Plant The Spear

2023 Position look ahead: Receivers

With the 2022 season officially in the books it’s time to turn our focus to 2023. It is still very early and there will almost certainly be more roster attrition throughout spring and leading up to the regular season. However, with a lot of moves already being made we’re going to take an early look at each position group to see what 2023 could potentially offer as it stands right now.

Of course, we’ll reevaluate this closer to the season when the roster moves to wind down and names have emerged. In each preview, I’ll name those I see as current impact players (players who have already produced or are expected to at a significant level) and possible contributors (players who have at least seen some playing time or have been highly regarded in practice and could contribute in the near future). This does not necessarily mean at FSU in regards to the transfer players and the returning production is from the 2022 season at each player’s respective school. Let’s get to it!

Impact Players

Possible contributors

Returning Production

Does not include Winston Wright’s production at WVU being it was two seasons ago.*

Thoughts

This position group has ENORMOUS potential for 2023 but there are still a few concerns with replacing now-departed players Pokey Wilson who was a big play receiver for FSU last season and Malik McClain whose numbers didn’t blow you away. Still, he had nice size and tools to work with.

FSU will get some nice additions to bolster this room in Winston Wright who returns from injury and 5-star freshman Hykeem Williams who should be a significant contributor in year one.

Johnny Wilson was an unknown name coming into 2022 after transferring in from Arizona State but he’s no secret anymore. At 6-foot-7 with legit speed and excellent body control for his size, when he decides to take over a game it’s going to be a long game for opposing defenses.

He returns 897 yards of production and ended 2022 with a 202-yard performance in the bowl game. While he is a beast, he’ll need to be more consistent and work on dropped passes.

He led the team in dropped passes, had the lowest reception rate at 56.6%, and had 6 games with a 50% or less reception rate. If he can clean those things up watch out!

Mycah Pittman was another solid performer for the Noles in 2022. Even if his numbers don’t jump off the page his 32 receptions were second highest of the receiver group. Perhaps his biggest contribution was in the blocking department.

Pittman is a physical workhorse who isn’t scared to do the dirty work of blocking and he’s been known to toss some people around. He will have some competition in the slot position from Winston Wright but remember last season was his first in this offense so he could certainly take another step forward his year.

Kentron Poitier, Darion Williamson, and Ja’khi Douglas all flashed in limited touches and have nice potential. Williamson and Douglas did miss significant time with injury but could break out this year with a larger workload.

Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a crowded room so that may not be the case, but it offers nice depth to the group. Poitier is someone I could see having that breakout year after having some ridiculous catches last season and with McClain gone, he will be one of the bigger-bodied receivers alongside Johnny Wilson, Hykeem Williams, and Deuce Spann.

Speaking of Deuce Spann, he’s a great athlete but he’s still developing at the position after transitioning from quarterback. He looked well ahead of schedule at times last season but only accounted for 8 catches and 64 yards. He could indeed find a bigger role this year, but it remains to be seen with a receiver room that has a good amount of experienced talent.

Winston Wright is a name I’m watching this year. He was my x-factor player in 2022 with his proven production but the uncertainty of his return which unfortunately never happened. I think a lot of people forget how good he is. In 2021 at West Virginia, he accounted for 688 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns with a very nice 73.3% reception rate and 72.8 PFF grade.

He’s a gifted slot receiver with excellent speed when you turn on the tape. He’s also able to contribute on special teams as well with 622 yards and a touchdown as a kick returner in 2021 at WVU.

Wright suffered a significant lower leg injury prior to the 2022 season and has worked extremely hard to get back on the field. If he can return to his old self, with potential improvement as well, I have no doubt he’s going to be a special player for the Noles in 2023.

Hykeem Williams is a freak athlete who comes into FSU as a 5-star freshman. He has size, speed, and tools like no other receiver on this roster. As with any freshman, there will be a learning curve but he’s an early enrollee who I feel they won’t be able to keep off the field.

With the number of talented receivers in this group now we may not see everyone be able to contribute this season. There’s still the mystery of Destin Hill who is supposed to be on campus this season…not holding my breath.

Concerns

As I previously mentioned, there’s A LOT of potential in this room BUT there are also some question marks in regard to consistency, potential turning into production, and players who will need to perform with a larger workload.

Remember it was mainly dropped passes that cost FSU the NC State game last season. If they are trying to make a run at the conference title and playoffs that won’t cut it this year.

Wrapping up

This position group looks the best it has in years and with a proven QB1 at the helm now they may let it rip more often even though I suspect FSU will still be a run-heavy team.

They should also get a boost from Jaheim Bell who is technically a tight end but can be used all over the field. This group now has a high floor and a high ceiling if a certain few guys can step up and be a little more consistent.

The beautiful thing we saw last year that should be the case again this season is FSU now has multiple strengths to play to.

With a legit running attack, it will open up the pass and if teams try to defend the pass they can turn to the run game. FSU also has multiple receivers who are a threat so teams will have to essentially pick their poison.

Thanks for reading and Go Noles!!

Enjoy this article? Share it on social media so others can too! We thank you for your support.

PTS podcast logo

Be sure to check out the Plant The Spear Podcast for those who bleed garnet and gold!

Continue Reading