CFF Burning Questions For 2025: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
As we approach spring camps across the college football landscape, Purple Reign has looked at schools across the country and identified 40 Burning Questions at the wide receiver/tight end positions for the upcoming season. These are situations that need to be monitored throughout the college football offseason. As answers develop to these questions the College Fantasy Football world will begin to have the tools to refine their expectations for this year’s fantasy drafts.
Check out all the articles in this CFF Burning Questions For 2025 series here:
Alabama – Can Kalen Deboer’s offense create two 200 fantasy point WRs again?
During head coach Kalen Deboer’s two years at Washington both his WR1 and WR2 scored over 200 fantasy points each season. Outside of those two years the best a Deboer WR2 has performed is 126 fantasy points by Germie Bernard last season. That’s a large gap to overcome in fantasy production. This likely comes down to how many times the QBs are allowed to throw the ball. At Washington the QB1 had 555 and 554 pass attempts. Last season Jalen Milroe only threw the ball 320 times. It will be a tall order to imagine the eventual starting QB being given 500 passing opportunities, and I’d bet on somewhere in the 425-450 pass attempt range.
Appalachian State – Can we expect Dowell Loggains’ TE1 to reach the 40/400/4 landmarks?
This landmark refers to targets/yards/touchdowns. Head coach Dowell Loggains’ two years running the South Carolina offense saw his TE1 average 53 targets for 416 yards, and 5 TDs. This shows us that he can feature the TE prominently in the offense, and he did it with two different players during those years. But the TE position is a wide open position battle this spring after losing last year’s starter Eli Wilson. I’ll be watching if any of the tight ends are making waives in the spring, otherwise we might see the TE production being split between multiple players.
Auburn – Is it really a stretch for Cam Coleman to reach the 100 target mark?
True freshman Cam Coleman finished the 2024 season on fire, averaging 7.6 targets per game over the final three contests. He also put up 306 receiving yards and 6 TDs during that three game span. Head coach Hugh Freeze is known for his rushing oriented offense but the showcasing of Coleman at the end of last season brings optimism about what he can do in 2025. Since 2019 a Freeze WR1 has received 100+ targets twice, for an average of 131.5 targets/season. There’s plenty of room for Coleman to hit the 100 target mark even if he falls short of that average. I’ll be watching for news from spring camp about Eric Singleton potentially stealing targets away, as well as how the new QBs are connecting with Coleman.
Baylor – Can Josh Cameron put up 2018 David Sills numbers?
Josh Cameron finished 2024 as the team’s WR1, scoring 161 fantasy points. He comes back for 2025 along side returning QB Sawyer Robertson. When you review the coaching history of offensive coordinator Jake Savital you’ll see that he only had one WR score 200 fantasy points since 2018, and it was David Sills at West Virginia in 2018. Sills had 120 targets that season, which is 39 more than Cameron put up last season. This Baylor offense is balanced in terms of returning starters in the running game and passing game. Cameron will have to stand out in the spring as an unstoppable force for the secondary to contend with if he has a chance at getting near Sills’ 2018 stats.
Bowling Green – Can Arlis Boardingham get 85+ targets this season?
Arlis Boardingham has had two okay season at Florida where his best fantasy performance was in 2023 with 66 fantasy points. He now transfers down from the SEC to the Bowling Green where his athletic ability should shine against MAC defenses. We must forget the numbers that Harold Fannin put up last season as that was a historic performance for a fantasy TE. If you review the 2023-2019 seasons for head coach Scot Loeffler, his TE1 has averaged 72 targets/season. For Boardingham to reach 85 targets we’ll need to see that his playing skills are truly head and shoulders above MAC competition. Quotes from the coaching staff about him dominating in scrimmages will be high on my radar for news from spring camp.
Central Michigan – Is half the stats that Efton Chism put up in 2024 a reasonable ceiling for this year’s WR1?
