We continue to look at our very early previews of the 2018 college football season by analyzing who the best returning players are across the game. Here are our picks for the top receivers returning next fall:
Anthony Johnson, Buffalo
Johnson was the best receiver that you probably never heard of in 2017, as he finished second overall to only James Washington of Oklahoma State. Johnson caught 76 passes on the season for 1356 yards and he caught 14 TD passes on the year. Johnson averaged 17.84 yards per catch, and 113 yards per game, and will likely be a driving force in pushing Buffalo into the conversation in the MAC East race, along with QB Tyree Jackson, in 2018.
AJ Brown, Ole Miss
Missed in all of the Ole Miss drama in 2017 was the play of Brown, who finished the season with 75 receptions for 1252 yards and 11 scores. He averaged 16.69 yards per catch, and 104.3 yards per game. Brown should be rated as the top returning receiver in the SEC in 2018.
Jaylen Smith, Louisville
Normally missed among the video game like accomplishments of Lamar Jackson at QB were the performances of those around him, and that includes Smith, who often made Jackson look better than he sometimes was. Smith caught 60 passes, but was a big play hit, averaging 16.33 yards per reception on 880 yards receiving in just 10 games played. He scored seven times in eight games, and if healthy in 2018, he will be a hug target for whomever ends up replacing Jackson at QB.
Penny Hart, Georgia State
I often get critiqued for my love of G5 players, but if a guy can play, he can play, and that counts for Hart, who was probably the best player for the Panthers in 2017, and that was even a version of him that was not always completely healthy. Hart, along with Johnson (listed above) are two of the most important players returning to G5 programs this fall. Hart caught 74 passes for 1121 yards and eight scores, and did that despite missing a game.
Diontae Johnson, Toledo
Logan Woodside is gone at QB, which makes Johnson even more important for the Rockets in 2018. He is a huge threat in the passing game for Toledo, as he caught 74 passes last season for 1278 yards and 13 scores, while averaging 17.27 yards per catch. With Woodside gone, and a new QB taking over, Johnson becomes even more important for that transition.
Denzel Mims, Baylor
Mims, like most others on this list, would be getting a heck of a lot more attention if he were playing anywhere other than his current locale. Baylor football is a mess of their own making, but Mims helps blunt that sharp edge of a dwindling power. He averaged 17.82 yards per catch on 61 receptions for 1087 yards last season, and needs to play a huge part in what needs to be a resurgent Bears offense in 2018.
Tre'Quan Smith, UCF
Scott Frost and the staff may have moved on, but along with his QB McKenzie Milton, Smith returns to keep the party going in Orlando. Smith averaged 19.85 yards per catch last season while rolling up 1171 yards and 13 TDs. If he can get close to those numbers again next season, UCF is in for another sweet ride.
Stanley Morgan, Jr., Nebraska
If Scott Forst can find a QB early in the process, Morgan may be the biggest benefactor of the coaching change at Nebraska. Morgan is an under utilized big play threat, and this offense should only help his numbers grow. As is, Morgan caught 10 TD passes last season with an inconsistent and turnover prone QB. Imagine if the QB position actually balances out under the new regime?
Courtland Sutton, SMU
Sutton could have left, but decided to stick around under new head coach Sonny Dykes, and that could have an even bigger impact on Sutton's overall numbers. Already one of the more explosive receivers in the nation, Sutton, who caught 12 TD passes last fall, could be a national leader in 2018 in the new system, and with more consistent play from QB Ben Hicks.
David Sills V, West Virginia
Sills averaged over 16 yards per reception for the Mountaineers in 2017, and finished tied for the national lead in TD receptions with 18. With Will Grier returning at QB, the Mountaineers should have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation after a season in which they far under performed to expectations.
James Gardner, Miami (Ohio)
The Red Hawks are not a very good football team, but Gardner gave it all he had in 2017, as he rolled up 927 yards on just 47 receptions last season with 11 TDs. If he had more consistent QB play, or if he were just about anywhere else, he would be a national star with his big play ability.
N'Keal Harry, Arizona State
There is no doubt that Arizona State made an awful coaching hire in the off-season, and that the Sun Devils may be in a bid for last place in the PAC-12 South, but they return the most talented receiver in the conference for 2018 in Harry, who is a big time player with top shelf skills. He likely leaves ASU after 2018 just to get away from the mess that has become this program.
KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State
The resurgence in one season under Jeff Tedford at Fresno State is a story we all know very well by now, but a key to that resurgence, at least offensively speaking, was the play of Johnson, who exploded with 77 receptions for 1013 yards and eight scores. With his return in 2018, Fresno State should be on par to get close to matching what they pulled off in 2017.
Marquise Brown, Oklahoma
Brown was a huge hit for the Sooners in 2017, as he caught 57 passes for 1095 yards and seven scores, while averaging over 19 yards per reception. With Baker Mayfield heading on to the draft, and presumably Kyler Murray taking over at QB, Brown will be a huge part of the success of that transition process.
Andy Isabella, U Mass
U Mass showed some signs of life in the second half of last season, and with Andrew Ford returning at QB, Mark Whipple may finally be in a position to kick the Minutemen into gear as an independent in 2018. Isabella will be a huge target, as all everything TE Adam Breneman has moved on. Isabella is no slouch in his own right, as he caught 65 passes for 1020 yards last season, averaging 15.69 yards per catch and scoring 10 times.
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