Best of the Big 12: The receivers catch some spotlight as we rank all 14 conference teams

Ranking the Big 12 schools on the strength of their wide receivers and tight ends heading into summer camp:

1. Texas

Talent, depth, size, talent, speed. And did we mention talent? The Longhorns’ wideouts and tight ends seem to have it all, which bodes well for an offense that will probably lean more on the pass than it did last year, when Texas averaged 241.4 yards passing a game. Xavier Worthy, a 6-foot-1, 160-pound junior, leads the way after amassing 122 catches for 1,741 yards and 21 touchdowns in 25 starts through his first two seasons. Tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders provides a perfect complement to Worthy’s outside threat; the 6-4, 255-pound junior had 54 catches for 613 yards and five touchdowns a year ago. And there’s much more to keep defenses nervous: slot receiver Jordan Whittington is closing in on 100 career receptions, Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell (6-4, 195) looks like a top red-zone threat, Isaiah Neyor is healthy after missing last season with an injury, and freshman Johntay Cook brings blazing speed to the field.

More: Texas football gets pledge from another running back, but what blue-chip recruit is next?

2. Texas Tech

Not many receiving units in the nation can match the Red Raiders’ experience and production. Texas Tech welcomes back its top four targets from an offense that led the Big 12 with 302 passing yards a game. Jerand Bradley (6-5, 215) is a downfield threat who averaged 14.6 yards on 51 receptions in 2022, senior Myles Price had 51 catches for 513 yards and thrives in the slot, former walk-on Xavier White tallied 45 catches for 572 yards, and Loic Fouonji hauled in 34 passes for 451 yards and flashed his ability to make plays downfield in the spring. Oh, and Tech also welcomes former Austin Peay star Drae McCray, a diminutive but dynamic speedster who caught 75 passes for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago.

3. Central Florida

While this unit may lack some snazziness, it possesses depth, versatility and a veteran toughness that seems fitting for an offense conducted by head coach Gus Malzahn. Javon Baker earned some all-conference accolades a year ago after starting 13 games and snagging 56 passes for a team-high 796 yards with five touchdowns, and the 6-1, 205-pounder is a physical threat after the catch. Kobe Hudson brings more physical play at 6-1, 200 pounds and showed a nose for the end zone with seven touchdowns on 39 catches in 2022, and speedy Xavier Townsend is a threat in the slot and on punt returns. Steady tight end play from 6-3, 230-pound senior Alec Holler keeps linebackers honest.

4. Kansas

The Jayhawks receivers were more efficient than explosive a year ago, but a proven connection between a veteran group and quarterback Jalon Daniels leaves plenty of room for improvement. Shifty Luke Grimm, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior, moves the chains and had 52 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns a year ago while 6-3, 185-pound Lawrence Arnold is more of a downfield threat (44-716-4 in 2022). Quinten Skinner, a 6-4, 170-pound sophomore, brings even more length and experience for a unit that welcomes back 99% of last year’s production. The team also could get some contributions from a promising set of freshmen, including former Westlake star Keaton Kubecka.

More: Texas caps a positive spring with a positive spring game, as quarterbacks shine

5. BYU

The Cougars welcome back some intriguing talent as well as a pair of highly regarded transfers, but the offseason didn’t come without a smidgeon of drama. Elite slot receiver Kody Epps (39-459-6) entered the portal but quickly changed his mind. Keanu Hill, from Euless Trinity, also returns after racking up 572 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, and Chase Roberts emerged as a downfield threat. Talented Keelan Marion arrives from Connecticut after missing last season with a knee injury, and 6-3, 200-pound Darius Lassiter had a pair of 100-yard games for Eastern Michigan in 2022. Tight end Isaac Rex also could be a massive factor, if heathy. The 6-6, 250-pound senior has 21 career touchdown catches and has drawn interest from NFL scouts.

6. Oklahoma State

First, the good news: Brennan Presley, one of the top slot receivers in the nation, returns after hauling in a team-high 67 catches for 813 yards a year ago. Now, the bad: a trio of wideouts — John Paul Richardson, Bryson Green and Stephon Johnson Jr. — all left via the transfer portal after combining for 102 catches in 2022, which leaves a dearth of proven experience for a Cowboys offense trying to bounce back from a difficult season. Head coach Mike Gundy and his staff think the return to health of sophomores Jaden Bray and Blaine Green will bolster the position after both redshirted a year ago. Arland Bruce IV has arrived from Iowa, and De’Zhaun Stribling has transferred in from Washington State, and both hope to rejuvenate their careers.

7. Kansas State

The Wildcats lost leading receiver Malik Knowles from a team that averaged 418 yards of offense a game, but the team still boasts plenty of weapons on the outside. Phil Brooks, a 5-7, 165-pound dynamo, caught 45 passes for 587 yards and four touchdowns a year ago while also earning all-conference honors as a punt returner. Coaches also think redshirt freshman R.J. Garcia II looks due for a breakout season. Tight end Ben Sinnott serves as a reliable threat down the seam after catching 32 balls for 447 yards, and Keagan Johnson flashed plenty of potential as a freshman at Iowa before battling injuries in 2022.

