No. 8 Damon Hazelton, Jr. – Missouri Tigers (Redshirt senior – Towson, Maryland)
Even though he has yet to play a game for the Tigers, Hazelton receives the nod here.
An unheralded recruit in 2016, the Marylander began his career in Muncie, Indiana with the Ball State Cardinals, catching 51 passes for 505 yards (9.9 avg) and four touchdowns, earning the John Hodge Award, presented annually to the program’s top freshman.
Establishing himself as a force in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in just one year, Hazelton chose to test his abilities at the Power Five level, transferring to Blacksburg and joining the Virginia Tech program.
After sitting out the 2017 season in accordance with NCAA academic residence guidelines, he racked up 82 receptions, 1,329 yards (16.2 avg), and 16 scores over the last two campaigns, receiving second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors in 2018 and All-Conference honorable mention in 2019.
Graduate transferring to Missouri on January 28, eleven days after entering the transfer portal, Hazelton will enter a wide receiver room that accounted for only six touchdowns a year ago.
The Tigers were led in receiving in 2019 by a graduate transfer, Jonathan Nance, who came to Columbia from Arkansas and was the team’s only player to eclipse 400 yards. Look for Hazelton to make it back-to-back years with a newcomer as the alpha dog.
NEXT: No. 7 Trevon Grimes – Florida Gators