Biggest Wide Receiver Transfers For The 2022 College Football Season
The transfer cycle has never been busier. While most of the eyes have been on quarterbacks and massive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, there was a ton of movement involving pass catchers, as well. Like in the NFL, some of the biggest receiving names and most productive players found new homes for 2022.
Jordan Addison: Pitt to TBD
The 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner for the nation's best receiver set the college world on fire when he entered the transfer portal on Monday. Accusations against USC coach Lincoln Riley of tampering and an overall outrage against Addison for allegedly moving into greener pastures for NIL purposes exploded on social media.
Addison said his mind is not yet made up and returning to Pitt is still in the cards. But just when we thought the biggest splashes of the offseason were in the past, another one hits the market.
Mario Williams: Oklahoma to USC
Williams was one of a handful of players from Oklahoma to follow Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles. It makes sense– Riley was his offensive coordinator and the coach that recruited him in the first place. Williams joins his quarterback Caleb Williams and their electric chemistry was on display at USC's spring exhibition.
He also gets to learn under a receivers coaching staff spearheaded by Dennis Simmons, who have a proven track record of turning in NFL-ready receivers. Recently, Drake London, Michael Pittman Jr., Amon Ra-St. Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Robert Woods have taken leading roles in NFL passing attacks.
Isaiah Neyor: Wyoming to Texas
I've talked Isaiah Neyor to death on this site recently. He finished sixth nationally last season in yards per reception (19.95) and tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns (12) at Wyoming. The catch: Wyoming's QB situation was less than favorable, with two guys getting time behind center and neither throwing for 10 touchdowns.
Now, he comes into a situation where he's not THE guy (that title belongs to Xavier Worthy) and gets potentially a terrific QB in Quinn Ewers. The explosive Texas offense is the perfect landing spot for Neyor, who should rack up a ton of production this season.
Jadon Haselwood: Oklahoma to Arkansas
Haselwood was one of the first big transfers to announce his intent. He joins up with KJ Jefferson in Fayetteville after leading the Sooners in receptions and touchdowns in 2021 (39). Star Razorback Treylon Burks just departed for the NFL, opening up a spot for Haselwood on the offense.
Burks was such a target and yards hog for the Hogs that no other player on the roster collected more than 350 yards receiving or more than two touchdowns in 2021. Haselwood essentially transfers from WR1 to WR1.
Jacob Cowing: UTEP to Arizona
Not the biggest receiver by any means (5' 11", 170 pounds), but Jacob Cowing downright tore apart opposing defenses at UTEP. He finished 11th nationally in yards per reception (19.62) and ninth in yards (1,354). Cowing also didn't have terrific QB play in El Paso, with starting QB Gavin Hardison completing just 55.5% of his passes on the season.
In a fairly surprising move to some, Cowing heads for Tucson and an Arizona team with a combined 1-16 record over the past two seasons. The Wildcats finished a staggering 124th in points per game (17.2!) in 2021 and had a rotating cast at quarterback– none of which finished with a positive touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Mitchell Tinsley: Western Kentucky to Penn State
Mitchell Tinsley was the beneficiary of one of the most prolific passing attacks in NCAA history. Both him and teammate Jarreth Sterns (departed for the NFL) finished inside the top 10 in yards. This was en route to now-Patriots QB Bailey Zappe breaking the all-time passing yards and touchdowns records with nearly 6,000 yards and 62 touchdowns.
He's almost identical in stature to the recently-drafted Jahan Dotson: Tinsley stands 6' 0" and 180 pounds while Dotson is 5' 11", 183 pounds. The fit is perfect in a system that Dotson already thrived in. Even maligned-QB Sean Clifford should be able to support Tinsley in the Nittany Lions' system.
Tayvion Robinson: Virginia Tech to Kentucky
The Hokies' leading pass catcher was one of more than a dozen players to transfer out of Blacksburg this past season. With a brand-new coaching staff and frustrating under-deliverance, Robinson decided to find a better situation for himself. That better situation was filling in as Kentucky's WR1.
A season ago, Wan'Dale Robinson made a name for himself (and a second-round NFL Draft spot) with budding star Will Levis. Tayvion thrives in the middle of the field– also a desirable trait in the NFL– and turned heads at Kentucky's Blue-White Spring Game in early April. He was noted to have notable chemistry with Levis.
Taj Harris: Syracuse to Rutgers
An injury cut Harris' 2021 season short at Syracuse, but he was improving into one of the ACC's top receivers. During Rutgers' spring scrimmage, Harris led his half of the team in receiving, with five catches for 49 yards. Rutgers' passing attack was less-than-enviable last year, with starting QB Noah Vedral throwing just seven touchdowns.
However, this is a move home for Harris, who is from nearby Beverly, N.J. (a Philly suburb just an hour from Rutgers' campus).
Jacob Copeland: Florida to Maryland
Another program to see a mass exodus in players was Florida. It appeared that Dan Mullen had lost the Gators locker room, prompting his exit and subsequent replacement with Louisiana's Billy Napier. Such a shift in culture on a team naturally means exits. One of those exits was Florida star Jacob Copeland.
Copeland found a home with the Terps and QB Taulia Tagovailoa. Maryland has a recent history of putting talented receivers in the NFL– namely D.J. Moore and Stefon Diggs. Newly-hired receivers coach Gunter Brewer has experience with players like Randy Moss, Justin Blackmon, and Dez Bryant in his lengthy career.
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