Big Ten Football: Power Ranking the Big Ten Wide Receivers

Every Tuesday, The Big Ten Blog will rank the top player at each position for each team in the Big Ten. Today, we're going for the wide receivers; also noted this week are some other receivers to look for in 2012.

12. Tony Lippett, Michigan State
Other top MSU receivers: Bennie Fowler, DeAnthony Arnett

Lippett comes into the 2012 season as a two-way player, seeing time at both cornerback and wide receiver as a freshman last year. But the Spartans' dearth of bodies at WR will likely necessitate a switch to full-time receiver for Lippett.

He's got the size and speed to be a big-time playmaker down the road, but he's probably not there yet. Additionally, Bennie Fowler is talented but is battling chronic foot problems, and Michigan State is still hoping Tennessee transfer DeAnthony Arnett will be allowed by the NCAA to play in 2012.

11. Brandon Green, Minnesota
Other top Minnesota receivers: Malcolm Moulton, Devin Crawford-Tufts

Brandon Green looks to step into the void filled by Da'Jon McKnight, who departs after dominating the Minnesota passing game in 2011. Green is one of Tim Brewster's recruits (apologies in advance if this sounds like a broken record, Gophers fans, but come on), and he's a highly touted prospect who never really put his game together and was in and out of the starting lineup under Brewster.

Moulton is a talented wideout who provided modest production in his first season out of junior college, and Crawford-Tufts started to emerge as a true freshman last year.

10. Spencer Harris, Illinois
Other top Illinois receivers: Darius Millines, Ryan Lankford

This was A.J. Jenkins' position at Illinois last year, and he racked up 90 catches on the season; all other wide receivers combined for just 63 catches.

Jenkins is gone now and so is Ron Zook, so it'll be interesting to see how Illinois uses its wideouts going forward.

Harris is a tall target, but at about 8.5 yards per catch, he's not exactly stretching zones. Millines and Lankford bring more speed to the table, but neither have looked capable of getting open consistently against upper-echelon cornerbacks. 

9. Devin Smith, Ohio State
Other top Ohio State receivers: Corey Brown, Chris Fields

You may remember Devin Smith from such films as "Game-winning Hail Mary vs. Wisconsin" and "The Man Who Torched Colorado." Smith and Braxton Miller didn't have great timing last year, especially down the stretch of the Big Ten season, but he brings enough speed to the table that defenses are going to have to respect his deep routes, and that opens everything else up for other receivers or QB scrambles.

Corey Brown and Chris Fields should also see their numbers rise dramatically after a 2011 season that was, shall we say, particularly run-heavy for OSU.

8. O.J. Ross, Purdue
Other top Purdue receivers: Antavian Edison, Gary Bush

O.J. Ross is lucky to be a member of Purdue's football team, though he's not lucky enough that it isn't expensive for him. Ross ran into academic troubles and actually had his scholarship revoked by Danny Hope, but he's now provisionally with the team as a walk-on trying to earn his way back onto the squad. Assuming he does, he'll be the Boilermakers' best wideout.

Antavian Edison and Gary Bush both bring experience and productivity to the table, however. So assuming everyone stays healthy, whoever Purdue's quarterback ends up being will have a bevy of options in the passing game. 

7. Demetrius Fields, Northwestern
Other top Northwestern receivers: Rashad Lawrence, Christian Jones, Kain Colter?

Demetrius Fields returns for his senior season, and he is by far the elder statesman of the Northwestern receiving corps in 2012. If QB Kain Colter doesn't find himself permanently moved to wide receiver (Colter was third on the team in receptions and receiving yards last season, ahead of Fields), he'll be depending on Fields early and often to get the Northwestern passing game moving.

Lawrence is a big target at 6'2" and will need to catch at least 40 passes in 2012, while Jones was one of Northwestern's top recruits of the 2011 class; he got into the WR rotation as a true freshman and could find himself starting this year.

6. Justin Brown, Penn State
Other top Penn State receivers: Brandon Moseby-Felder, Shawney Kersey, Devon Smith?

Another squad that found itself light on receptions in 2011 was Penn State, who continues to find itself struggling with the Matt McGloin-Rob Bolden situation of doom. Penn State is actively recruiting Maryland transfer Danny O'Brien, and if DOB makes it official with Penn State, he'll have a nice top target in Justin Brown.

