This appears to be the year of the running back in the Heisman Trophy race, what with Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, C.J. Prosise, Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey seemingly playing a game of “top this” week after week. But those numbers have somewhat overshadowed the insane figures posted weekly by TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson and Baylor wideout Corey Coleman.
Coleman and Doctson rank first or second nationally in both yards per game and touchdown grabs thus far. Coleman has racked up 41 receptions for 877 yards (21.39 yards per catch, first nationally among players with at least 35 grabs) and 16 touchdowns in six games. Doctson has countered with 60 receptions for 1,067 yards (17.78 yards per reception, most among players with at least 55 grabs) and 12 touchdowns.
Consider that Bobby Engram won the inaugural Biletnikoff Award in 1994 with 63 receptions for 1,084 yards and 11 touchdowns - for the entire season.
To put the Lone Star duo’s numbers in context, let’s compare their per game numbers with those of the Biletnikoff winners since Michael Crabtree won the first of his back-to-back awards in 2007.
Receptions Per Game
1. Crabtree (Texas Tech, 2007) - 10.31
2. Brandin Cooks (Oregon State, 2013) - 9.85
3. Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State, 2011) - 9.31
4. Blackmon (2010) - 9.25
5. Marquise Lee (USC, 2012) - 9.08
6. Amari Cooper (Alabama, 2014) - 8.86
7. Doctson - 8.57
8. Golden Tate (Notre Dame, 2009) - 7.75
9. Crabtree, 2008 - 7.46
10. Coleman - 6.83
Yards Per Game
1. Doctson - 152.43
2. Crabtree (2007) - 150.92
3. Blackmon (2010) - 148.50
4. Coleman - 146.17
5. Cooks - 133.08
6. Lee - 132.38
7. Tate - 124.67
8. Cooper - 123.36
9. Blackmon (2011) - 117.08
10. Crabtree (2008) - 89.62
Yards Per Catch
1. Coleman - 21.39
2. Doctson - 17.78
3. Tate - 16.09
4. Blackmon (2010) - 16.05
5. Crabtree (2007) - 14.64
6. Lee - 14.58
7. Cooper - 13.93
8. Cooks - 13.52
9. Blackmon (2011) - 12.58
10. Crabtree (2008) - 12.01
Touchdowns Per Game
1. Coleman - 2.67
2. Doctson - 1.71
3. Crabtree (2007) - 1.69
4. Blackmon (2010) - 1.67
5. Crabtree (2008) - 1.46
6. Blackmon (2011) - 1.38
7. Tate - 1.25
8. Cooks - 1.23
9. Cooper - 1.14
10. Lee - 1.08
Crabtree’s 2007 season remains the gold standard for modern era wide receiver campaigns, but while Coleman and Doctson can’t match the volume of his 134 grabs for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns (at least, not yet), both wideouts blow him - and, in the process, everyone else - out of the water on a per catch basis.
