Top Ten Wide Receivers in the Group of Five

Liam Blutman

Hello there! Welcome to the mind of Liam Blutman (that’s me) and take a look at what I did with my Friday night at 11 p.m. I ranked the top 10 wide receivers in the Group of Five. Those that know me definitely expect this from me. But for those that don’t know me… I once again welcome you to my mind and hope you enjoy this article and all the other content we’re creating here.

I’d like to start off by saying this… People are constantly creating lists/rankings and NEVER giving reasoning for their picks. There’s no criteria ever explained. It’s just pen to paper, wait no. It’s just fingers to phone and send tweet. There’s no reasoning for why Will Levis is a top five quarterback. The creator doesn’t tell anyone why they just ranked Oregon State to have the worst stadium food in the Pac-12. That won’t be the case today. That isn’t the case with me.

I’ve chosen these 10 receivers out of a deep pool of Group of Five talent and ranked them in this order for several reasons. These are the things I’m most looking at: Previous production, expected production in 2022, and how I project them at the next level based on what I’ve seen thus far. It’s a simple formula. Now I sure hope people don’t lose their minds over this… Actually I don’t really care. If you want to flip out and yell at me, please go ahead!

One quick note. Due to his season-ending injury, I am unable to rank Trayvon Rudolph of Northern Illinois, and I’m just devastated for Trayvon. The former walk-on showed us a glimpse of his bright future with an exceptional 2021, and I know he’ll be balling soon enough when he’s healthy. It’s only fair to give him an honorable mention. I know for certain he’d have been ranked pretty high on my list. I can’t wait to see him back in action.

1. Tyrese Chambers — Florida International

I’m positive that this will raise some eyebrows, but I must tell you to check the criteria once again. Previous production, expected production, and how I project them at the next level. Tyrese Chambers of FIU checks all of those boxes, and he’s in the one spot for good reason. The 22-year-old receiver out of Baltimore has been on quite the collegiate journey thus far. He attended Fort Scott Junior College in 2018, torched fools at Sacred Heart in 2019, and set records at FIU in 2021. Chambers was the lone bright spot on a FIU team that went 1-11 last season, hauling in 45 catches for 1,074 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His 23.9 yards per catch ranked second nationally among qualifying receivers. He broke FIU single season records for receiving yards and touchdowns as well. Chambers spent time in the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 season, and he even dropped a top five of Mississippi State, Nebraska, Purdue, Arizona State, and Maryland. But he opted to stay loyal to FIU. Respect.

Now the scary thing to think about here is what he could do in 2022. With the anticipation of more targets coming his way and playing on a team that could be trailing a lot thus throwing the ball even more, Chambers could see a huge year in production. He told me first hand that he’s gunning for the 2,000-yard receiving mark this season, something that has been accomplished just once in FBS history when Trevor Insley of Nevada posted 2,060 on 134 grabs. Looking at Chambers’ 2021 season, doubling his numbers would give him 90 grabs for 2,148 receiving yards. It’s unfair to assume the production could simply double, but it’s realistic to see a downgrade in YPC with more balls being thrown his way. I believe this kid when he tells me he can do it. I can see him hauling in around 90 catches, and FIU kind of force-feeding him the rock wouldn’t shock me. When you take a look at his skillset you’ll spot great speed, big-time playmaking ability, an exceptionally talented deep-route runner, and exquisite concentration skills. There’s a bit of a similarity here to Romeo Doubs in 2020. These are two guys who scorched defenses over the top, but the following season needed to show off the all-around game they possess.

It’s super important that we see Chambers accumulate more catches in the short and intermediate passing game, and show off that release and crispy route-running. Go make some excellent plays on back shoulder balls. Do it all. One last comment — prove to people that you’re a very very good high pointer. Not just good, very very good. Now go shock the world and rack up 2k. Nobody is expecting it. And in your words… “If you don’t dream big, then what you dreaming for?” There’s a reason he’s one on my list, and I can not wait for you all to witness greatness. Tyrese Chambers is big time.

2. Tank Dell — Houston

So I’m sure that this is the guy everybody was expecting to see in the one spot. Please be aware that it’s no slight to Tank Dell, and you’ll understand that soon enough once. The Independence Community College product electrified the college football world with a stellar breakout campaign in 2021.The 5-foot-10 Tank posted 1,329 receiving yards and 12 TDs on 90 catches. Sheesh. He ended up leading the AAC in receptions and receiving yards. Oh, and South Florida fans must have been down astronomically bad after Tank Dell turned eight catches into 164 yards and a TD against them… Oh you didn’t know? Dell, who is from Daytona Beach, Fla., was trying to play college ball at USF, but the majority of the coaching staff wasn’t really interested and opted to not let him commit. Whoops!

