2023 Position look ahead: Receivers

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.