Top College Football Slot Receivers

College football is no longer a game where defenses rule the day. As things ebb and flow with the times, it’s now the offensive side of the ball that more or less moves the needle and separates teams.

• Top College Football Slot Receivers Players
• Top College Football Programs
• Top College Football Slot Receivers Rankings
• Top College Football Slot Receivers Players

1. Slot receiver James Proche was near the top of the first down leaderboards and finished with the highest market share of total yards among returning FBS receivers, narrowly beating Jalen Reagor for.
2. The slot receiver, (who is sometimes designated the Y receiver, other times the F receiver if there is a tight end), has become a significant part of some of the high scoring offenses in the NFL.
3. — Max Duggan ran for his 10th touchdown and connected on a scoring throw of 70-plus yards for the second consecutive game, leading TCU to a 52-10 rout of Louisiana Tech on Saturday night.

It’s no different at Ohio State. A program that used to be built on a running game and defense now has one of the best offensive cultures out there. The Buckeyes have almost had a lock on the Big Ten quarterback position, has skill players to burn and can put up points with the best of them. Having Ryan Day as a head coach doesn’t hurt.

So then, it should be no surprise that OSU has attracted some of the best wide receivers as of late. With some of the most dynamic playmakers under center in recent years, coming to the banks of the Olentangy has become awfully appealing for guys that can get open and make plays in space. Add that to one of the young, rising assistant coaches directing the wide-receiver room in Brian Hartline, and Ohio State might be on its way to being known as wide receiver U.

Has a college football program ever produced the top two wide receivers selected in back-to-back drafts? Alabama's Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy fit that description this past April, and the.

That brings us to the depth chart at the position for this fall. The receiver position is one stocked with youth and unbelievable skill, but where will the pieces fit with so many options out there?

Below is our look at the depth chart of the wide receivers at Ohio State in 2020.

More WR depth charts from the College Wires:

Top College Football Slot Receivers Players

Auburn / Bama / Florida / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC

Wide Receiver (X) starter - Garrett Wilson

Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

6 feet, 193 pounds

39 receptions for 432 yards (14.4 avg.) and 5 TDs

Wilson had a breakout end of the season last year. He came in with a ton of hype and showed speed, game-breaking ability and an uncanny knack for high-pointing the ball in traffic. He’ll take over one of the starting spots on the outside without question, and could push for being the top target for Fields. He’s a highlight-reel waiting to happen.

Wide Receiver (Y) starter - Chris Olave

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

6 feet, 1 inch, 188 pounds

49 receptions for 849 yards (17.3 avg.) and 12 TDs
2 rushes for 5 yards (2.5 avg.)

Olave led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2019 and figures to pick up where he left off. He’s a smooth route runner, can run past the opposition with his breakout speed, and has unbelievable hands. He has Fields’ ultimate trust and figures to attract the opposition’s top corner every week. He’ll most likely be playing football on Sundays in 2021.

Wide Receiver (Slot) starter - Demario McCall

(Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

5 feet, 9 inches, 195 pounds

4 receptions for 28 yards (7.0 avg.)
18 rushes for 122 yards (6.8 avg.), 2 TDs

Now a senior, McCall has been like a toy that nobody has figured out how to use. He has special skills that can wiggle free when given the chance, but he’s been unable to elbow his way up the depth chart. We’re banking on this being the year, especially with Jaelen Gill transferring and leaving a hole at the slot position. Look for the coaching staff to use McCall more like Curtis Samuel with spread run and pass options as opposed to shots down the field.

Wide Receiver (X) backup - Julian Fleming

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

6 feet, 2 inches, 200 pounds

N/A – Freshman

One of the jewels of the 2020 class as the country’s top receiving prospect, Fleming has too much talent to keep off the field. He’s unlikely to become a starter in Year 1, but he should be able to work his way into the lineup in the two-deep. He’s tall, strong and has underrated speed to gain separation. He could be the next great wide receiver in Columbus, but there is other competition as well.

Wide Receiver (Y) backup - Jaxon Smith-Njigba

6 feet, 196 pounds

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N/A – Freshman

Fleming might have gotten all the hype from the 2020 class, but Njigba is a physical and talented receiver that was also a five-star recruit and top-30 overall prospect. He is technically sound and has an ability to separate and make plays on the ball in flight. He has the potential to develop into a star sooner rather than later and could figure in next season as well.

