2012 College Football Rankings: Top 5 Receiving Corps

2012 College Football Rankings: Top 5 Receiving Corps: With more and more college football teams making the transition to spread offenses, wide receivers are being asked to do more than ever before. Naturally, better athletes are gravitating to the position as it takes on a greater role within offenses, and young receivers are making an immediate impact. The depth at receiver is only going to get better in the coming years on  national level, but in the meantime, here is a look at which teams have the best receivers for the upcoming college football season.

2012 College Football Top 5 Receiving Corps

1.      USC Trojans

There isn’t a better pair of receivers in the country than Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. The two combined for 184 catches, 2,435 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, and did I mention that Woods was a sophomore and Lee a true freshman. Woods is probably the most-polished receiver in the nation. He can run any route and get open against any coverage. Lee, on the other hand, has track star speed to stretch the field on deep routes and to turn short throws into big plays. Sophomore George Farmer will form the third member of the group, and he has the athleticism to take advantage of all the single coverage he will be getting this season.

2.      West Virginia Mountaineers

With an excellent receiver tandem in Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, the Mountaineers should fit nicely in the pass-happy Big 12. Austin is a matchup nightmare in the slot, coming off a school-record 101 last year, including a four-touchdown performance in West Virginia’s Orange Bowl win. Bailey is more of a big play receiver down the field, averaging almost 18 yards per catch last year. Last year, he led the Mountaineers with more than 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. Overall, the two combined for 20 scores and both players topped 1,110 yards. Ivan McCartney isn’t a bad third wheel either. He had 585 receiving yards last season and caught 49 passes.

3.      Clemson Tigers

After being named a First Team All-American as a true freshman last year, the sky is the limit for Clemson’s Sammy Watkins. He has blazing speed to stretch the field, and he also has the size and athleticism to go up and make catches in traffic. Watkins managed 1,219 yards and 12 scores last year, and he is only going to get better as he refines his route running. The super sophomore will likely grab headlines once again, but the Tigers have a very capable No. 2 option in DeAndre Hopkins. He finished just 22 yards shy of a 1,000 yard season, and he is getting rave reviews this spring after giving up basketball to focus solely on football. The best is yet to come for Watkins and Hopkins, and that is scary for opposing defenses.

4.      Oklahoma Sooners

All-American Ryan Broyles is gone, but returning starters Jaz Reynolds and Kenny Stills lead a deep and talented group of receivers. Reynolds figures to be moving the chains after registering 61 catches in his first two seasons. Stills is more of a deep threat and is coming off a year when he averaged more than 17 yards per catch. Both players could star in expanded roles, and if they don’t, newcomers Trey Metoyer and Courtney Gardner probably will. Metoyer needed a year of prep school to become academically eligible, but he was the top high school receiving prospect in the country in 2010. Meanwhile, Gardner is a junior college transfer that comes ready to play. Quarterback Landry Jones will have plenty of targets at his disposal this season.

5.      Tennessee Volunteers

You wouldn’t know it by their horrible record, but Tennessee has quietly amassed the best group of receivers in the SEC. Da’Rick Rogers is coming off a nine-touchdown season when he topped 1,000 yards and had 67 catches, but he probably isn’t even the best receiver on the team. Justin Hunter returns from a knee injury after missing most of last season, and at 6-4 with athleticism to spare, he is a game changer. Hunter will take pressure of Rogers and vice versa, and the two will form a potent duo for the rebuilding Vols. The addition of coveted junior college receiver Cordarrelle Patterson adds depth to what might be the most-underrated receiving corps in the country.

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