Last Word on College Football continues to spend our Summer taking a look at the Best Returning Players, by position, by conference. In order to be eligible for the list, the player has to be returning to the conference. Players who transfer from one school to another within the conference are eligible. Players who are coming into the Big XII via the four new programs are eligible, since it is their schools that are transferring, not them. As we head to the Big XII’s best-returning receivers, the theme is gap. It is a sizeable gap between the best receivers in the country to most of the group in the Big XII. And it is a bigger gap from the best in the Big XII to the rest of the conference.
By most analysis, Marvin Harrison, Jr. of Ohio State is the best receiver in the country for 2023. His teammate, Emeka Egbuka is right there with him. Then you get to names like Rome Odunze (Washington), and Dorian Singer, (USC). Our top returning Big XII receiver is right there at that part of the list. But first, we start with the number five spot.
The Big XII’s Best Returning Receivers
5. Matthew Golden; Houston
Golden gets onto this Big XII list as Houston enters the conference. He is a former top 150 national recruit. Golden played in 11 games in his freshman year at Houston last year, finishing with 584 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The seven touchdowns set a freshman record for the Cougars. He is a real after-the-catch receiver with impressive bursts in his route breaks. The Houston offense is designed to get him touches at different parts of the field, so going into his second full season, his production is likely to climb. And for good measure, he averaged more than 23 yards per kick return on five runbacks.
4. Javon Baker; UCF
Another who makes the move with his school to the Big XII. Baker was originally a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. He transferred to UCF for the 2022 season. His consistency down the stretch was huge for the Knights on his way to a team-high 796 yards to go with five touchdown catches. He averaged more than 14 yards per catch. Baker is a terrific route runner and at 6-1, 208 pounds a high-value physical target for his quarterback.
3. Jerand Bradley; Texas Tech
Bradley enters his third season for the Red Raiders. His breakout came in 2022. After only seeing the field for three games and redshirting in 2021, he played in 12 games in 2022. His stat line jumped accordingly. He had 51 catches for 744 yards and six touchdown receptions. He led Texas Tech in every receiving category and was just the sixth freshman in program history to lead the Red Raiders in receiving. The results got him named second-team Freshman All-American by The Athletic. At 6-5, 200 pounds he adjusts well to the ball in flight making him a big-time target with a still-to-be-realized ceiling.
2. Brenan Presley; Oklahoma State
This is the first receiver in the group who is not a wideout. Presley is the premier slot receiver in the conference and one of the better ones in the country. Because of the role he plays in the slot, his stats are not going to be as gaudy as those of the wideouts, but his significance is no less. He finished 2022 with 813 yards on 67 catches and two touchdowns. Presley brings extra value to the Cowboys on special teams. He had 14 punt returns for 111 yards and 11 kickoff returns for 267 yards. For good measure, he was first-team Academic All Big-12.
1. Xavier Worthy; Texas
We said that while there was a gap from the best receivers in the country to the Big XII, there was one guy who belongs in that nation’s upper echelon. Meet Xavier Worthy. He is elite. Period. He has 1,741 receiving yards over his two seasons in Austin. That 14.3 yards per catch average goes with his 21 touchdown catches over those two years. Even though he is slight of build at 170 pounds, at 6-1, he is ridiculously athletic and excels at the point of catch against defensive backs. He has track-level speed so he gets great separation all over the field. He gives Quinn Ewers, or any Longhorns quarterback, the best pass catcher in the conference as a target every week.
Photo courtesy: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