One thing I just love about Dell is this dude plays his best when the game means more. USF? Roasted ‘em. He had a solid game against Texas Tech. He carved up SMU for 165 and three tuddies on nine grabs in what was a massive game. Dell then ended the season by cooking Cincinnati for 152 and a TD on nine catches, then puts up 10 catches for 150 on Auburn. Big-time players show up in big-time games. That’s something we’ll witness early this season as Houston opens up with road trips to UTSA and Texas Tech. You could make the argument that these are the two biggest games on the Cougars’ schedule. But I know one thing for certain: Tank Dell will show up in these games and Twitter will go crazy. It’s impossible to root against this kid. He had three offers coming out of Independence CC and got REJECTED by the school he most wanted to play for. Now he’s making every defense he faces look silly. He was quite literally the only guy to embarrass Cincinnati’s secondary in 2021. That’s remarkable!

He might be smaller than his listed size but he plays bigger than it. Weird I know, but it’s the truth. Dell is fearless and he possesses impressive strength to go along with a skillset that makes college football fans’ mouths water. The insane elusiveness and crazy explosiveness paired with immaculate vision and the great unknown of what his next move with the ball in his hands will be. Tank Dell has a very good understanding of the game and we see that when he’s making defenders run into each other, forcing Coby Bryant to make a rare coverage error, and smoking a DB with a near-perfectly run route. He does so many things so well and there’s value in his game that will be desired at the next level. He’ll play for an NFL team early on not only due to kick and punt return value, but because coaches will feel like it’s impossible to leave a lightning strike like him on the sidelines. Get the ball in Tank Dell’s hands and good no great things usually happen. 

3. Zakhari Franklin — UTSA

At number three we have Zakhari Franklin, and oh my goodness this top three just screams how amazing the receivers in the Group of Five are. The man that has been dubbed the Calvin Johnson of college football is my number three wide receiver in the Go5. Franklin produced well as a true freshman in 2019 and then caught my eye in 2020. He burst onto the scene with a breakout 2021 season which featured a phenomenal 10-catch, 155-yard, one touchdown performance in the season-opening win at Illinois. He then went on to haul in 81 grabs, 1,027 receiving yards, and 12 receiving tuddies. All three of those marks were good enough to make history — he now owns single season records at UTSA in addition to becoming the program’s career leader in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. The 6-foot-1 receiver has accomplished so much in just three seasons at UTSA but this Roadrunner has even more work to do and history to create. Play after play this monster makes his recruiting profile look a little bit worse; they said he was the 337th best WR in the country, 247Sports gave him two stars, and only a handful of schools even offered him.

You should expect greatness from Franklin. In 2022, you’ll likely see his YPC number rise from 12.7 to something around 14.5 or 15. Oh you know what, now is a good time to explain the whole “Calvin Johnson of college football” thing. Now he’s not 6-foot-5 or anything, in fact he’s just 6-foot-1, which is truly shocking if you’ve watched him play because he looks like he’s 6-foot-3 or something. He plays so much bigger than he is. After the UTEP game last fall, Big Cat proudly stated, “number four on UTSA is Calvin Johnson, the whole time I was like this guy is unstoppable, he’s incredible, how is he not a top five pick.” And with that, Calvin Johnson had returned to college football. For real though, it’s truly amazing how insane Zakhari is at this sport. He’s someone who finds a way to make a better catch than the ludicrous one he made last week. It’ll never quite make sense to me how he consistently one-ups himself. This monster is an outstanding athlete who high points at an elite level, has mesmerizing body control, and is smooth as silk. Now what’s also very impressive is that he runs a lethal slant route that he’ll use in various ways. He’ll simply display really good footwork in his release package and carve you for a solid chunk of yards on a slant or he’ll dissect the defense by selling the slant and going over the top for a significant gain downfield.

He truly has a rare skillset in college. There just aren’t many other guys who can moss a dude and reel it in with his left hand, then sneakily find his way wide open in the soft spot of a defense. Regarding his development, it is crucial that he shows us he can break tackles and be more dynamic after the catch. While I love what Franklin does, I’m very aware that in order for him to succeed in the NFL he will need to do a whole lot more than just runs nasty slants and record highlight reel grabs. There’s just more to the game and I know he’s got it in him to show us that. Zakhari Franklin is a monster. Don’t be scared… Unless you’re facing him next week then uhhh… good luck?