Wide Receiver (Slot) backup - Jameson Williams

Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

6 feet, 2 inches, 188 pounds

6 receptions for 112 yards (18.7 avg.), 1 TD

Williams might be the fastest player on the team. He’s still a little raw, but he could develop into a Ted Ginn type when he figures it all out. He has the ability to lineup on the outside, too, but we like his speed and playmaking from the slot position.

Wide Receiver (X) No. 3 - Gee Scott, Jr.

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

6 feet, 3 inches, 210 pounds

N/A – Freshman

Scott is another talented freshman that comes to Columbus ready to play right out the package. He has strength and a physical presence beyond his years, with a relentless work ethic. For now, we’ll slot him as a reserve, but he could surprise with his ability and break into the two-deep rotation.

Wide Receiver (Y) No. 3 - Kamryn Babb

6 feet, 197 pounds

N/A

Babb is a relative unknown to Ohio State fans largely because of injury, but also because he has been buried on the depth chart. Out of St. Louis, Missouri, Babb came to the Buckeyes as a top-100 recruit and could be a dark horse to get playing time. He may not break into the top of the rotation, but if he can stay healthy, there’s a chance he flashes to be a weapon.

Wide Receiver (Slot) No. 3 - Mookie Cooper

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

5 feet, 10 inches, 195 pounds

N/A – Freshman

Did we mention this freshman receiver class is special? Cooper is another kid that could find some playing time very early in his career. If there’s a guy made for the slot position, it’s him. He’s got some wiggle to his game and can create mismatches on the outside with screens and quick hitches. He may not be penciled in as the guy there just yet, but might be the future of the position.

A few years back, when I asked Doug Baldwin — one of the pre-eminent slot receivers of the last decade — about the importance of the position, he summed it up pretty well.

“The slot receiver’s kind of the quarterback of the receivers,” he said in 2015. “More so because the slot receiver has more responsibilities in terms of reading coverages and different adjustments based on what coverages you’re seeing. It’s a lot more complicated. … You have to know a lot more. You have to stay within the confines and the framework of the offense — you have a lot of freedom because you have a little bit more space, but at the same time, your job is usually to get someone else open, or to get open on a crucial down where it’s one-on-one. You have to be versatile, and you have to understand how your route goes into the concept, based on the different coverages you can see.”

Top College Football Slot Receivers Rankings

10. Adam Humphries 9. Golden Tate 8. Dante Pettis 7. Cooper Kupp 6. Jarvis Landry 5. Julian Edelman 4. Adam Thielen 3. JuJu Smith-Schuster 2. Antonio Brown 1. Tyreek Hill

It was an apt description in 2015, and though Baldwin has retired, the role of the slot receiver is quite similar to what it was then — and in 2019, one could argue that it’s even more important now. Three- and four-receiver sets are now the norm in the NFL, which means that teams will have double slot packages in which big and small receivers work together. And there’s no shame to the position — it’s not just for the Wes Welkers of the world anymore. Guys who can win outside just fine find themselves in the slot quite frequently, and you’ll find a few names that will rank highly on our upcoming list of outside receivers on this list as well.

Other Top 11 lists: Tight ends Centers Guards Offensive tackles Edge defenders Interior defensive linemen Linebackers Safeties Outside cornerbacks Slot defenders

So, here are the 11 best slot receivers in the NFL as we head into the 2019 season.

Top College Football Slot Receivers Players

When watching Jacksonville’s 2018 passing offense, two things are abundantly clear — Jaguars receivers had one heck of a time with consistent production with Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler throwing the ball all over the place, and the acquisition of Nick Foles was a necessity to give those receivers any chance of improvement. Among those receivers, Westbrook may have the most potential, as he brought in 59 slot receptions on 83 targets for 646 yards and five touchdowns. Not bad for a second-year receiver who’s never had a lot of help from his quarterbacks at the NFL level.

Westbrook uses nimble feet and an impressive catch radius to make contested catches, and he has a good knack for getting open in zones. His drop rate was a problem at times, but with a credible quarterback at the helm, Westbrook could be a rising star in a big hurry.