College Football 2022: Ten wide receiver breakout candidates (part three)
Let's focus on some wide receivers who could reshape the college football landscape in 2022
There are already two posts on this newsletter covering ten 2022 college football breakout candidates each. Today’s edition to the series is the first that focuses on one position. There’s no shortage of wide receiver talent in college football. The position is peaking in value across all levels of the sport, making it a perfect time to look ahead at some faces that could define the role in 2022 and beyond.
As a quick refresher, let’s review the rules governing this series. I only focus on athletes with limited to no high-level play at the college level. The order these players appear in isn’t important. I included the numbers to make it easier for me to organize my thoughts on the master sheet and for readers to digest things in bite-sized sections.
I didn’t include true freshmen in this breakdown, but you can read about 11 impact freshmen here. All high school stats are courtesy of MaxPreps or pulled from a college program’s player bio. Recruiting rankings come from 247Sports. I used unofficial height and weight data provided by college programs.
Breakout Candidates Part 1 l Part 2
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30. Javon Baker, WR UCF
Baker joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a four-star recruit in 2020, but he decided to transfer this past spring after rarely seeing targets over the past two years. Alabama continued pulling in transfers like Jameson Williams in 2021 and Jermaine Burton this year, which made it impossible for Baker to see playing time.
Baker originally committed to transfer to Kentucky before backing away from that decision after several months and selecting UCF as his new home. The American Athletic Conference is a massive step down in competition level from the SEC, which creates the opportunity for Baker to have a breakout season.
Alabama listed Baker at 6'2", 206 lbs. The McEachern High School product from Powder Springs, Georgia only made nine receptions for 116 yards and one touchdown during his two seasons with the Crimson Tide. At UCF, Baker will compete with returning star Ryan O'Keefe, 2022 Auburn transfer Kobe Hudson, and 2021 Notre Dame transfer Jordan Johnson for targets.
According to Baker’s bio on Alabama’s team website, he produced 1,105 yards and eight touchdowns as a high school junior.
29. De'Zhaun Stribling, WR Washington State
The Cougars usually have one of the nation’s more prolific passing attacks, which shouldn’t change now that quarterback Cameron Ward has joined the program. Stribling, who committed to Washington State as a three-star recruit in 2021, is the team’s top returning receiver from last season. The 6'2", 202 lb. Hawaii native produced 471 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.
Washington State also returns Donovan Ollie and Lincoln Victor in its wide receiver room.
Stribling wasn’t a superstar coming out of Kapolei High School. He was the No. 1,945 recruit in the nation per 247Sports and the No. 262 wide receiver in his recruiting class. As a junior, he caught 46 passes for 682 yards and three touchdowns. Stribling wrapped up his high school career with 64 receptions for 872 yards and nine touchdowns in 2020.
28. Emeka Egbuka, WR Ohio State
Similar to Alabama’s JoJo Earle, Egbuka didn’t see much action as a wide receiver during his freshman season. The Washington native made nine receptions for 191 yards, but he primarily contributed as a kick returner. Egbuka returned 20 kicks for 580 yards (29 yards per return). He’s still projected as a backup for 2022 because of Ohio State’s deep wide receiver room.
Egbuka (6'1", 205 lbs.) was a five-star and the nation’s No. 10 overall recruit in 2021. He was the top wide receiver, leading a class that included Alabama’s Ja'Corey Brooks, Texas’ Xavier Worthy, and USC’s Mario Williams.
During his sophomore and junior seasons at Steilacoom High School, Egbuka caught 137 passes for 2,919 yards and 45 touchdowns. He also intercepted 16 passes on defense (eight each year). Egbuka was the Gatorade Player of the Year for his home state in 2019. He would’ve appeared higher on this list, but I don’t know how many targets he’ll see in 2022.
27. Beaux Collins, WR Clemson
Collins was a four-star and the nation’s No. 86 recruit in 2021. He passed over offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, UCLA, and USC to try and extend Clemson’s tradition at wide receiver. He certainly has the size (6'3", 205 lbs.) to physically fit in the same mold as past Tigers like Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross.
The Tigers struggled to field a complete wide receiver room in 2021 because of injuries. Collins stepped up late in the year, posting 100-yard games in crucial matchups against Louisville and Wake Forest. He finished the year with 31 receptions for 407 yards and three touchdowns. The rising sophomore split his snaps between playing out wide and in the slot.
Collins didn’t have a senior season at St. John Bosco in California because of COVID-19. As a junior, he made 41 receptions for 1,008 yards (24.6 yards per reception) and 14 touchdowns. His team finished 13-1 and won a state title.
26. JoJo Earle, WR Alabama
Earle is one of the smallest athletes we’ve covered in this series. The 5'10", 177 lb. Texas native joined the Crimson Tide as a four-star recruit in 2021 (No. 47 recruit in the nation). He made the Freshman All-SEC Team as a return man (16 punt returns for 88 yards) and finished his freshman campaign with 12 receptions for 148 yards.
Earle projects as the starting slot receiver for the Crimson Tide on early 2022 depth charts. However, he’ll have to compete with proven Louisville transfer and redshirt junior Tyler Harrell. Harrell caught 18 passes for 523 yards and six touchdowns in 2021.
Earle played various roles for Aledo High School before his college days started. During his sophomore and junior years combined, Earle amassed 149 receptions, 2,691 yards, and 31 touchdowns. He also ran for 705 yards and 14 additional touchdowns while crushing it as a kick and punt returner.