Brown has "breakout star" potential in 2012 as a tall, fast wideout. Brandon Moseby-Felder and Shawney Kersey are two other receivers who saw significant playing time in 2012, but the real question is the fate of Devon Smith, the second-best returning WR.

Smith is currently involved in a legal situation after police raided his apartment and found marijuana and prescription pills. Smith hasn't been arrested or suspended yet, but it's that "yet" that puts his future with PSU in doubt; at the barest of minimums, a visit to the doghouse is in store.

5. Kofi Hughes, Indiana
Other top Indiana receivers: Duwyce Wilson, Jamonne Chester

Despite having a makeshift offensive line and a quarterback situation that ended with a true-freshman dual-threat taking over midway through the year, Indiana was actually pretty decent throwing the ball; the Hoosiers finished fifth in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (though they were, um, 80th in the nation). Part of that has to do with the level of talent Indiana has at wideout, starting with Kofi Hughes.

Hughes got onto the field as a special-teams animal as a freshman, then he asserted himself last season by leading the team in receiving and even carrying the ball 27 times at six yards a pop.

Duwyce Wilson and Jamonne Chester are both big targets who'll be counted on for bigger production as Tre Roberson matures as Indiana's QB of the future. 

4. Roy Roundtree, Michigan
Other top Michigan receivers: Jeremy Gallon, Drew Dileo, Devin Gardner?

Few receiving corps in the nation were hit as hard by graduation as Michigan. The Wolverines return fewer than half of the team's receptions and receiving yards, and they'll be populating their WR depth-chart without a whole lot of experience.

Roy Roundtree has been moved to flanker in order to boost his sagging production, while Jeremy Gallon is quick enough to get open then wreak havoc in the open field (ask Notre Dame). The real question here is whether Devin Gardner, who's tall with great speed and hands, will move to WR full-time or keep his backup QB role.

3. Kenny Bell, Nebraska
Other top Nebraska receivers: Quincy Enunwa, Jamal Turner, Ameer Abdullah?

Kenny Bell is Nebraska's top returning target at wideout, and he's one of the best in the Big Ten. As Taylor Martinez continues to get his bad habits out of the way and as he and Rex Burkhead continue to draw attention from wary safeties, Bell should find himself in single coverage often, which is usually a mismatch. Look for strong numbers here, and if Enunwa and a maddeningly under-productive Turner can get into the mix too, so much the better.

There is still potential playing time in this unit for RB Ameer Abdullah, though. Abdullah is fast, but not a terrific ball-handler, so with the logjam at RB and a thin WR corps, a move to the edge may suit Abdullah. 

2. Keenan Davis, Iowa
Other top Iowa receivers: Kevonte Martin-Manley, Jacob Hillyer

Departing wideout Marvin McNutt garnered a great deal of attention in 2011 for Iowa—and rightly so; McNutt had the best receiving season in Iowa history last year.

But Davis, a senior in 2012, racked up 50 catches as the second banana last year, and he's got an NFL skill-set of his own. He could have a monster year in 2012.

Kevonte Martin-Manley was instrumental in Iowa's comeback win over Pitt, but he disappeared down the stretch in his freshman year; he's basically inked in at No. 2. Hillyer, a big target at 6'4", redshirted last year but travelled with the team for a couple games; he's probably the first in line to be the third receiver.

1. Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin
Other top Wisconsin receivers: Jeff Duckworth, Kenzel Doe

The notion of Jared Abbrederis being the top wideout in the conference doesn't inspire a tremendous amount of confidence in the Big Ten's receiving corps as a whole. There's something to that, but let's not kid ourselves here; Abbrederis had a killer 2011.

We're talking 55 catches for 933 yards, over 1,000 yards returning kicks and punts and nine total touchdowns. Sure, some of that was thanks to Russell Wilson throwing him the ball, but Abbrederis was able to get open against basically everybody last season, and that's not something that'll change next year.

Jeff Duckworth is best known for his insane, game-saving catch on fourth-down against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship, but he'll be making plenty more catches next season. Speedster Kenzel Doe will be challenging big target Chase Hammmond and Purdue de-commit Isaiah Williams for playing time and catches in 2012.