This is a “shoot for the moon” question. New offensive coordinator Jim Chapin moves up from FCS Eastern Washington where he featured a pass-heavy offense. I only have 2024 season stats to review, but last season WR1 Efton Chism scored 269 fantasy points on 210 targets for 1311 yards and 13 TDs. There is no stud in the Central Michigan WR room that could come close to Chism’s numbers. But can someone put up half of that? Obviously we’ll have to watch for news out of spring camp about any WR standing apart from the rest to identify the right guy. But we’ll need to look for quotes about the QB play which has been horrendous the last couple of seasons.
Charlotte – Is targeting the slot WR in Tim Albin’s offense as a late sleeper a good draft strategy?
New head coach Tim Albin has a knack for creating fantasy success. When it comes to his WR1 the fantasy production is very up and down. When it is up, the WR1 tends to be a slot WR. During the 2024, 2022, and 2018 seasons when a slot was the WR1, they averaged 200 fantasy points from 106 targets. The slot WR is up for grabs this season and Albin brough in Boston College transfer Jayden McGowen who played a balanced mix of the slot and outside last season. I’ll be watching for news from spring camp that tells me McGowan really is a “big fish in a small pond” before I’m ready to write him in as the next breakout Albin slot WR.
Cincinnati – Should we expect to see regression in Joe Royer’s targets?
Joe Royer had a fantastic 2024 season receiving 81 targets for the Bearcats. With the top WR from 2024 gone, some would expect to see his target share increase this season. From a pure talent standpoint I would agree with that. But from a pure offensive system standpoint, I’m apprehensive. 2024 was the only season that a TE for offensive coordinator Brad Glenn got 35+ targets. From 2023-2019 his TE1 has averaged 33.3 targets. If the career average for Glenn TEs is that much lower you must be concerned about regression, unless that TE’s talent is special. I want to see glowing reports from the coaches about Royer’s play this spring, but even if I see that I may not project him to have more than last year’s targets.
Coastal Carolina – How high should you draft Jameson Tucker?
Drew Hollingshead was hired to be the new offensive coordinator in 2025. Its unclear if the offense will run his system, or the one used by head coach Tim Beck. Both systems are fantasy friendly, and feature the WR1 with career averages of over 100 targets a season. Jameson Tucker was the WR1 last season in a year where the passing game just couldn’t produce. Last season’s WR3 Bryson Graves also returns and has a similar talent level to Tucker. The first thing to monitor will be which of these WRs is getting the most praise from the coaches in spring camp. If the answer is clearly Tucker he becomes a strong sleeper candidate to target in the last third of your fantasy drafts. If we don’t see that then its probably best to avoid these WRs unless Graves is the man stealing the spotlight all spring.
Colorado– Will Joseph Williams be over-valued in this summer’s fantasy drafts?
As a true freshman at Tulsa, Joseph Williams exploded during the month of November last season. In four games he totaled 39 targets for 21 receptions, 461 yards and 5 TDs. He now transfers to Colorado and appears to be in line to become the WR1 in that offense. Travis Hunter was last season’s WR1 and he scored 270 fantasy points. Hunter’s production came from an offense that threw the ball 477 times. Kaidon Salter transfers into Colorado for 2025 but he is not the type of pure passer who is capable to handling 400+ pass attempts. With fewer pass plays being called this season, Williams will have to command a target share that exceeds Hunter’s 26.14% from last season. This spring we’ll need to hear about a strong bond being formed between Williams and Salter from the start of camp for Williams not to be over-valued.
Colorado State – Is Louis Brown a must target fantasy sleeper?
From 2023-2018 offensive coordinator Matt Mumme has funneled an average of 115 targets to his WR1. There is no returning stud WR this season to command that workload, leaving things up for grabs. The coaches went out and brought Louis Brown in through the portal from San Diego State. Brown has 33 career game appearances, including 22 games playing for Mumme at Colorado State from 2023-2022. He knows this offensive system and it appears everything is in place for him to become the next WR1. If we see news from spring camp that he is dominating the WR room, then you might have to look at Brown as more than just a sleeper.
