Predicting the Best QB-WR Duos in the 2017 College Football Season
Few things in college football are more fun to watch than an unstoppable quarterback and wide receiver tandem, and the 2017 Oklahoma State Cowboys could have one of the best such duos in recent memory.
The Pokes certainly aren't alone, though. Top 2017 Heisman candidates Sam Darnold, Jake Browning, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield each has a clear-cut, go-to receiver who should surpass 1,000 yards with room to spare.
This past season, there were seven QB-WR combos who averaged at least 300 passing yards and 100 receiving yards per game, and we've pinpointed a total of eight that could fit the bill this year—including pairs at Oklahoma State and Middle Tennessee aiming to do it for a second straight campaign.
Teams on the following slides are listed in ascending order of how likely it is that both players finish the season ranked top 10 in the nation in total passing/receiving yards.
8. Memphis Tigers
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The Duo: Riley Ferguson and Anthony Miller
QB Expectations
Three years after he was supposed to get his start at Tennessee, Riley Ferguson finally made an impact in the Volunteer State. The transfer from Coffeyville Community College turned out to be just what the Memphis Tigers needed for life after Paxton Lynch. Were it not for an injury that knocked him out of a game against Cincinnati, he might have thrown for 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns. As is, his FBS debut set the stage for what should be a stellar senior year.
WR Expectations
Anthony Miller was one of the most unguardable receivers in the nation last year, finishing with 95 receptions, 1,434 yards and 14 TDs. But it was in the second half of his first season with Ferguson that he really torched opposing teams. Excluding the aforementioned game against Cincinnati, Miller's average line over the final six games was 10.2 catches, 159.8 yards and 1.8 touchdowns. Extrapolate that to a 12-game season and it's nearly 2,000 yards and 22 scores.
What Makes Them Special
Miller had seven games with at least nine receptions, which might lead one to believe he's predominantly a short-route receiver. However, he had nine receptions of at least 40 yards, putting Ferguson's big arm to good use. These two guys are a threat to connect just about anywhere on the field.
7. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
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The Duo: Brent Stockstill and Richie James
QB Expectations
Brent Stockstill only played 10 games last season due to a shoulder injury, but he still managed to tally at least 30 touchdowns and 3,200 yards for a second consecutive year. The lefty has flown well below the national radar at MTSU, but he served notice with a combined 679 yards and seven touchdowns in a pair of games against the SEC's Vanderbilt and Missouri. Look for more of the same in the first three weeks against Vanderbilt, Syracuse and Minnesota.
WR Expectations
Richie James had more receptions (105) and yards (1,625) last season than any other returning player. He also had 108 catches for 1,346 yards as a freshman. Western Michigan's Corey Davis just set the FBS record for career receiving yards with 5,278 of them, but James could easily eclipse 6,000 if he sticks around for all four years.
What Makes Them Special
When the going gets tough, these two find each other. Stockstill was healthy for three of MTSU's losses in 2016. In those contests, James averaged 12.7 receptions and 189.3 yards in his three most productive games of the season. He could go for 2,000 yards if they played with that sense of urgency every week.
6. Washington State Cougars
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The Duo: Luke Falk and Tavares Martin Jr.
QB Expectations
In the past five years, there have only been three instances of a quarterback throwing for at least 4,400 yards with a completion percentage of at least 69.0. Luke Falk is responsible for two of them. In fact, his numbers over the past two years are almost identical as he continues to benefit from a Mike Leach offense that has led the nation in total pass attempts in five consecutive seasons. Long story short, we expect a ton of pass attempts with better than two out of three of them landing in a teammate's hands.
WR Expectations
Tavares Martin Jr. had a big spike in production from his freshman to sophomore year, and he should be headed for another one as a junior. With both Gabe Marks and River Cracraft graduating, Martin ought to become the primary wide receiver in the aforementioned pass-heavy offense. Falk does spread the ball around a ton, so we're not expecting an 1,800-yard season from Martin. It's not crazy to anticipate at least 1,100 yards, though.
What Makes Them Special
The Cougars offense is all about the dink and dunk, and Martin is the perfect cog in that machine. In a November win over Arizona, he was targeted nine times and caught all nine passes. Not one of them went for more than 16 yards. Falk and Martin could have a Tom Brady and Wes Welker type of connection.
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5. Oklahoma Sooners
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The Duo: Baker Mayfield and Mark Andrews
QB Expectations
In addition to leading the nation in passer efficiency rating last season with a mark of 196.38, Baker Mayfield joined Russell Wilson (191.8 in 2011) as the only other player since 2000 to have at least 1,500 passing yards and a rating of at least 190. In other words, he was as good as it gets, despite losing his primary target (Sterling Shepard) from the previous season. So, there's no good reason to think Mayfield's effectiveness will suddenly drop off a cliff this year without Dede Westbrook.
WR Expectations
As a freshman, Mark Andrews ranked sixth on the Sooners in receptions, but he led the team in yards per catch and turned nearly 40 percent of them into touchdowns. Last year as a sophomore, he was fourth in receptions and finished with seven TDs for a second straight year. With Westbrook, Joe Mixon and Geno Lewis all gone, Andrews could be the guy Mayfield turns to for at least 80 receptions and 1,200 yards.
