by Joe Azar
The Flunks
Ohio State: This is the school that gave us Cris Carter and a whole heap of overhyped flops after that. Santonio Holmes made us believe he was going to set the NFL on fire after his Super Bowl 43 MVP performance, but never made the most of his momentum after signing with the New York Jets. Turns out that Anthony Gonzalez (google him, you’ll remember) was just good because he had a guy named Peyton Manning throwing him the ball and while Ted Ginn Jr. has stuck around the league for a while, he has never lived up to his potential. In the past 10 years, three Buckeyes have been drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, but none have made a Pro Bowl appearance.
Florida: Remember when Percy Harvin was advertised by some as this era’s next great wideout? While he did score a touchdown off a kick return in Super Bowl 48, Harvin’s fall from grace is still fresh on the mind of many NFL fans. Riley Cooper’s spotlight was short-lived and primarily for racist comments off the field. Overall eight Gator receivers have been drafted in the past decade and none have made the Pro Bowl, not exactly the best resume for one of NCAA’s most notable schools.
The Aces
Florida State: It was a tough call between the Seminoles and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Both schools have given the NFL threats in the passing game, but Florida State earns the nod with their consistency. The Seminoles’ production of good receiving talent goes back to the days of Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff, a marquee name for the Oakland Raiders when the silver and black were the premier team in pro football. Current Detroit Lion Anquan Boldin has made three Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl. Their newest standout, Kelvin Benjamin, suffered a season-ending injury last season as the Carolina Panthers just fell short of a Super Bowl and has shown how badly he was missed with his stellar play early this season. Oh, and Deion Sanders did dabble as a wide receiver for FSU too, because, you know, he’s “Primetime.”
LSU: Odell Beckham Jr. was not off to the best start this season until Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, but there’s no doubt that his play the previous two seasons with the New York Giants made him a bonafide superstar. The former Tiger made ridiculous catches for the university before he made highlight reels in the NFL. Joining Beckham Jr. from LSU’s receiving school is Dwayne Bowe, Brandon LaFell, Jarvis Landry and Rueben Randle. Bowe’s best playing days are behind him, but that doesn’t mean that his days as the Kansas City Chief’s main receiver are forgotten. Landry is one of the main selling points of an otherwise lackluster Miami Dolphins team, LaFell is a serviceable wideout for the Cincinnati Bengals and while Randle is currently unemployed he did have his 15 minutes of fame with the Giants.
