The 2022 college football season was fun for Oregon Duck fans because it showed that they might have a superstar in the making with Troy Franklin blossoming as a deep-play threat in the passing game in Eugene.
The start of the 2023 season has been absolutely thrilling for those same Duck fans to watch. Franklin has established himself as one of the top receivers in the nation.
We knew it was possible, especially with fifth-year quarterback Bo Nix returning for one last ride, plus the introduction of new offensive coordinator Will Stein, a play-caller who has been very vocal about his willingness to take multiple deep shots per game. The result has been incredible. Franklin racked up over 100 yards in four of his five games this year and hauled in multiple touchdowns in three of those games.
While Nix is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race at the midway point of the season, we wanted to see where Franklin stands when it comes to the receiving leaders in the nation and the potential Biletnikoff Award watch list.
Here’s our rankings of the nation’s best pass-catchers, based on receiving yards and receiving TDs, through Week 5: