Patrick Barron]

Where would Michigan slot in? 

This is a rather tricky one for me, but probably somewhere around the middle, but with the potential to finish higher. What I like about Michigan's receiving corps is its potential, and specifically the potential to be very deep. At the present it has two receivers with more than 200+ career yards to their names. Ronnie Bell is that sorta star at the top and Cornelius Johnson has 315 career receiving yards. Beyond that, not a lot of production to speak of. But, as Michigan fans know, the potential for this group is huge. Johnson could be a breakout guy. Erick All could be a breakout guy, if he remembers how to catch the football. Roman Wilson, as Brendan Roose wrote about last week, could be a breakout guy. So could Sainristil. And Henning. The list goes on. So this could be a really deep group and could have 2-3 impact guys if all goes right. But that's too many "ifs" to be ranked ahead of teams with concrete returning production like PSU, IU, or Wisconsin, so I think somewhere in the 5-7 range makes sense, but with as high of a ceiling of any team not named OSU.