Ranking the Big Ten: Wide receiver
Many questions remain for what the 2020 college football season will look like, but that doesn't mean we still can't evaluate some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the wide receivers, where the league returns a couple of All-American type, candidates.
1. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
As a sophomore, Rashod Bateman was named the Big Ten receiver of the year in 2019, and third-team All-American by the Associated Press. He will enter 2020 has the top receiver in the conference, Athlon lists him as a first-team preseason All-American and Street & Smith's has him second-team preseason All-American. Statistically, he's the leading returning receiver in the conference with 60 catches for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best game last season came against Penn State, where he had 203 receiving yards, setting a TCF Bank Stadium record.
2. Rondale Moore, Purdue
Purdue's Rondale Moore had one of the better freshmen seasons we've seen in Big Ten history in 2018, but unfortunately, a hamstring injury limited him to only playing in four games last year. Moore still averaged over seven catches and nearly 100 yards receiving per game before the injury. As a true freshman in 2018, Moore led the Boilermakers with 114 catches for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. How he comes back off injury will be something to watch closely. Nebraska will get the first look at him on Sept. 5.
3. Chris Olave, Ohio State
As a sophomore in 2019, Chris Olave led Ohio State with 849 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, while finishing second behind the graduated K.J. Hill with 49 receptions. He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2019 and is poised to be a 1,000-yard receiver for the Buckeyes paired up with Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Justin Fields.
4. David Bell, Purdue
After Moore went down with an injury, Purdue's David Bell became the No. 1 target in the Boilermakers offense. As a true freshman, he finished with 86 catches for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns. Bell was named the Big Ten's freshman of the year in 2019, and a first-team AP Freshman All-American. He caught the game-winning touchdown last year to help Purdue beat Nebraska.
5. Whop Philyor, Indiana
Indiana senior Whop Philyor is one of three 1,000-yard receivers returning in the Big Ten from a year ago. Philyor finished with 70 catches for 1,002 yards and five touchdowns, helping lead the Hoosiers to an 8-4 regular-season mark. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and a third-team selection by the media. With a strong senior season, Philyor has a chance to cement his legacy in Indiana's record books as one of the more productive wide-outs in school history.