Ranking The Best College Wide Receivers: MAC

Plenty of MAC wide receivers flourished in 2022. Now many of them are back for another season.

Here’s a ranking of the best wideouts in the Mid-American Conference.

Best MAC Wide Receivers, Ranked

1. Sam Wiglusz, Ohio

Wiglusz previously played at Ohio State. But after he decided to transfer to Ohio, he became a key contributor quickly.

Wiglusz tied for first in the MAC with 11 touchdown receptions. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound graduate student was also second in the league with 73 receptions and third with 877 yards.

This helped him earn first-team all-conference honors. Now both Wiglusz and Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke, the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year, are back.

Wiglusz was Rourke’s favorite receiver in 2022. Those two should make for a great combo once again this season.

2. Alex Adams, Akron

Adams was also new to the MAC after transferring from LSU last season. And he also didn’t need much time to acclimate to his new team.

Adams, a 6-1, 190-pound upcoming junior, played in 10 games in two years at LSU and caught two passes for 11 yards. Then he had a career year in 2022.

Adams was tied for third in the MAC with nine touchdown catches. He was also fourth with 850 receiving yards and sixth with 63 catches en route to first-team all-conference honors.

Third-team All-MAC quarterback D.J. Irons is also back for Akron, so Adams should be even better as his chemistry with his signal caller is already established.

3. Jerjuan Newton, Toledo

Newton has been playing in the MAC since 2019. But he finally shined as a focal point of Toledo’s offense in 2022.

Newton caught one pass for 21 yards at Ball State in 2019. Then he tallied 347 yards and three touchdowns on 28 catches the following two years combined at Toledo.

Then the 5-11, 190-pound junior made the all-conference second team in 2022. He was tied for second in the league with nine touchdown receptions, sixth with 830 yards, and 12th with 53 receptions.

Newton has the potential to eclipse 1,000 yards in 2023 with quarterback Dequan Finn also back.

4. Odieu Hiliare, Bowling Green

Hiliare was also on the All-MAC second team in 2022.

The 6-foot, 180-pound senior began his collegiate career at Alabama A&M of the FCS. In his final season with the team in 2021, he caught 71 passes for 918 yards and nine touchdowns.

Then Hiliare joined Bowling Green and kept playing at a high level. He was top 10 in the MAC in receptions (58) and touchdowns (six) to go with 747 yards through the air.

Hiliare will undoubtedly continue to be one of the best wideouts in the league.

5. Trayvon Rudolph, Northern Illinois

Rudolph didn’t play in 2022 due to a knee injury, but there’s no question he’s one of the most talented receivers in the MAC when he’s healthy.

Rudolph was a Freshman All-American and second-team all-conference kick returner in 2020. He paced the MAC and was second in the nation with a combined kick return yards total of 725 to go with 232 yards on 14 receptions.

The following year, he made the all-conference second team both as a wide receiver and a kick returner. He was fifth in the league with 892 receiving yards and was seventh with seven receiving touchdowns to go with 51 catches. And this was all while leading the MAC with a 25.1 yards-per-return average on kickoffs.

Rudolph, a 5-10, 185-pound redshirt junior, is in line for a bounceback year.