College Football Week 5: Three Wide Receivers to Watch on Friday

A look at three devy fantasy football prospects who have broken out to start the 2021 season.

Marc Poust | Sep 30, 2021

College Football Week 5: Three Wide Receivers to Watch on Friday /

Week five of the college football season is here, which means more devy prospects are breaking out and making a name for themselves on a national level. Here are three wide receivers you should keep an eye out for on Friday’s three-game slate.

Nathaniel Dell - Wide Receiver - Houston

An electric JUCO transfer, Nathaniel Dell has been a star since transferring to Houston.

The redshirt junior bounced from Alabama A&M to Independence Community College, but since landing in Houston last season, Dell has been an extremely reliable option for quarterback Clayton Tune. Leading the way for the Cougars in receptions and receiving yards in 2020, he has been on a completely different level this year, recording 25 receptions for 342 yards and three touchdowns. His catch total is second in the AAC behind Memphis’ Calvin Austin III. Last week against Navy, the Daytona Beach, Florida native only recorded three receptions for 41 yards, snapping a five-game streak with at least six catches and 60 yards going back to last season. “Tank” is a speed demon that can take the top off defenses but understands when to break off routes if defenders begin to backpedal or turn their hips. The 5’10” 155-pounder has great instincts on the move, capable of feeling defenders on his back and stopping on a dime to change direction. Houston is riding a three-game winning streak going into Friday’s matchup with the Golden Hurricanes, and the Mainland High School product could be in for a big day. Tulsa has given up an average of 247.5 yards through the air per game, tied for 93rd in the country.

My knees hurt just watching Nathaniel Dell operate. pic.twitter.com/1iIDLoc2It
— Marc Poust (@fatpoust) September 30, 2021

Josh Johnson - Wide Receiver - Tulsa

Josh Johnson has had a hot start to the year in the place of Keylon Stokes, an injured All-AAC receiver.

With all-AAC wide receiver Keylon Stokes missing from the lineup the past two weeks with an injury, it has been the redshirt senior from Little Rock, Arkansas that has made the most of the vacant targets. The 5’11” 179-pounder followed up his breakout eight-catch 149-yard performance against the Buckeyes with a career-high nine receptions and 127 yards against Arkansas State last week. While he has only found the endzone once this year, the increased volume indicates an elevated level of trust in the eyes of quarterback Davis Brin. Johnson moves very fluidly and is super smooth off the line of scrimmage, rarely ever getting disrupted by hand play. Most of the time, he operates in the intermediate range, finding space between linebackers and safeties on crossing routes and up the seam. Despite their 1-3 record, Brin and the Golden Hurricanes’ offense has clicked over the past two weeks, particularly through the air, where Brin has averaged 391.5 passing yards. If Stokes misses this week, expect Johnson to keep seeing a fair share of targets.

Put the shimmy in the shag. pic.twitter.com/RKEbyO5Nk7
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) September 18, 2021

Neil Pau’u - Wide Receiver - BYU

Neil Pau'u has become BYU's top pass-catcher, replacing the Washington Football Team's Dax Milne. — Neil Pau'u has become BYU's top pass-catcher, replacing the Washington Football Team's Dax Milne

After being Zach Wilson’s second option for the majority of last season, the Servite High School product has stepped up as the primary look for new quarterback Jaren Hall. Pau’u popped in the opener, reeling in eight passes for 126 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a long 67-yard catch and run against Arizona. There is some next-level buzz for the 6’4” 215-pounder; Evan Brennan, an NFL agent, said that he had an NFL scout compare the Santa Ana, California native to Mohamed Sanu. Pau’u utilizes his large catch radius when reeling in catches away from his body and has very reliable hands, particularly in traffic. However, he is not simply a lumbering jump-ball receiver; he has some savviness in the route-running game and possesses some underrated shiftiness after the catch. The redshirt senior is five receptions away from hitting the century mark for his career, an accomplishment most likely to occur on Friday’s Battle of the Old Wagon Wheel matchup with Utah State.