TOP WAC WR’S: FRESNO STATE DUO CATCHING ON

photo courtesy of egcitizen.com

    It didn’t take too long for some of the 2010 wide receiving class at Fresno State to catch on right away.

    Jalen Saunders (photo), the first recruit of the freshman class, saw the field not only through receiving, but also on special teams and even carried the football from the backfield.

    Isaiah Burse, a former high school quarterback, developed into a potential deep threat at wide receiver, but was also used in a variety of ways which included going back to the quarterback position on hound (wildcat) formations.

     Both men not only shared the field on offense, they also helped continue the Bulldogs’ fine lineage of kick return threats, as they both averaged over 23 yards per kickoff return.

     In the end, the two young freshmen touched the football a combined 138 times last year, which accounted for 2,279 total yards between the two and they reached the end zone five times.

    After a strong freshman start, was it enough for one or both of them to land at No.1 of Red Zone Frenzy’s top Western Athletic Conference wide receiver’s list?

    Here’s our picks for the top wideouts in 2011:

    1: ROYCE POLLARD, SENIOR, HAWAII

    -We know this, even after the losses of both Greg Salas and Kealoha Pilares, Pollard will keep quarterback Bryant Moniz happy, considering that Pollard grabbed 64 passes for 941 yards and had seven touchdowns for the Warriors in 2010.

     2: RISHARD MATTHEWS, SENIOR, NEVADA

    -If the Wolf Pack is indeed serious about going to the air more instead of using their traditional run-heavy, pistol offense approach, then look for the 6-foot-2, 215 pound Matthews to be the go-to-guy, considering his 56 grabs for 879 yards last season.

    3: JALEN SAUNDERS, SOPHOMORE, FRESNO STATE

    -He’s a do-everything type for the Bulldogs who can hurt defenses, and special team units in a good number of ways.

    4: ISAIAH BURSE, SOPHOMORE, FRESNO STATE

    -We can pretty much reiterate what we said about Saunders right here too, except we’ll add that Burse is also an effective wildcat quarterback for the Bulldogs.

    5: XAVIER MARTIN, SENIOR, UTAH STATE

    -With leading receiver Dontel Watkins moving to cornerback, Martin should figure to become the Aggies top target, considering his team-high 21.1 yards per reception last season.

     6: TAULIB IKHARO, SENIOR, LOUISIANA TECH

    -If the Bulldogs still stick with the spread offense, Ikharo could make it back-to-back seasons with 50 catches or more for Louisiana Tech. He’s perhaps best remembered for his three touchdown performance versus Fresno State last season.

    7: JUSTIN VELTUNG, JUNIOR, IDAHO

    -Caught just 25 passes, but he averaged 19.9 yards per catch and also scored eight touchdowns, including four versus Louisiana Tech,

    8: RASHAD EVANS, JUNIOR, FRESNO STATE

    -When healthy, Evans is another electrifying versatile wide receiver who too can line up at quarterback and also return kicks.

    KEEP AN EYE ON:

    DARIUS BRIGHT, JUNIOR, HAWAII

    -How often do you hear about a 6-foot-4, 230 pound receiver on the island? Bright’s massive size gives the Warriors perhaps their first red zone/jump ball threat in the end zone in recent memory.

    VICTOR DEAN, SOPHOMORE, FRESNO STATE

    -Much like Bright, Dean is also capable of being the same type of receiver considering his 6-foot-6, 200 pound frame. Except Dean has run a 40-yard dash time of 4.4, so he’s also a potential deep threat for Derek Carr.