What Makes Them Special
Though Andrews hasn't been one of the primary targets all over the field, Mayfield loves to look his way when it's time to cross the goal line. Andrews has ranked second on the team in receiving touchdowns each of the past two years, which makes him the clear favorite to become the most trusted hands this season.
4. Louisville Cardinals
5 of 8
The Duo: Lamar Jackson and Jaylen Smith
QB Expectations
To say the least, big things are expected from the reigning Heisman winner. Lamar Jackson accounted for 51 touchdowns and more than 5,100 total yards from scrimmage as a sophomore. It got to the point where we simply counted on him to put up at least 400 yards and four TDs in every game, even though most casual fans probably couldn't name a single running back or receiver on Louisville's roster.
WR Expectations
Jackson's top three targets last season—James Quick, Cole Hikutini and Jamari Staples—were all seniors, leaving Jaylen Smith as the primary guy in this Louisville offense. But it's more than just a "next man up" situation for Smith. Though he only had 27 receptions last season, he was one of just four players in the country to put up more than 500 yards while averaging at least 22 yards per catch.
What Makes Them Special
With all due respect to Smith, you could put John Doe as the primary receiver with Jackson and we'd like his chances of finishing the season with at least 800 yards and about a dozen TDs. But Smith has already proved himself capable of being the "Go-long-and-get-open" guy who will benefit from Jackson's ability to extend the play while coverage breaks down. Smith might not get as many catches as most of the receivers on the list, but he could end up with more yards than anyone.
3. Washington Huskies
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The Duo: Jake Browning and Dante Pettis
QB Expectations
Washington surprised an awful lot of people by reaching the 2017 College Football Playoff, but there's no question that the development of Jake Browning was the biggest reason why. The Huskies went from 30.6 points per game in 2015 to 41.8 this past season, thanks to Browning's TD-INT ratio tripling from 1.6 to 4.8.
WR Expectations
John Ross (81 receptions, 1,150 yards, 17 TD) was the go-to receiver for Browning last season, but Dante Pettis (53 receptions, 822 yards, 15 TD) wasn't exactly starved for attention. In fact, Pettis averaged more yards per catch (15.5) than Ross did (14.2). Pettis should slide seamlessly into the WR1 spot with Ross out of the picture. At any rate, Alex Kolodziej of FanRag Sports expects Pettis to be the top receiver in the Pac-12 this year.
What Makes Them Special
While Pettis did haul in one noteworthy bomb last season, he developed a rapport with Browning as more of a mid-range specialist in the 15-30-yard range. Browning isn't a particularly mobile QB (45 rushing yards; 25 sacks in 2016), so those deep-but-not-too-deep routes are an indispensable part of Washington's offense. This duo won't often break backs in one play, but it will gradually chop down opposing secondaries.
2. USC Trojans
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The Duo: Sam Darnold and Deontay Burnett
QB Expectations
Thanks in large part to 453 yards and five TDs in the Rose Bowl, USC's Sam Darnold is the early front-runner for the 2017 Heisman Award. Save for the season opener against Alabama—before he became the starter for the Trojans—Darnold completed at least 62 percent of his passes in every game as a redshirt freshman, finishing the year with a 67.2 completion percentage and better than three touchdowns per interception.
WR Expectations
USC's receiving corps was a three-headed monster last season. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Darreus Rogers and Deontay Burnett each had more than 55 receptions and 600 yards. But Rogers graduated and Smith-Schuster left a year early for the NFL draft, leaving Burnett as the primary guy responsible for Darnold's Heisman campaign. Anything short of 1,000 yards would be a shocking development.
What Makes Them Special
Darnold immediately made a connection with Burnett, as the sophomore wide receiver was responsible for the first three completed passes of his career. However, it was how they ended the year that provides the most promise for the season ahead. Burnett had 13 receptions for 164 yards and three scores in the Rose Bowl and was Darnold's go-to guy for most of that fourth-quarter comeback.
1. Oklahoma State Cowboys
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The Duo: Mason Rudolph and James Washington
QB Expectations
In the past five years, only three quarterbacks have thrown for at least 4,000 yards in a season with four or fewer interceptions: Bryce Petty in 2013, Marcus Mariota in 2014 and Mason Rudolph in 2016. Rudolph averaged better than 9.0 yards per attempt and gets both of his primary targets (James Washington and Jalen McCleskey) back for another year. Not a single Big 12 team ranked in the top 50 in passing yards allowed per game last season, so Rudolph should have the freedom to throw darts all over the field once again.
WR Expectations
Following back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, Washington will enter his senior year as arguably the top wide receiver on 2018 NFL draft boards. Over the last two seasons, Oklahoma State is 11-1 when he tallies at least 90 yards. In six of those games, he had one reception that went for at least 72 yards, including a 296-yard game against Pittsburgh this past September.
What Makes Them Special
In addition to being the perfect tandem of a QB with a cannon arm and a WR who might be the best home run threat in the nation, what really makes this connection special is that there are plenty of weapons elsewhere in the offense. If an opponent focuses all of its energy on stopping this duo, McCleskey or RB Justice Hill (1,142 yards as a freshman) will tear it to shreds.
Unless otherwise noted, stats are courtesy of Sports Reference and CFBstats.com. Recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com.
Kerry Miller covers college football and college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.
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