East Carolina – Can Yannick Smith hit the 100 target landmark this season?
Yannick Smith carved out a role for himself in the offense at the end of the 2024 season as a freshman. All the top WRs are gone for 2025, opening the door for Smith to become the WR1. Offensive coordinator John David Baker has two seasons of coordinator experience and the most targets his WR1 has received was 93 in 2023 by Tre Harris at Mississippi. When Baker’s career average for WR1 targets falls in at 83, it’s a big ask for a sophomore to step up and gain an extra 20 targets on the season. Smith will have to prove he is a special athlete and build a report with QB Katin Houser as his favorite WR in spring camp. We’ll also need to monitor how Oklahoma transfer Jaquaize Pettaway is integrating into the offense and if he could be a production thief for Smith.
Georgia Southern – Is Josh Dallas capable of gaining 900 yards and 9 TDs in 2025?
Josh Dallas finished the 2024 season as the team’s WR1, scoring 130 fantasy points from 614 yards and 6 TDs. He did this on just 66 targets, when the career average (excluding 2024) for head coach Clay Helton’s WR1 is 126 targets. There's plenty of room for Dallas’ workload to increase this season, but can he be productive? When you look at Dallas’ yards/target and TDs/target numbers he exceeds all Helton WR1s except Michael Pittman from 2019. Dallas and Pittman match-up nearly identical in these efficiency stats. Pittman scored 244 fantasy points with 1275 yards and 11 TDs. There’s a great chance that Dallas will succeed here, but it will all hinge on the development of QB JC French.
Georgia Tech – What will Eric Rivers’ role be in the 2025 passing game?
When Georgia Tech lost their top WR from 2024 they went into the transfer portal and scooped up Eric Rivers. He’s making the move up from the Group of 5 where he was able to take advantage of secondaries that lacked the athletic ability to keep up with him on deep routes. Its unclear if he will be the primary deep threat in this offense or if Malik Rutherford will be. In a run-heavy offense like this, the deep man has a great chance to get behind the secondary. Rivers is taller than Rutherford which might make him the intermediate pass catcher. That role could go to fellow FIU transfer Dean Patterson. Standing 6’2” tall, Patterson looks to be the clear favorite for the redzone target in this offense. I’ll need to see reports about how Rivers is being used in the spring to try and get a feel for this one.
Hawaii – Can Pofele Ashlock bounce back to his 2023 statistical numbers?
Head coach Tommy Chang took over the Hawaii offense in 2023 and brought back the old run and shoot offense that fantasy old timers loved. Pofele Ashlock was the team leader in targets that season with 126, and finished the year with 178 fantasy points. Last season was a letdown year, only scoring 129 fantasy points from 109 targets. Scoring that few fantasy points on such a high volume of targets shows that the Hawaii passing game struggled to score through the air. QB Micah Alejado looks to win the starting QB job and bring a new arm into the offense. In one start last season, Alejado threw the ball to Ashlock 10 times for 79 yards and 1 TD. For Ashlock to get back to his 2023 form we’re going to need to see that connection with Alejado remain strong throughout spring camp.
Illinois – Does Justin Bowick’s move to Illinois make him a sleeper to become a target magnet?
During a two game span last season Justin Bowick exploded at Ball State for 22 targets, 15 receptions, 319 yards and 3 TDs. Once those games were over he announced he was redshirting the season, then entered himself in the transfer portal. He landed at Illinois and it looks like he has the opportunity to take over the position left open by Pat Bryant’s departure. Bowick is 6’4” and Bryant was 6’3”, which leads me to think that West Virginia transfer Hudson Clement (6’1”) will take over Zakhari Franklin’s role in the offense. I’ll want to see confirmation that Clement is playing in the slot leaving Bowick to be the big target on the outside.
Iowa State – Is Chase Sowell one of the safest WRs to reach 200 fantasy points?