4. Rashee Rice — SMU

Slotting in at the four spot is SMU’s Rashee Rice. You might recall how high I was on Rice going into last season, and he played pretty well but underperformed my expectations which I truthfully set a bit too high. I set the bar too high even though I knew he’d be sharing targets with Danny Gray, Reggie Roberson Jr., and Grant Calcaterra. At the end of the day, he did still lead the team in catches as he caught 64 balls and turned that into 670 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. I was expecting him to hit the 1,000-yard threshold and record nine+ tuddies. The 1.1k mark was just an unfair number for me to set and expect. That’s on me. However, I do expect him to hit that mark this season as he’s the clear lead pass catcher on this team, has built a hearty connection with Tanner Mordecai, and is continuing to develop into an absolute stud.

Rice has created a legit profile that’s easy to be excited about. He already has three strong seasons under his belt and should go crazy in his fourth. He’ll have one of the better breakout ages at WR in the 2023 NFL Draft class. At 6-foot-2, he’s a beast that boasts both extreme strength and the beautiful finesse side of things. I’d look for him to be more dangerous after the catch in 2022. He’s got the ability to do so because his body control is crazy. His flexibility is insane! The first thing I noticed when watching Rice back in 2020 was his immaculate footwork and slick release. He’s smooth and accelerates out of his breaks very well. This surgical route runner has solid speed and wins in all facets of the game. He has shown he can win on contested caches as well. Notice his aggressiveness and how well he high points the rock. As I said back in 2021, Rice possesses hands so soft he could catch an egg and it wouldn’t break, just the facts. In addition to all that, I love when he gets physical and looks to initiate contact whether it be with the ball in his hands or looking to make a nice block.

2022 presents a huge opportunity for Rashee Rice to dominate and fly up draft boards. He’s already on radars across the country, but he just needs to capitalize and he’ll be making that money in the near future.

5. Dante Cephas — Kent State

After an incredibly difficult decision, I’ve opted to rank Dante Cephas of Kent State at number five. We witnessed a breakout redshirt sophomore season from Cephas in 2021 as he accumulated 1,240 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 82 catches in 14 games. Impressive numbers but a bit more impressive if you take another glance. His breakout game wasn’t until Kent State’s fourth game of the season — a 10-catch, 151-yard, one touchdown effort at Maryland. The three games prior were really whatever as he totaled for 83 yards on seven grabs against Texas A&M, VMI, and Iowa. Cephas wasn’t a known stud on this roster at that point, had he been I mean I’m sure he gets the opportunity to cook against VMI. The other two games ended up providing him with great experience against two very strong defenses and we saw those challenges help him as he exploded time and time again in 2021. The 100+ yard performance vs. Maryland was just the first of seven 100+ yard games in that season.

Looking ahead to 2022, it’s difficult to project what numbers he’ll post due to road trips with Washington, Oklahoma, and Georgia plus turnover at the quarterback position, which I’m okay with. I love these three challenges for Cephas against three defenses that provide unique challenges in their own ways. Washington always has a great secondary and sends dudes to the league on a consistent basis, Brent Venables’ scheme at OU will be a fun test, and of course playing the extremely talented Georgia defense will be a tremendous challenge and great experience to have. As for quarterback play? I’m extremely confident in Collin Schlee and know he’s going to be really good and will find Cephas often. While Cephas’ production might not look too good in those three road challenges, we know it’ll look amazing by season’s end. One thing we know about the MAC is it will produce dang good NFL players whether people realize it or not, and it will continue to do it at the WR position. I’ll name just a few: Randy Moss, Antonio Brown, Greg Jennings, and Diontae Johnson among so many more.

As for Cephas, he’s just trying to pave his own path and add to the MAC legacy. He ignites his offense with game-breaking speed and lethal damage after the catch. He’s tough to tackle, and, in fact, he might just tackle better than some defenders in college. Cephas played DB back in high school and was known to be a big hitter who struck fear into receivers. You can see that DB background pays off. It’s not just with the understanding of coverages and noticing small tendencies a DB will have. It’s about bracing for hits too and knowing where a big hitter wants to pop you. Cephas has shown the ability to brace for these hits and make you miss. There are several reasons as to why he’s such a threat after the catch, and having the thoughts of a punishing DB in the back of your head is just one reason why. He also has excellent deep-route running ability and tracking skills. Remember these words: Dante Cephas will be a NFL wide receiver. Remember who told you that when you’re watching him score on Sundays.

