Where Troy Franklin ranks among nation’s best WRs midway through 2023 season
The 2022 college football season was fun for Oregon Duck fans because it showed that they might have a superstar in the making with Troy Franklin blossoming as a deep-play threat in the passing game in Eugene.
The start of the 2023 season has been absolutely thrilling for those same Duck fans to watch. Franklin has established himself as one of the top receivers in the nation.
We knew it was possible, especially with fifth-year quarterback Bo Nix returning for one last ride, plus the introduction of new offensive coordinator Will Stein, a play-caller who has been very vocal about his willingness to take multiple deep shots per game. The result has been incredible. Franklin racked up over 100 yards in four of his five games this year and hauled in multiple touchdowns in three of those games.
While Nix is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race at the midway point of the season, we wanted to see where Franklin stands when it comes to the receiving leaders in the nation and the potential Biletnikoff Award watch list.
Here’s our rankings of the nation’s best pass-catchers, based on receiving yards and receiving TDs, through Week 5:
Brian Thomas Jr. — LSU Tigers
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 33
Receiving Yards: 537
Receiving Touchdowns: 8
Yards Per Catch: 16.3
Analysis: Two LSU players in the top three? No other wide receiver has more touchdowns than Johnson, and he also has the eighth most yards in the nation. At this point, I think the Tigers’ WR deserves to be at the top of the list.
Troy Franklin — Oregon Ducks
Courtesy of Ethan Landa
Receptions: 32
Receiving Yards: 535
Receiving Touchdowns: 7
Yards Per Catch: 16.7
Analysis: I know Washington fans will be upset that I have Troy Franklin ranked ahead of Odunze, but it’s the TD production that does it for me. Franklin ranks ninth in the nation in total yards for a WR and has the second-most TDs at the position. In the end, it’s scoring that matters the most.
Malik Nabers — LSU Tigers
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 40
Receiving Yards: 625
Receiving Touchdowns: 5
Yards Per Catch: 16.7
Analysis: The LSU passing offense isn’t the best in the nation, but it peppers the top two receivers like nobody’s business. Nabers is among the top WRs in the nation this year, with the second-most yards among all pass-catchers in 2023.
Luther Burden — Missouri Tigers
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Receptions: 43
Receiving Yards: 644
Receiving Touchdowns: 5
Yards Per Catch: 14.9
Analysis: Burden has the single-most yards of any WR this season, but he is lacking in the TD department when it comes to the guys at the top of the list. Still, ranking in the top five on this list is nothing to look past.
Rome Odunze — Washington Huskies
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Receptions: 32
Receiving Yards: 608
Receiving Touchdowns: 4
Yards Per Catch: 19.0
Analysis: Rome Odunze at No. 5? Isn’t he the best WR in the nation not named Marvin Harrison Jr.? He is right up there. However, it’s his low TD numbers that knock him down on this list. Odunze has the third-most yards of any WR, but his four TDs rank him 15th on the list. Regardless, I don’t think there are any receivers on this list that I would take over Odunze.
Will Sheppard — Vanderbilt Commodores
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 32
Receiving Yards: 443
Receiving Touchdowns: 7
Yards Per Catch: 13.8
Analysis: Sheppard is low on this list when it comes to yards (22nd in the nation) but he is tied for the second-most TD among all receivers, so he is making the most of his opportunities.
Tory Horton — Colorado State Rams
Receptions: 45
Receiving Yards: 540
Receiving Touchdowns: 6
Yards Per Catch: 12.0
Analysis: Horton had his breakout game against Colorado with 133 yards and a TD, and he’s getting his shine on this list. The Rams’ pass-catcher ranks seventh in yards for the season and fourth in TD. Not too bad.
Caullin Lacy — South Alabama Jaguars
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Receptions: 32
Receiving Yards: 567
Receiving Touchdowns: 5
Yards Per Catch: 17.7
Analysis: The level of competition is certainly low for Lacy, but he does have the fifth-most yards in the nation among receivers this year, which is worth something.
Steven McBride — Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 30
Receiving Yards: 469
Receiving Touchdowns: 6
Yards Per Catch: 15.6
Analysis: The Ducks were the only team this year that have really been able to slow down McBride thus far but he is still holding strong with the 14th-most yards and fourth-most touchdowns.
Robert Lewis — Georgia State Panthers
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 26
Receiving Yards: 500
Receiving Touchdowns: 5
Yards Per Catch: 19.2
Analysis: The level of competition is not high for Lewis, but he has an incredibly impressive 500 yards on just 26 catches for 19.2 yards per catch, with the sixth-most TDs on the season.
Malik Washington — Virginia Cavaliers
Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 37
Receiving Yards: 556
Receiving Touchdowns: 4
Yards Per Catch: 15.0
Analysis: Malik Washington has flown under the radar nationally, but he has the sixth-most yards in the nation and has been really solid for Virginia so far.
Brenden Rice — USC Trojans
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 17
Receiving Yards: 338
Receiving Touchdowns: 7
Yards Per Catch: 19.9
Analysis: Rice doesn’t have the receptions or yardage to put him up among the top tier of pass-catchers, but his incredible yards-per-catch and TD rate as good as anyone in the nation.
Xavier Legette — South Carolina Gamecocks
Receptions: 32
Receiving Yards: 606
Receiving Touchdowns: 3
Yards Per Catch: 18.9
Analysis: The total yards statistic for Legette merits his being higher on this list — he has the fourth-most in the nation — but having only 3 TDs definitely hurts him.
Ja'Lynn Polk — Washington Huskies
Receptions: 26
Receiving Yards: 468
Receiving Touchdowns: 4
Yards Per Catch: 18.0
Analysis: Washington is one of only two teams with a pair of receivers on this list. Polk has been really solid so far, stepping up in the wake of an injury to Jalen McMillan, and the combination of him and Rome Odunze is hard to stop.
Xavier Weaver — Colorado Buffaloes
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Receptions: 41
Receiving Yards: 490
Receiving Touchdowns: 2
Yards Per Catch: 11.9
Analysis: I honestly thought that Weaver’s numbers were going to be a bit better than this before I started doing the research. His total yards rank 12th in the nation, but with only 2 TDs, he is the bottom guy on our list.