Head coach Matt Campbell has a great history of creating fantasy WRs. In 2024 his WR1 scored 215 fantasy points and his WR2 scored 211 fantasy points. Campbell likes a big target for his WR1 and Chase Sowell stands at 6’4”. Sowell battled injuries last season which kept his target share down. He had better yards per target than last season’s WR1 at Iowa State showing he can be explosive down the field. We will need to see reports from spring camp that his injuries are a thing of the past and that he has formed a quick connection with QB Rocco Becht to give us a scene of safety for his 2025 fantasy outlook.
Miami, FL – Is it inevitable that Mario Cristobal signs a big name WR in the spring transfer portal?
As the roster stands today there doesn’t appear to be depth at the WR position in Miami. CJ Daniels transfers in from LSU and looks to be the biggest threat for opposing secondaries. After him things drop off with Ny Carr and Joshia Trader. Miami went into the transfer portal and brought in QB Carson Beck to lead the offense. I can’t see a world where Miami doesn’t spend more money to grab a second high profile receiving option for Beck to throw to. At this time the best WRs available in the portal are Donaven McCulley (Indiana), Rara Thomas (Georgia), and Kole Wilson (Texas State). It’s likely Miami will wait to see which WRs enter the spring portal period before they make a decision on this one.
Michigan – Is Hogan Hansen a plug-and-play replacement at the TE position?
Hogan Hansen played sparingly as a back-up in 2024 but showed his potential. He has a good build that needs a little more muscle, but he is very athletic and is a good route runner. It appears he is next in line to become the starting TE at Michigan. The biggest question here is what type of offense will Michigan run this year? We have come to know head coach Sherrone Moore’s system that heavily favors the TE position. New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey’s history has him utilizing the TE half as much as Moore does. I will be looking for quotes from the coaches about the shape the offense is taking in spring camp, and if Hogan will be featured as a showcase in this passing game.
Missouri – Will Beau Pribula hold back Kevin Coleman’s fantasy value?
In his two seasons at Penn State Beau Pribula played in 24 games but has only attempted 56 passes. The pass attempts he did make did not challenge the defensive secondary, only averaging 7.6 yards per attempt but he does have an average QB rating of 120.8. He enters the QB competition at Missouri with a good chance of winning the job. Kevin Coleman transfers to Missouri hoping to be the replacement for Luther Burden. He’s going to need Pribula to push the ball down the field for him to have similar fantasy success that Burden had. I want to see consistent reports of Pribula connecting in the deep and intermediate passing game during their spring camp.
Missouri State – Is Lance Mason a must target fantasy sleeper?
Last season Lance Mason was one of the top TEs at the FCS level. He scored 112 fantasy points on 61 targets for 34 receptions, 590 yards and 6 TDs. He has an athletic 6’4” 240 pound build and is a skilled pass catcher. There’s always risk in taking a player from a team that is in it’s first year moving up from the FCS level. Assuming Missouri State is going to be playing from behind in most games, this should benefit the passing game and Mason. I can see the case for taking a shot on Mason as your TE2/3 in a best ball league, but in a redraft league this might be more difficult with a more limited roster. But Mason might be the perfect 2025 example of the sayings, “no risk-it, no biscuit.”
Nebraska – Will the addition of Dana Holgersen turn Dane Key into a breakout fantasy star?
Offensive coordinator Dana Holgersen has a rich history of producing star fantasy WRs. If you remove the 2023 season from his coaching history, his WR1’s average 237 fantasy points and 126 targets. There is a drop off at his WR2 where the career average for fantasy points is just 120. Dane Key transfers in from Kentucky and may be the most talented WR on the roster. Jacory Barney returns and would be his closest competition in the talent department. We’re going to need to hear a steady drumbeat of phrase for Key and not as much about Barney in spring camp to start to feel confident that Key will breakout into a fantasy star.
New Mexico – Will Jason Eck’s offense make Kaegan Johnson fantasy relevant?