6. Jalen Cropper — Fresno State

Following the decision that I felt was near impossible to make, we end up with Jalen Cropper at six, once again showing just how absurd the receiving talent at this level is. In 2021, Cropper turned 85 catches into 899 yards and 11 TDs. It was a very solid season for him, but I know he’s capable of so much more and am sure he’ll play at a much higher level in 2022. Despite my high expectations for Cropper, he still played well in 2021. He was able to record a TD catch in each of the first seven games. He torched UCLA for 141 on 14 catches in an upset win. He hauled in four tuddies the following week vs. UNLV. He did so much good. I just wish that YPC number was a lot higher than 10.6, and it’s very important that his YPC number increases greatly this season. After rumors swirled about him and QB Jake Haener possibly heading to Washington, both opted to stay at Fresno State and aim to dominate in their final seasons. The 21-year-old wideout should eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark in addition to catching another 85+ balls. If I’m Haener, I’m looking for Cropper early and often. NFL evaluators will be paying close attention to the Bulldogs’ showdown with USC on Sep. 17. That game should be a shootout, and Cropper is going to look dang good under the bright lights.

He is a smooth route-runner with incredibly quick moving legs that help him separate from DBs rep after rep. I love the way in which he paces himself during routes. Cropper boasts very strong ball tracking skills as well. I would love to see even more deep balls downfield to him in 2022. He really shines when his footwork is on display, whether it be on a nasty route or making a slick grab on the sidelines and finding a way to get not just one but two feet in bounds. I love watching Jalen play.

He has a very strong athletic and analytical profile, and he should test well during the pre-draft process. As long as his production sees a positive increase this season, he will have secured the bag and will get a chance to play in the NFL. You’ll see a lot of Jalen Cropper propaganda this fall and in the spring, and there’s a good reason for why. This kid can flat out play.

7. Grant DuBose — Charlotte

At number seven we have perhaps one of the most underrated players in the country. Yes. Grant DuBose is that good. In 2021, he recorded 62 receptions for 892 receiving yards and six touchdowns. That’s a pretty good season, but let me tell you why it’s even more impressive than it looks. DuBose played at Miles College in 2019, a Division II HBCU. He played in 10 games and had just eight catches for 104 yards. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and plenty of lives were affected. Miles College didn’t play football in 2020, so DuBose was without football and ended up working three jobs, including one at Walmart in 2020. He was just a 19-year-old kid. Fast forward to the summer of 2021 and DuBose is trying out for Charlotte because backup QB James Foster encouraged him to do so. Charlotte was so impressed with Grant that he not only made the team but got the opportunity to play right off the bat.

He smoked Duke for 118 yards and two touchdowns on just four catches in the season opener. Again… That was the first game he ever played at the Division I level, and it was the first game he had played since 2019. With the experienced Chris Reynolds back at quarterback for the 49ers, it’s easy to project DuBose posting an excellent season. I’d love to sharpie him in for over 1,200 receiving yards on 77+ catches. The 6-foot-3 receiver plays with such great determination and passion. He has that JUICE! DuBose is lethal over the middle and is a really tough tackle after the catch. He’ll cook you deep too with a great blend of speed and size, very good tracking skills and superb athleticism. Grant has an exceptional release package as well.

When you watch this dude play, you’ll quickly see what I see: a future NFL receiver. He just looks the part. I also believe that he’s going to test very well at the combine. Grant DuBose is so close to fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL and that’s amazing to think about. But just reaching the league isn’t where his journey will end. Grant DuBose is very capable of balling out in the NFL.

8. Kris Thornton — James Madison

The eight spot belongs to a first-time FBS player as James Madison transitions from the FCS to the big leagues. If you see anyone else do a Go5 WR list and Kris Thornton isn’t on it, that list loses all credibility. I’m sorry but I don’t make the rules. The sixth-year senior started his career at VMI back in 2017. He set some records for the Keydets after prolific true freshman and sophomore seasons. After proving himself to be one of the finest wideouts in VMI’s history, he transferred to James Madison in 2019 and sat out due to the old and super lame transfer rules.

Once Kris became eligible, he quickly made his presence felt at JMU. I’ll simply highlight the ridiculous fall of 2021. He played in 14 games and tallied 1,097 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 83 grabs. Despite playing alongside the elite Antwane Wells Jr. who is now at South Carolina, Thornton proved to be elite himself and showed to be one of the top receivers in all of the FCS. His 83 receptions were the most in a single season at JMU. He also owns the JMU record for most receiving touchdowns in a single game by scoring four in a rout of Campbell. I’m stoked to see how Thornton produces in 2022 as a 23-year-old with that sixth year and officially being the unanimous WR1 in this offense. The 5-foot-8 receiver should post big numbers and really build up some draft stock. Thornton is a speedster that often takes the top over a defense. Much like Wells, you can often spot Thornton excelling by flashing late hands, a very impressive trait and he thrives at it. He’s a good route runner that has a knack for getting open whether it be by creating separation or simply finding the soft spots in coverage.

