2007 Athlon Awards: Wide Receivers

1. California
The wide receiver trio of DeSean Jackson, Lavelle Hawkins and Robert Jordan has been terrorizing Pac-10 secondaries for the past two years, and all three are back in 2007. They combined for 151 catches for 2,336 yards and 18 touchdowns, giving them 270 catches for 3,895 yards and 32 scores for their collective careers. Jackson has topped the group in each of his first two seasons in Berkeley. Last year he posted team highs with 59 receptions, 1,060 receiving yards and nine TD catches after a 38-catch, seven-touchdown output in ’05. He is also the best punt returner in America — he ran four back for touchdowns last fall — and was first-team All-Pac 10 as both a wide receiver and punt returner.

2. Louisville
Louisville returns its top three pass catchers from 2006. Leading the stellar wide receiver corps is senior Harry Douglas, who caught 70 passes last year for a school-record 1,265 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 18.1 yards per reception and landed on the All-Big East first team. In his most recent outing, Douglas caught 10 passes for 165 yards in Louisville’s 24–13 Orange Bowl win over Wake Forest. Fellow Cardinal wideout Mario Urrutia averaged 16.8 yards on 58 catches and made second-team all-conference. Douglas at 5'11" and Urrutia at 6'6" are both field-stretchers, and each caught six touchdown passes last fall. Tight end Gary Barnidge is an integral part of the passing game with 31 catches, four for touchdowns, and a 16.5-yard average in ’06.

3. Hawaii
Not one but two 1,000-yard receivers from 2006 return for the Warriors. Leading the way is Davone Bess, Hawaii’s leading receiver each of the last two seasons. After an 89-catch, 14-touchdown freshman campaign in 2005, Bess came up with 96 catches for 15 touchdowns in ’06. Jason Rivers followed up with 72 catches and 10 TD grabs last fall. Bess amassed 1,220 receiving yards, Rivers 1,178. Ryan Grice-Mullen averaged a team-high 16.7 yards on 46 catches and would have joined Bess and Rivers in the 1,000-yard club had he not been out four games with an injury. He and Bess both exceeded 1,100 yards in receiving two years ago as freshmen. Bess, Rivers and Grice-Mullen again will have Colt Brennan, one of the most prolific quarterbacks in history, throwing to them.

4. Florida
The Gators lose Dallas Baker, their top receiver from last year, but perhaps the most explosive wideout in America — Percy Harvin — is back. As a freshman last year, Harvin averaged 11.4 yards every time he touched the ball. He scored three times on the ground and caught two touchdown passes. He is the reigning MVP of the SEC Championship Game in which he ran for 105 yards and scored two touchdowns, and followed that up with nine catches against Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game, giving him 34 for the season. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year by both media and coaches, and his role will expand exponentially in 2007. Andre Caldwell returns for his fifth year only 44 catches shy of the school’s all-time receptions record. He caught 57 passes last year, six for touchdowns. Cornelius Ingram is a rangy 6'4" wideout who doubles as a tight end and posted a 30-catch campaign in 2006.

5. Virginia Tech
Wide receivers Josh Morgan, Eddie Royal, Justin Harper and Josh Hyman all return for Virginia Tech after combining for 101 catches for 1,380 yards and eight touchdowns last season. All four are seniors. Morgan, powerfully built for a receiver, caught 33 balls with a team-high four touchdowns. Royal led the team with a 16-yard average on 31 receptions and also picks up good yardage running reverses. The tallest of the group at 6'4", Harper averaged 15.4 yards on 21 catches. Hyman suffered through injuries last season and made only 16 catches, but he has shown big-play ability when healthy, averaging 17.2 yards on 40 catches with five TDs his first two years. Tight ends Sam Wheeler and Greg Boone combined for 18 catches, three for scores, as freshmen last year.

Next Up:
6. Nebraska
7. Oklahoma
8. Kentucky
9. Pittsburgh
10. Missouri

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