New head coach Jason Eck has made a name for himself as an offensive guru during his time at FCS Idaho. With only one season of stats on Eck in my database I am cautious if these are the norm or an anomaly. In 2024 Jordan Dwyer put up 230 fantasy points on 140 targets at Idaho. For someone to command this type of workload at New Mexico they’ll need to be dramatically better than the rest of the WR core. Keagan Johnson transferred in from Kansas State and has an obvious talent edge to go along with a team leading 38 career game appearances. If he is truly better than every other WR we will hear about it very early in spring camp.
Ohio State – How likely is it that Max Klare hits the 50/500/5 statistical landmarks?
The numbers listed in this landmark are for targets/yards/TDs. With Chip Kelly no longer calling the plays in Columbus, we can go back to reviewing the coaching history of head coach Ryan Day. Day’s best fantasy TE was Cade Stover and from 2023-2022 he averaged 50.5 targets, 491 yards, and 5 TDs per season. This shows us these statistical landmarks are possible in Day’s system. Klare transfers in from Purdue where he was a standout pass catching TE. For him to receive this workload he will need to standout alongside a talented WR core. I’ll be looking for comments from the coaches and the QBs during spring camp about how Klare fits into the offense.
Oklahoma – Can Deion Burks remain healthy through the 2025 season?
Deion Burks played in a total of six games during his first season at Oklahoma as he was continually hampered by an undisclosed injury and later by a concussion. When he was on the field he showed the type of talent that we expected and that he was the best WR talent on the team. There’s high hopes that he will command the awesome workload that comes with a WR1 in offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s offensive system. He’ll need to be healthy for that to happen so I will be monitoring how involved he is in spring practices to see if the undisclosed injury is still affecting his play.
Oregon – Is Jeremiah McClellan the best WR on this year’s team?
Last season many fantasy analysts thought that former five star recruit Evan Stewart would emerge as the team’s top WR but that did not happen. That same sentiment is in the air for 2025 which made me wonder if someone else might emerge as this year’s top WR? Jeremiah McClellan only played in five games last season and had only three passes thrown his way. He has the talent profile that he could develop into a prominent receiving threat this season. He will not only have to fend off Stewart but also former five star recruit Jurrion Dickey. Dickey played in 15 games in two seasons at Oregon but has only had two targets in that time. We will need to see reports from spring camp about which WRs are making a connection with QB Donte Moore.
Oregon State – Can Trent Walker score five receiving TDs this year?
If you read my waiver wire articles last season you will know that I am a fan of Trent Walker. He was a target machine, having 123 passes thrown his way for 901 yards. Why is it that many of you may never have heard of Walker with a workload like that? Its due to the fact he only scored two TDs on the season, holding his fantasy points in check at 143. Maalik Murphy transfers in from Duke to try and raise up this passing game and potentially raise the TD chances of Walker as well. I want to see Murphy and Walker being the go-to connection in the passing game this spring to have hopes that Walker could hit five TDs.
Sam Houston State – Will Qua’Vez Humphreys become the next Josh Downs in Phil Longo’s offense?
The Sam Houston State passing game was just awful in 2024. Humphreys was the WR1 last season and there’s nobody on the roster that should dethrone him in 2025. New head coach Phil Longo’s WR1 averaged 215 fantasy points from 2022-2018. Josh Downs was the best WR Longo had as Downs averaged 134 targets for 1182 yards and 9.5 TDs in two seasons. Those numbers are a HUGE jump from what Humphreys produced last season. The system is there for Humphreys to have success in 2025, but will the eventual starting QB be looking for him on a repeated basis? That’s what I want to see from spring camp reports.
San Jose State – Is expecting 200 fantasy points too much for Matthew Coleman in 2025?
Offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann blessed us with Nick Nash last season who scored a whopping 295 fantasy points. If you remove 2024 from Stutzmann’s history, his WR1 has averaged 214 fantasy points. We don’t have confirmation yet that Matthew Coleman will be the WR1 in 2025, but if you watched the team’s bowl game against South Florida you would have seen a sneak preview of how he looks in the WR1 role. Coleman had 15 targets for 12 receptions, 119 yards and 1 TD (25.9 fantasy points). For Coleman to hit 200 fantasy points this season he would need to average 16.6 fantasy PPG which looks to be very achievable. I will be looking to see if Sacramento State transfer Danny Scudero is making waves in spring camp and potentially securing targets at the expense of Coleman.
Southern Miss – How much of a risk is it to take a chance on one of the Southern Miss WRs late in fantasy drafts?
Fantasy owners got very excited when Blake Anderson was hired as the new offensive coordinator. Going back to 2018 his WR1 has averaged 236 fantasy points and his WR2 has averaged 166 fantasy points. Looking at these numbers you wouldn’t think there is risk in drafting a Southern Miss receiver, except that there are at least six WRs of similar talent that have played in at least 23 games in their career. We obviously need reports from spring camp to help us get a clearer picture of which WRs are standing out. Today in your pre-spring drafts I believe the risk is very high so I would only take a shot on one guy with my last WR pick. Once we have an idea of who the top 3 WRs are you can lower the risk level and take one of those guys earlier in drafts.
Stanford – Will the QB position hold back Emmett Mosley’s fantasy value?
Emmett Mosley is the best returning fantasy player on Stanford’s roster. As the WR2 last season he scored 113 fantasy points but received a decent workload with 73 targets. Its pretty likely that Mosley should see his targets rise to the 100+ range in 2025, but I think the QB position will be the key to his fantasy prospects. Last season Elic Ayomanor had 111 targets but could only score 150 fantasy points as inconsistent QB play kept his yardage numbers down. The top two QBs from last season bolted to the transfer portal leaving an underwhelming level of talent. If one of these guys doesn’t develop in the spring or the team doesn’t bring in better talent in the spring portal period, there’s a good chance that yardage and TD totals for Mosley will be lower than expected.
Syracuse – Should you ignore the TE position in this year’s offense?
Last season highlighted the unique athletic ability of Oronde Gadsden in the Syracuse offense. The way he was used and the workload he received reflected what we can see from many team’s WR1. Expecting that on a regular basis out of the TE position in offensive coordinator Mike Johnson’s offensive system is foolish. The odds are that Johnson placed his TE into a WR position in the system since Gadsden was one of the best weapons they had. There is no similar weapon this year and unless we hear a steady drumbeat of praise for one, I’ll probably ignore the eventual starting TE in my fantasy drafts.
TCU – How high is the ceiling for Eric McAlister in 2025?
TCU lost its top two pass catchers from last season and brought in two new WRs from the transfer portal to try and plug those holes. Neither Jordan Dwyer or Joseph Manjack come close to the talent level of Eric McAlister who looks destined to be this season’s WR1. It’s a good thing to be the WR1 in head coach Sonny Dykes’ system as they average 192 fantasy points going back to 2018. The 2019-2018 stats were too good to count on, and the 2023 stats were way below average. When you remove those three seasons you get a more sensible 178 fantasy points on 84 targets for 827 yards and 7 TDs averages. Considering this is McAlister’s second season on the team and he returns his starting QB you could bump those numbers up some from the averages. If we used 200 fantasy points as an estimate for what he could do this year, that would have placed him as the overall fantasy WR14 last season (by PPG) which is where former teammate Savion Williams finished 2024.
Texas – Does Arch Manning elevate the eventual WR1 to 1000 receiving yards and 10 TDs?
The last time head coach Steve Sarkisian had a WR go for 1000 yards and 10 TDs was DeVonta Smith & Jerry Jeudy at Alabama in 2019. He came close in 2021 at Texas when Xavier Worthy put up 981 yards and 12 TDs. What stands out to me is that these numbers were only reached in 2019 when Sark had the best QB to date in his career playing under center (Tua Tagovailoa). Arch Manning has the same talent level as Tua did in 2019 but there is massive turnover occurring in the starting WR positions. If Manning and these WRs start out spring camp torching the secondary, there’s a chance we could see these numbers hit.
