Top Wide Receivers in the Big Ten- 2014
The season begins in a few days so let’s examine some of the top wide receivers in the league.
Stefon Diggs- Maryland
A 6’0” junior, Diggs is a Maryland native and loving every minute of the attention he is receiving. Probably the best WR in the Big Ten and likely the most coveted by the NFL, he had a terrific 2013 season. An honorable mention All-ACC selection by the media and coaches despite suffering a season-ending injury at Wake Forest (10/19) … a member of the team’s leadership council … missed the final six games of the season … began his sophomore campaign with an impressive game against FIU (8/31), recording 98 yards receiving, one touchdown and 70 yards on three kickoff returns … his impressive play carried over against Old Dominion (9/7) by recording a career-best 179 yards receiving and a touchdown … was named ACC Receiver of the Week following the Old Dominion game … had 110 receiving yards and a touchdown against Connecticut (9/14) … caught six balls for 96 yards against Virginia (10/12) … caught eight balls for 67 yards against Wake Forest (10/19).
Devin Funchess- Michigan
A Farmington Hills, Michigan native he will begin his junior season for the Wolverines. In 2013, Big Ten Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year … All-Big Ten first team (media) and second team (coaches) … Sporting News All-Big Ten Team … earned second varsity letter …appeared in 13 games at tight end, making nine starts … his 748 receiving yards are the most all-time by a U-M tight end in a single season … also tallied six touchdowns
Shane Wynn- Indiana
Wynn caught 46 passes for 633 yards (13.8 average) and 11 touchdowns and finished second in Big Ten and tied for 19th nationally with his 11 TDs, which are third on Indiana’s single-season list He also added one rushing and a 58-yard punt return score for 13 total touchdowns, which led team, shared fourth in league and are tied for sixth in school history Wynn posted 1,158 all-purpose yards with 415 on kick returns (18 returns), 98 on punt returns (seven returns) and 12 on rushes (four carries) and averaged 52.8 receiving yards and 96.5 all-purpose yards per game and 23.1 yards per kick return and 14.0 yards per punt return while starting all 12 games. He is a Cleveland, Ohio native.
Kenny Bell- Nebraska
Bell attended high school in Boulder, Colorado before accepting a scholarship to Nebraska to play football. He started 12 games and finished with a team-high 51 receptions for 577 yards and four touchdowns. He caught five or more passes five times, including each of the final three regular-season games. Bell’s 52 catches ranked seventh on the NU single-season reception list, giving him two of nine 50-catch seasons in Husker history.
Leonte Caroo- Rutgers
The junior caught 28 passes in 2013 for 478 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 17-yards per reception average. He will begin facing tougher competition in the Big Ten.
Tony Jones- Northwestern
Ranked sixth in the Big Ten with 4.6 receptions per game and he grabbed a team-best 55 passes. Jones also ranked 12th in the conference with 52.5 receiving yards per game He caught at least one pass in 11 of 12 games. He hails from Michigan.
For our analysis of the top running backs, click here.
For our article on Rutgers in the Big Ten, click here.