College Fantasy Football: Way-Too-Early 2011 Wide Receiver Rankings

For the third installment of our "Way Too Early" 2011 college fantasy football player rankings, we turn our attention to the wide receiver position. 

Remember, we're calling them "Way Too Early" rankings for a reason.  It's just a first glance at the 2011 prospects.  A gut feel.  We haven't fully analyzed returning o-lineman for each school.  We haven't yet plugged in the incoming stud recruits (signing day is February 2nd). We didn't account for all of the new coaching changes.  And we haven't taken a peek at the upcoming fall schedules.  All of that will come with due time. 

Here's the schedule of rankings by position:

Friday, January 21 - Quarterbacks
Monday, January 24 - Running Backs
Tuesday, January 27 - Wide Receivers
Wednesday, January 27 - Tight Ends & Kickers

We're going to pass on defensive rankings until later this spring. So, without further adieu, let's dive into the wide receivers!


"Way Too Early" 2011 Wide Receiver Rankings

Wide receivers are typically the most difficult position to analyze at this early stage of the game. Lots of moving parts. We're fortunate that the 2011 fantasy wideout class actually has some pretty big names (surprisingly) returning to campus in Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon and Notre Dame's Michael Floyd.  Most considered that trio to be pro-bound.

Proven fantasy studs Alshon Jeffrey (South Carolina) and Juron Criner (Arizona) are also back in the fold.  And most importantly, their quarterbacks also return.

A new name to add to the Top 5 mix is East Carolina's Lance Lewis.  With teammate Dwayne Harris departing, Lewis could improve upon last fall's outstanding 89-1,116-14 stat line as he becomes the go-to guy for QB Dominique Davis.

Like your wideouts to take handoffs and return kicks?  Then Tulsa's Damaris Johnson is right up your alley.  This multi-faceted playmaker accounted for 112 touches, 1,432 yards from scrimmage, and 13 total touchdowns last fall.


Some WR questions to chew on:

Will Western Michigan's Jordan White get a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA?  If so, he's a sure-fire Top 10 fantasy prospect.

After a dynamite start to the year (11 TDs in his first eight games), Texas A&M's Jeff Fuller fell off the face of the earth (1 TD in his final five outings).  Fuller was banged up in early November, and most think this was the reason for his late season swoon.

What is the ceiling for West Virginia's Tavon Austin?  New offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen arrived on campus this winter, and he brings his high-flying passing schemes along with him.  If Holgorsen decides to feature Austin in the passing game (he could also opt to play him at RB), look for a huge increase in his already-impressive numbers (900 total yards, 9 TDs in 2010).

Over at SMU, how does Aldrick Robinson's departure factor into Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson's on-the-field production?  The two combined for 165 catches, 1,900+ receiving yards and 12 scores with Aldrick in the lineup.

Who's left on the island?  Hawaii's Royce Pollard is the leading returning receiver for the Rainbow Warriors (64-901-7). Who else will step up to fill the void left by the departure of Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares? Redshirt Darius Bright and Billy Ray Stutzmann seem to be in line for possible starting gigs as well.

Will Oregon State's James Rodgers return to pre-injury form in 2011?  He injured his left knee early in the 2010 season and was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA.

Can Brady Hoke turn Ray Roundtree into the next Vincent Brown?  Roundtree put up nice stats last fall (92-935-7).  Hoke had a pair of great wideouts at San Diego State in Vincent Brown and Demarco Sampson.  The duo combined for 2,572 receiving yards and 18 TDs last fall.

What the heck are we to make of the Rutgers receiving corps?  It's one of the more puzzling situations to monitor this spring.  Mohamed Sanu was solid at times last fall, but did not live to the preseason hype.  One of the reasons for Sanu's downfall was the emergence of Jeremy Deering (who took over the Wildcat package midway through the year) and Mark Harrison.  All three Scarlet Knights return and it's anyone's guess at this point as to how they will be utilized.

Don't sleep on Stanford's Chris Owusu.  He slogged through an injury-plagued 2010 campaign that left a bad taste in many-a-fantasy-owner's mouth.  But with Andrew Luck back and WRs Ryan Whalen and Doug Baldwin departing, the door is opened for Owusu to have a productive season—if he can stay healthy, of course.