More: Texas football team's first SEC schedule includes Georgia, Texas A&M in 2024

8. Houston

After two seasons of leaning heavily on Tank Dell, the passing game will have to find a new top target. Dell was targeted 152 times in 2022 and 139 times in 2021, according to the Houston Chronicle, but Cougars coach Dana Holgorsen has expressed confidence all offseason that returners Matthew Golden (38-584-7) and Samuel Brown (41-471-4) are ready for larger roles. If not, portal arrivals Joshua Cobbs of Wyoming and Johnson of Oklahoma State could emerge as go-to receivers. The Cougars are also thrilled to welcome high-profile freshmen Mikhail Harrison-Pilot, Jonah Wilson and Ja’Koby Banks, who make up arguably the top receiving recruiting class in school history. The 6-2, 195-pound Wilson is a one-time Texas pledge.

9. TCU

All-American Quinten Johnson is now in the NFL after spearheading the Frogs’ receiving corps for three seasons, but head coach Sonny Dykes thinks a revamped set of wideouts along with all-conference tight end Jared Wiley can help keep the passing game humming. Savion Williams, a 6-5, 215-pound junior, hopes to build on his 29 catches and 392 yards last season while 6-1, 190-pound Jordan Hudson caught 14 balls for 174 yards as a freshman. Dykes hit the portal hard, too: Richardson racked up 49 catches for 503 yards at Oklahoma State, and former Alabama player JoJo Earle hopes to recapture the magic that once made him one of the state’s top recruits from nearby Aledo High.

10. Oklahoma

Tellingly, Oklahoma’s top receiver might be a tight end: Austin Stogner, a 6-6, 250-pound senior who tallied 26 catches for 422 yards as a sophomore in 2020, has returned to Norman after a year at South Carolina. He might emerge as quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s favorite target, based on the lack of proven downfield playmakers for the Sooners. Jahlil Farooq (36-461-5), a junior, brings the most experience, and beloved possession receiver Drake Stoops returns for a fifth season after setting career highs with 39 catches for 393 yards. But those are the only two Sooners who finished in the top six on the team in receiving yardage, a surprising stat from a program once overflowing with blue-chip talent at receiver.

11. Cincinnati

The program revamping by new coach Scott Satterfield is more of a complete rebuild for the receiving corps. Virtually every receiver from last year is gone, but a handful of transfers and one promising freshman could make the unit productive, depending on how quicky the fresh faces can meld together in the passing game. Former Florida receiver Xzavier Henderson and former Connecticut star Aaron Turner are the favorites to claim starting roles after totaling 95 catches and 937 yards a year ago. Donovan Ollie caught 43 passes for 491 yards and three touchdowns for Washington State in 2022, and four-star freshman Barry Jackson Jr. could provide an immediate deep threat.

12. Iowa State

It’s not a good sign that the Big 12’s worst offense in 2022 will have to navigate a schedule without its best offensive player from a year ago — All-American receiver Xavier Hutchinson is now in the NFL. At least returning starters Jaylin Noel and Dmitri Stanley give the Cyclones some familiar targets for quarterback Hunter Dekkers. Noel in particular thrives in the possession game; the 5-10, 190-pound junior will enter his third season as a starter after grabbing 60 passes for 572 yards and three touchdowns a year ago. Depth remains a major concern, but Eastern Kentucky transfer Jayden Higgins (58-747-10) could help. Iowa State likes to use two-tight-end formations, but those tight ends usually do more blocking than route-running.

13. Baylor

In the Bears' ground-oriented offense, the passing attack often plays a complementary role to the running game. Need some evidence?  No Baylor receiver had more than 33 catches a year ago. But the Bears do boast some depth. Small but speedy Monaray Baldwin, a 5-9, 165-pound junior, led the team with 33 catches for 565 yards and four touchdowns and gives the team a proven threat in the slot, and former Cedar Park star Josh Cameron came on strong late last season with 21 catches for 327 yards in the final five games. Former Auburn player Hal Presley showed promise (32-382-4) a year ago, and head coach Dave Aranda hopes another SEC transfer — Ketron Jackson Jr., formerly of Arkansas — can emerge as a threat in his first season with the Bears.

14. West Virginia

While head coach Neal Brown hasn’t shied away from the Mountaineers’ identity as a smash-mouth running team, he knows his offense needs to discover a downfield threat, especially after the top four receivers from last season all left school. That makes the addition of North Carolina State's Devin Carter especially welcomed, since the 6-3, 215-pound graduate transfer will step into the lead role. Carter started 42 games for the Wolfpack over the previous four years and had 25 catches for 406 yards last season. The Mountaineers hope unproven receivers such as Cortez Braham, Preston Fox, E.J. Horton and converted defensive back Davis Mallinger can add some speed to the receiving corps, and big-bodied Noah Massey arrives after hauling 81 passes for 1.083 yards at Angelo State in 2022.

About this series

This summer, we're ranking each Big 12 team position by position. We will assign points for each team at each position, with 14 for the leader and one for 14th place. We’ll update the totals with each installment, giving an idea, in theory, of which teams will contend for the conference title and a possible College Football Playoff spot.

The lineup: (Week 1) quarterbacks, (2) running backs, (3) receivers, (4) offensive line, (5) defensive line, (6) linebackers, (7) defensive backs, (8) coaching and intangibles

Current standings

1. Kansas 38 points

2. Texas 32

3. Central Florida 31

4. BYU 30

5. Kansas State 29

6. Oklahoma 26

7. Texas Tech 25

8. Baylor 23

9. Oklahoma State 16

T10. Iowa State 14

T10. West Virginia 14

12. Cincinnati 13

13. Houston 12

14. TCU 11

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Two Big 12 receiving units are among the nation's best