25. Jack Bech & Malik Nabers, WRs LSU
LSU is infamous for producing NFL talent at wide receiver. They have three young starters who could all make the league one day. Everyone knows about projected 2022 first round pick Kayshon Boutte, but Bech, Nabers, and fellow true sophomore Brian Thomas Jr. could build their own legacies over the next two or three years.
Nabers was a four-star recruit in 2021. As a freshman slot receiver, the 6'0", 190 lbs. Youngsville, Louisiana native produced 28 receptions for 417 yards and four touchdowns. Bech (6'2", 215 lbs.) was also a four-star recruit in 2021. He hauled in 43 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns while splitting time between slot receiver and in-line duties as a tight end.
Bech was a star at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, Louisiana. Over his final two seasons, Bech made 150 receptions for 2,827 yards and 34 touchdowns. He averaged over 128 yards per game in 2019 and 2020. Nabers didn’t play football as a high school senior because he transferred. In 2019 he produced 58 receptions for 1,223 yards and 21 touchdowns.
However, there’s no guarantee Bech’s or Nabers’ production will take the next step in 2022. The Tigers are loaded with star wide receivers. Boutte will see more targets if he remains healthy in 2022. Rising senior Jaray Jenkins tallied 502 yards and six touchdowns last year. There’s also Louisiana transfer Kyren Lacy (6'2", 215 lbs.) and Thomas.
Speaking of Thomas, we’ll come back to him later.
24. E.J. Williams, WR Clemson
Williams impressed Clemson fans during his 2020 freshman season. The program is accustomed to churning out NFL talent at wide receiver, and the four-star recruit (No. 69 in the country) looked like the next big hit. Williams finished his freshman campaign with 24 receptions for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard day against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship.
Unfortunately, injuries and poor quarterback play limited the 6'3", 195 lb. sophomore to just nine receptions for 66 yards this past season. The departures of Ajou Ajou, Frank Ladson Jr., and Justyn Ross, have opened plenty of opportunities for Williams to break out as a junior.
Williams played his high school ball at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama. As a junior, he snagged 40 receptions for 668 yards and eight touchdowns. Williams improved as a senior, recording 44 receptions for 739 yards and 11 touchdowns.
23. Jordan Whittington, WR Texas
Whittington is part of one of the best wide receiver rooms in college football. The program’s depth might actually prevent Whittington from joining teammates Isaiah Neyor and Xavier Worthy as a highly productive college player. However, those two drawing extra coverage could also create opportunities for Whittington.
Whittington was a five-star recruit in 2019 and the No. 34 player in the country. The Longhorns list the redshirt junior at 6'1", 209 lbs. He produced 47 receptions for 583 receiving yards over the past two seasons while spending more than 80% of his snaps in the slot.
Injuries have haunted Whittington at Texas. In the team’s season opener as a freshman, he aggravated a high school groin injury, which ended his season. The following year he battled a preseason hamstring issue, tore a meniscus in the season opener, and strained a hip flexor in October. A broken clavicle derailed Whittington’s 2021 season. Health is the only thing holding him back.
In his final three years at Cuero High School, Whittington totaled 4,257 yards from scrimmage and 58 touchdowns. He also played defense, contributing 14 interceptions in his final three high school seasons.
22. Mario Williams, WR USC
Williams was a four-star recruit in the 2021 class who committed to Oklahoma to play for head coach Lincoln Riley. Williams quickly transferred to USC when Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams changed schools. The 5'9", 185 lb. Florida native lacks the size to be a dominant physical force in the college game, but he’s already shown the ability to produce as an outside wide receiver.
Williams played roughly 89% of his snaps out wide this past season. That’s unlikely to change with the Trojans. USC has one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the nation, but recent additions like transfers Jordan Addison and Terrell Bynum spent the vast majority of their 2021 campaigns playing in the slot.
The only thing that could hold Williams back from exceeding his freshman year production (35 receptions for 380 yards and four touchdowns) is the depth in USC’s wide receiver room. He’s surrounded by more experienced players, including some with multiple seasons under their belts for the Trojans.
21. Brian Thomas Jr., WR LSU
Thomas was a four-star and the nation’s No. 89 recruit in the class of 2021. Unlike Bech or Nabers, Thomas (6'3", 205 lbs.) is a classic outside wide receiver. He made 28 receptions for 359 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman. Drops were a frequent problem for Thomas. He let five passes slip through his hands, but there’s hope he’ll clean that up as a sophomore.
I’m projecting big jumps for several LSU pass catchers, but much of this comes back to the quarterback situation. Myles Brennan posted prolific totals but was hardly a star during his limited time at the helm in 2020, and he missed all of 2021 with an arm injury. Meanwhile, Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels transferred to LSU this spring after incredibly disappointing seasons in 2020 and 2021.
Unfortunately, the quarterback situation could hold LSU’s pass catchers back in 2022.
As a junior at Walker High School in Walker, Louisiana, Thomas tallied 75 receptions for 1,272 yards and 12 touchdowns. His first standout performance in high school came during his sophomore year in 2018. In his debut, Thomas caught four passes for 278 yards and three touchdowns (all over 60 yards). He was a two-sport athlete who scored over 1,000 points in three seasons as a basketball player.