Wide Receiver
| Nico Collins | Ronnie Bell | Cornelius Johnson |
| Roman Wilson | Giles Jackson (or) Mike Sainristil | A.J. Henning |
This was a little harder to project than anticipated.
Gone are Donovan Peoples-Jones, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, and Tarik Black, who transferred to Texas. But Nico Collins returns and should be the bona fide No. 1 option at wideout.
However, Ronnie Bell led the team both in receptions and receiving yards last year, so he’ll challenge all the same. We have him essentially in the slot here as he enters his third-year.
We put Cornelius Johnson as the other starting wideout, primarily because of his size. The second-year WR showed flashes of greatness in his first season, and he very well could be the starter out wide opposite Collins.
Though we say all this, it won’t matter much, because Giles Jackson and Mike Sainristil will absolutely be on the field early and often. Particularly Jackson, who started to come on late in 2019, who could be put all over the field, even though we put him as the backup slot to Bell. There will be packages for him right out of the gates. Sainristil was the talk of spring last year, but slowed after fall camp, supposedly somewhat bogged down as true freshmen sometimes are. However, in his second-year in Josh Gattis’ system, he should be good to go, and also could play at the different positions across the field at wide receiver.
Don’t count out: The two others listed, both of whom are true freshmen — A.J. Henning and Roman Wilson. Neither have gotten to campus yet, but have a ton of upside. Henning can play any of the positions on the field at WR and Wilson is insanely fast. They should bother get early playing time.
Though he wasn’t listed above, walk-on Nate Schoenle could challenge to see the field. He was injured all last season, but now that he’s healthy and 10-pounds heavier, he very well should work his way back into the lineup. Remember: in the 2017 Spring Game, it was Schoenle who led all wide receivers in yards — not Peoples-Jones or Black.