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AlaskaGuy
Throbbing Member
Projecting College Football's Top 10 Wide Receiver Superstars in 2020We won't be playing you in a snow storm this time around. That favors us big time. As we know how to pass the ball, all you know how to do is run the ball. Oh wait, your RB will be gone? lol
8. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck authored one of college football's biggest feel-good stories in 2019, taking the Golden Gophers to an impressive 11-2 record and putting them on the cusp of the College Football Playoff conversation for much of the season.
With quarterback Tanner Morgan returning for another season, Minnesota should keep building in the right direction. Yes, losing star receiver Tyler Johnson and running back Rodney Smith will be big holes, but there are budding stars ready to step in.
Runner Mohamed Ibrahim is on several breakout lists this offseason, but that's only because teammate Rashod Bateman is already on the upper tier of receivers nationally.
Johnson's 1,318 receiving yards led the team, but Bateman was right behind him with 1,219 yards. He also had 11 touchdowns, two behind Johnson's 13. In other words, Bateman could have been a No. 1 receiver on most college teams and should slot nicely into that role next year.
The familiarity between him and Morgan is going to lead to huge numbers. The Gophers need other pass-catchers to step up, and guys like Chris Autman-Bell, Demetrius Douglas and freshman Daniel Jackson are prime candidates.
But they'll be playing second fiddle to Bateman. At 6'2", 209 pounds, the former Tift County (Georgia) product is the type of pass-catcher who absolutely could have played in the SEC but chose to head north where he blossomed into a star.
The NFL may come calling after 2020, but his junior season is going to be exciting to watch.