How will Missouri's T.J. Moe and Washington's Jermaine Kearse produce with rookie quarterbacks at the helm?

It's a question we seem to be asking every year at this time: who will emerge as the go-to receivers for Texas Tech? Alexander Torres would seem to be the best bet at this point.  Keep a close eye on spring ball to see if anyone else can make a splash.

James Cleveland and Kierre Johnson are gone down in Houston, leaving Patrick Edwards and Tyron Carrier to shoulder the load. Speaking of Carrier, what the devil happened to him in 2010?  His statline went from 80-1026-9 in 2008, to 91-1029-7 in 2009, to a measley 53-480-1 last fall. 

BYU freshman Cody Hoffman became a bigger factor in the offense once the calendar turned over to November, capping things off with a monster bowl game performance (8-137-1).  A sign of things to come?  It should be fun watching him grow along with fellow sophomore-to-be QB Jake Heaps.

Mississippi State's Chad Bumphis beat up the lightweights on the 2010 schedule, but completely vanished during SEC play.  Can he put together a complete season this fall?

Who will ultimately serve as WR2 in Cincinnati (to D.J. Woods)? Armon Binns and Marcus Barnett are gone.

East Carolina threw the ball 609 times last fall.  Who from the receiving corps is going to join Lance Lewis in hauling in all of those passes?

Will the La Tech passing game get its act together?  If so, there should be plenty of opportunities to a receiver or two to step into the fantasy limelight.

Who will be on the receiving end of Dana Holgorsen's aerial attack in Morgantown (other than Tavon Austin)?  Stedman Bailey and Brad Starks are possibilities.


Spring ball will shed more light on the wide receiver situations around the country. Until then, here's how we rank 'em....