Despite the fact he’s one heck of a player and can without a doubt play at the next level, he faces an uphill battle once his college days conclude. Unfortunately, many evaluators will doubt him for his size and question his abilities due to age. Obstacles that he must overcome in order to live out his dreams of playing in the National Football League. He’s someone who will likely be a late day three pick and have to prove himself time and time again to finally carve out a career in the NFL. If I was in the front office, I’m giving Kris the opportunity he deserves, and I’d be confident that he creates the most out of it. Kris Thornton is a stellar receiver that will post silly numbers this fall. Do not doubt him.

9. Trea Shropshire — UAB

As this list nears the end, the talent only grows stronger. In the nine spot is UAB’s own Trea Shropshire. And I can already hear the echoes from last fall when I was screaming for UAB to get Shrop the rock. The Blinn transfer (played alongside Danny Gray and Xavier Hutchinson) has been a big-play machine at UAB for two seasons now. After a promising 2020 season in which he recorded 22.1 YPC, he built off that by leading the country in YPC in 2021. In 12 games, his 27 grabs went for 703 yards and seven TDs. It’s not often you’ll see a 22.1 YPC mark rise to 26.0, but that just happened and it’s mad impressive. How a guy like this doesn’t touch the ball more really puzzles me. It’s vital that UAB finds ways to get Trea the ball over and over again. It’s been well documented that good things happen when the ball is in his hands.

In UAB’s three-point loss to UTSA last fall, Shropshire turned three catches into 130 receiving yards and two tuddies. See what I’m saying? The 6-foot-3 receiver has elite speed and runs like a gazelle. Meaning he doesn’t just run fast, he moves swiftly and smoothly. My hope is that UAB unleashes Shropshire in 2022 and lets him cook defenses in more ways than just the deep ball. His skillset would truly allow him to thrive with quick hitters over the middle and deep outs to the sideline. I know for certain he can win deep on every rep. His speed, size, and tracking skills are too much for DBs to handle. What I want to see and plenty others will demand is showing he can do more. I know he can. Shropshire has excellent ball skills and a massive catch radius. Trea Shropshire is going to blow up and burst onto the scene and draft evaluators will be impressed. Buy stock now.

10. Stefan Cobbs — Boise State

My list concludes with a bold take that a lot of people won’t be happy about. Whoops. I’m not here to make people happy though, I’m just speaking the honest truth. And the truth is that Stefan Cobbs is about to explode this fall. Explode. After playing sparingly in 2019 and 2020, we finally got to see Cobbs in an increased role in 2021. He hauled in 34 catches for 421 receiving yards and five touchdowns in just nine games. Injuries have kept Cobbs off the field before, so let’s hope he can play at full health in 2022 and show everybody just how great of a player he is. With Khalil Shakir gone to the NFL and the WR room now left in the hands of Cobbs, you know he’s about to excel and take advantage of this chance in his redshirt senior season.

In a limited sample size, Cobbs has shown a strong catch rate in addition to excellent YAC skills. He prides himself on being able to evade defenders with impeccable footwork that he’s constantly working. All this sure-handed receiver needs is opportunity. And with the amount of growth I expect from QB Hank Bachmeier, that ball will be flying all over the yard this season, and Cobbs will benefit greatly. In addition to his superb receiver skills, I do believe Cobbs can showcase some strong talent in the return game. On just one punt return last year, he took it 81 yards to the cribbo. On 10 kick returns, he averaged 20 per return. I’m telling you, all Cobbs needs is that opportunity and he’s receiving it this season. As long as he’s healthy, Boise State will find ways to get its new WR1 the ball and let him flash his serious playmaking ability. I won’t be one bit surprised if he reaches the 1,000-yard receiving yard mark in 2022. Don’t make the mistake of sleeping on Stefan Cobbs. He’s got next up and you’ll see why soon enough.

About the author

Liam Blutman
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I am a diehard UCLA fan that has enjoyed (?) mediocrity year after year. My favorite CFB moment was witnessing UCLA comeback from 34 down against Texas A&M. Being at the Rose Bowl for that historic moment is something I’ll never forget. I have written about CFB since I was 14 and my favorite thing to do is give under-the-radar athletes the recognition they deserve. You might know me from @NoContextCFB !

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