Texas State – Can Chris Dawn break through the 90 target threshold?
There are a lot of questions involving the Texas State passing game for 2025, but Chris Dawn enters spring camp as the likely WR1 for the season. Head coach G.J. Kinne’s WR1 averaged 106 targets from 2023-2021, but last season that number dropped to 70 targets. Alos last season the WR2 received 89 targets and the WR3 got 72 targets in what was a down year for the passing game. With so many question marks surrounding the QB position this season I’m leaning on a cautious 50/50 chance Dawn could get 90 targets. I will be watching the news for camp updates on the QB position battle. If the battle appears muddy then I will lower my expectations on Dawn’s targets.
Toledo – Were the last two games of 2024 a preview of what to expect from Junior Vandeross?
The 2024 season for Junior Vandeross had up and down performances but was very productive. He finished as the WR2 with 169 fantasy points, despite getting 9 more targets than the WR1. He was used like the WR1 in the last two games of the season racking up 29 targets, 23 receptions for 278 yards and 1 TD. What is interesting is that WR1 Jerjuan Newton was playing in those two games. The team brought in Trayvon Rudolph to fill Newton’s role for 2025, but there’s a good chance that Vandeross ends up the team’s WR1 this season. We need to monitor quotes from the coaches and QB Tucker Gleason involving Rudolph to see if they form a strong bond or if he will play second fiddle to Vandeross.
UNLV – Can Var’Keyes Gumms garner 60 targets in Dan Mullen’s first season?
Head coach Dan Mullen comes to UNLV after being out of coaching for three season. His TE stats from 2021-2018 are a mixed bag. 2018 was an anomaly year and won’t be reviewed. 2019 was his best for a TE (79 targets) and that was followed up in 2021 (I exclude the 2020 season) with 47 targets. We have a discrepancy of 32 targets there, and an average target amount of 63. That large discrepancy amount gives me hesitation when thinking about 60 targets in 2025. Var’Keyes Gumms is going to need to be targeted early and often in spring camp and I will be monitoring reports on it.
UTSA – Is Devin McCuin destined to reach the 100 target landmark this year?
An undisclosed injury hampered Devin McCuin last season, limiting him to playing in eight games. During those eight games he averaged 7.75 targets per game, which projected out over a full 12 game season comes out to 93 targets. If you look into the history of head coach Jeff Traylor you’ll find that his WR1’s average 111 targets per season. If McCuin can stay healthy for the whole season it appears very likely that he should hit the 100 target landmark. Any reports coming out of spring camp that he is not fully participating will be like a bucket of cold water being poured on my head.
Washington State – How likely is it that Josh Meredith compiles 1000 receiving yards?
Danny Freund spent the 2024 season as the co-offensive coordinator at South Dakota State, but now moves up with his mentor Jimmy Rogers to Washington State. That South Dakota State offense had one WR that was much better than the rest and the target distribution reflected that. Griffin Wilde had 126 targets for 1147 yards as the WR1. Joshua Meredith is the most talented WR returning to Wazzu and has a massive advantage in career game appearances. This situation matches what Freund delt with in 2024, but we need confirmation that Merrideth who primarily plays in the slot will be used as the primary target in the passing game.
Western Kentucky – Is KD Hutchinson a fantasy breakout player waiting to happen?
All of Western Kentucky’s top 3 WRs from last season are not returning, opening the door for someone new to emerge as the team’s top WR. We will obviously need to follow news out of spring camp about that position battle but I am favoring KD Hutchinson to emerge as the WR1. He is the most talented WR they currently have, and has more career game appearances than any other WR. If there is a someone to challenge him it might be BYU transfer Kody Epps. Epps is less talented but comes in with 28 career game appearances. I actually feel confident enough right now to draft Hutchinson as my WR4 in pre-spring drafts.