CollegeFootballGeek.com's "Way Too Early" 2011 Wide Receivers Rankings

1	Ryan Broyles	Oklahoma	131-1622-14 in 2010, QB Landry Jones returns
2	Justin Blackmon	Oklahoma State	111-1782-20 in 2010, OC gone, QB Weeden is back
3	Lance Lewis	East Carolina	89-1116-14, Dom Davis returns, D.Harris is gone
4	Alshon Jeffrey	South Carolina	88-1517-9 in 2010
5	Juron Criner	Arizona	82-1233-11 in 2010, QB Nick Foles returns
6	Michael Floyd	Notre Dame	79-1025-12 in 2010
7	Damaris Johnson	Tulsa	112 touches, 1432 yds from scrimm, 13 total TDs
8	Jordan White	Western Michigan	94-1378-10, we're assuming NCAA gives him 6th yr
9	Patrick Edwards	Houston	71-1100-13 led team in all categories
10	Jeff Fuller	Texas A&M	72-1066-12 but struggled in last 4 reg. season gms
11	Tavon Austin	West Virginia	over 900 total yds, 9 TDs, but will he be RB or WR?
12	Eric Page	Toledo	99-1105-8 in 2010
13	Cody Wilson	Central Michigan	101 touches for 1200+ yds and 6 TDs in 2010
14	Cole Beasley	SMU	87-1060-6 in 2010, WR Aldrick Robinson is gone
15	Royce Pollard	Hawaii	64-901-7 in 2010, Bradley, Salas & Pilares all depart
16	DJ Woods	Cincinnati	985 total yards, 10 TDs, QB returns, Binns is gone
17	Kamar Jorden	Bowling Green	96-1109-4 in 2010, needs to get in endzone more
18	James Rodgers	Oregon State	granted 6th year after missing most of 2010 injured
19	TY Hilton	Florida Int'l	1130 yds from scrimmage, 11 total TDs in 2010
20	Roy Roundtree	Michigan	92-935-7 in 2010 as soph, new coaching staff
21	Nick Harwell	Miami, OH	64-871-6 in 2010 as frosh, had a big 2nd half to yr
22	Jeremy Ebert	Northwestern	62-953-8 in 2010, tailed off when Persa got hurt
23	Darius Johnson	SMU	78-845-6 in 2010, WR Aldrick Robinson departs
24	Marquess Wilson	Washington State	55-1006-6 in '10 as a frosh, ran out of gas at end
25	Greg Childs	Arkansas	46-659-6 in '10 - missed 5 gms, QB Mallett is gone
26	Mohamed Sanu	Rutgers	accounted for 900 yards and 9 TDs, still a '10 bust
27	Robert Woods	USC	65-792-6 in 2010 as frosh, scored last TD on 10/16
28	Kendall Wright	Baylor	78-952-7 in 2010, QB Griffin returns
29	TJ Moe	Missouri	104 touches, 1126 total yds, 7 TDs, new QB
30	Jermaine Kearse	Washington	63-1005-12 in 2010, QB Jake Locker is gone
31	Kenny Stills	Oklahoma	61-786-5 in 2010 as a FR, busted for DUI in Jan.
32	Demarlo Belcher	Indiana	78-832-4 in 2010, QB Chappell & WR Doss depart
33	Mark Harrison	Rutgers	44-829-9 in '10, skewed by 1 huge game 10-240-4
34	Chris Owusu	Stanford	injury-plagued in '10, WRs Baldwin & Whalen gone
35	Dwight Jones	North Carolina	62-946-4 in 2010, capable of huge games, new QB
36	Derek Moye	Penn State	53-885-8 in 2010, all QBs return
37	Josh Gordon	Baylor	42-714-7 in 2010, QB Griffin returns
38	Conner Vernon	Duke	73-973-4 in 2010, big games vs. lesser opponents
39	Ryan Swope	Texas A&M	72-825-4 in 2010 as sophomore
40	Dwayne Frampton	Arkansas State	69-738-6 in 2010, QB Aplin returns
41	Alexander Torres	Texas Tech	missed several games in 2010 due to injury
42	Keith Smith	Purdue	assuming he gets a 6th year from NCAA
43	Tyron Carrier	Houston	huge bust in '10, WRs Cleveland & K.Johnson depart
44	Cody Hoffman	BYU	freshman had a monster bowl game (8-137-1)
45	Kelvin Bolden	Southern Miss	46-722-6 in 2010, WR DeAndre Brown departs
46	Da'Jon McKnight	Minnesota	48-750-10 in 2010, new coach and QB
47	Marcus Sales	Syracuse	finished year strong, huge bowl game 5-172-3
48	Joe Adams	Arkansas	50-813-6 in 2010, QB Mallett is gone
49	Josh Cooper	Oklahoma State	68-736-5 in 2010, OC gone, QB Weeden returns
50	Markus Wheaton	Oregon State	accounted for 875 total yards and 6 TDs as soph
51	Rishard Matthews	Nevada	56-879-5 in 2010, playmaker, new QB, 8 total TDs
52	Marvin McNutt	Iowa	53-861-8 in 2010, QB Stanzi & WR DJK depart
53	Darius Bright	Hawaii	redshirted in 2010, expected to start at left wideout
54	AJ Jenkins	Illinois	56-746-7 in 2010, QB Scheelhaase returns
55	La'Rod King	Kentucky	33-478-5 in '10, top 2 WRs leave (Cobb & Mathews)
56	Ansel Ponder	Western Michigan	WR Jordan White and Juan Nunez depart
57	DeVonte Christopher	Utah	39-660-6 in 2010, wildly inconsistent soph season
58	Tyler Shoemaker	Boise State	will have to step up in absence of Young & Pettis
59	Justin Hunter	Tennessee	16-415-7 as a freshman
60	Noel Grigsby	San Jose State	56-822-4 in 2010 as a freshman
61	Jack Tomlinson	Ball State	frosh broken out with 23-410-6 in final 5 games
62	Marvin Jones	Cal	50-765-4 in 2010, QB Brock Mansion returns
63	Chad Bumphis	Mississippi State	44-634-4 plus 131 rushing, vanished 2nd half of yr
64	BJ Cunningham	Michigan State	50-611-9 in 2010, leading WR Dell is gone
65	Mike Shanahan	Pittsburgh	43-589-1, WR Baldin gone, new pass-happy HC
66	Jarrett Boykin	Virginia Tech	53-847-6 in 2010, new QB at helm
67	Josh Boyce	TCU	34-646-6 in 2010 as a freshman
68	DeVier Posey	Ohio State	facing 5 game suspension
69	Jarius Wright	Arkansas	42-788-5 in 2010, QB Mallett is gone
70	Marcus Rucker	Memphis	41-704-8 in 2010 as sophomore
71	Junior Hemingway	Michigan	32-593-4 in 2010, big play specialist
72	Cobi Hamilton	Arkansas	32-630-6 in 2010, QB Mallett is gone
73	Travis Benjamin	Miami, FL	43-743-3 in 2010, new coaching staff in place
74	Luthur Ambrose	La-Monroe	65-752-6 in 2010, rush att. decreased from 35 to 10
75	Kris Burd	Virginia	58-799-5 in 2010
76	Paul Richardson	Colorado	34-514-6 as a freshman, WR McKnight is gone
77	Tavarres King	Georgia	will try to help fill AJ Green's shoes
78	Marquis Maze	Alabama	Julio Jones is gone, Maze should be WR1
79	Keenan Allen	Cal	46-490-5 in 2010 as a freshman
80	Theo Riddick	Notre Dame	strung together 4 nice games before injury
81	Robert Arnheim	Western Michigan	WR Jordan White and Juan Nunez depart
82	Stedman Bailey	West Virginia	new offense to learn, 24-317-4 in 2010
83	Mike Davis	Texas	47-478-2 in 2010 as true freshman
84	Chris Harper	Kansas State	only 25-330-4 in 2010 but WR1 Quarles departs
85	Austin Zouzalik	Texas Tech	31-432-2 in 2010, can he lock down a starting job?
86	Brad Starks	West Virginia	new offense to learn, 19-317-4 in 2010
87	Corey Brown	Ohio State	Posey suspended
88	Jalen Saunders	Fresno State	30-462-3, plus 166 rush yds, as a freshman
89	Devin Street	Pittsburgh	could get boost from new coaching - love to pass
90	Jerrel Jackson	Missouri	50-656-3 in 2010, dealt with injury, new QB
91	Taulib Ikharo	La Tech	50-530-3, can La Tech get their pass game on track?
92	Jeremy Deering	Rutgers	took over Wildcat package from Sanu during year
93	Billy Ray Stutzmann	Hawaii	could start at slotback
94	Rueben Randle	LSU	33-544-3 in 2010, will he finally live up to the hype?
95	Tramain Swindall	Texas Tech	took a step back in 2010 with only 33-271-1
96	Quintin McCree	Maryland	deep threat, will try to fill hole left by Torrey Smith
97	Duwyce Wilson	Indiana	will try to fill the void left by Tandon Doss
98	Aaron Dobson	Marshall	44-689-5 in 2010, will have new QB in 2011
99	DeAndre Hopkins	Clemson	51-626-4 as a freshman, new QB at helm
100	Rod Streater	Temple	30-481-4 in 2010, plus 83 rushing & 1 rush TD
101	Marcus Rivers	Buffalo	after hot start, he tailed off big time down stretch
102	Donovan Varner	Duke	big decrease in production 2010 vs. '09 (8 TD to 1)
103	Ace Sanders	South Carolina	will try to become No. 2 to Alshon Jeffrey
104	Tyler Stradford	North Texas	24-268-2 in 2010, new coach in place
105	Willie Clark	Northern Illinois	42-602-7 in 2010, new coach, QB Harnish returns
106	Russell Shepard	LSU	65 touches for 500 yards and 3 TDs in 2010
107	Nick Toon	Wisconsin	missed half of 2010 season with injury
108	Phillip Payne	UNLV	40-689-5 in 2010 despite suspended for 2 games
109	Tyshon Goode	Kent State	nearly identical stats last 2 yrs, 59-743-5 in '10
110	Deonte Thompson	Florida	38-570-1, new offensive coaches
111	Darius Carey	North Texas	38-524-5 in 2010, led team as sophomore
112	Bobby Swigert	Boston College	led team with 39-504-4 as a freshman
113	Justin Veltung	Idaho	25-495-8, QB Enderle is gone
114	McKay Jacobson	BYU	overrated in past years, perhaps Heaps helps
115	TJ Jones	Notre Dame	had relatively productive freshman campaign
116	Bert Reed	Florida State	58-614-2 in 2010, only 5 recv. TDs over last 3 yrs
117	Casey Robottom	Tulane	56-663-4 in 2010, QB Griffin returns
118	Brandon Kinnie	Nebraska	44-494-5 in 2010

Todd DeVries is the founder of CollegeFootballGeek.com, your premier destination for all things college fantasy football.