2024 Spring Football - Position Preview - Wide Receivers
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Written by Evan Alvarez
Over the past several years, the Indiana Hoosiers have had some elite position groups from top to bottom. Some that come to mind after talking with our own Sammy Jacobs include the 2013 QB room with Sudfeld, Roberson, and Coffman, the 2020 CB room with Mullen, Taylor, and Williams, the 2013 RB room with Coleman, Houston, and Roberts, the 2015 OL room with Feeney, Stepaniak, Martin, and Spriggs, and even LB rooms consisting of Scales, Oliver, and Covington to McFadden, Jones, and Casey more recently.
Indiana has seen and experienced truly elite talent… and then there’s this years wide receiver room, primed to join the ranks of the position groups above as some of the best the Hoosiers have seen. To put it bluntly, this group is loaded. Whichever QB comes out of the tunnel on opening day will have a bevy of elite options at his disposal to throw to. Let’s go through each one (ordered by jersey number):
#0: Andison Coby, Senior+, 6-2 / 178
Coming in as a transfer from the University of Tennessee, Coby has been a solid contributor for the Hoosiers, bringing speed and height to the receiving corps. Over two seasons in Bloomington, Coby has 23 receptions for 278 yards and 2 TDs. Look for Coby to build on his contributions this year. Though the depth chart is crowded, there is room for a player like Coby to work his way into the rotation, especially with the experience he brings being in his final year of eligibility. This new offense may be very well suited for his skill set, so don’t be surprised if he earns his way onto the field.
#1: Donaven McCulley, Senior, 6-5 / 203
One of the highest QB recruits in IU history, McCulley has made a complete change to Wide Receiver, thriving in the process. He is now a definitive #1 receiver for the Hoosiers and finished his breakout 2023 campaign with 48 receptions for 644 yards and 6 TDs.
Of that final statline, the majority of the numbers came in the 2nd half of the season, illustrating McCulley’s massive and impressive growth as the year went on. From games 8 through 12 (5 total games), Donaven posted 28 receptions for 420 yards and 5 TDs. That 5 game stretch to end the season accounts for nearly 60% of his receptions, 65% of his yards, and 83% of his TDs! Per PFF, McCulley posted the 110th best receiver grade (76.5) in the entire country. Keep in mind that over 1,500 WRs across the FBS are graded, and McCulley’s fantastic season shines even further.
McCulley will be looking to build on his fabulous end to the 2023 season with a high powered offense in 2024. Look for more games like his performance against Illinois (11 rec, 137 yards, 2 TDs) to come next year.
#3: Omar Cooper Jr, RS-Sophomore, 6-1 / 204
Cooper really burst onto the scene in Game 2 of the 2023 campaign against Indiana State, posting 7 receptions for 101 yards. He also finished the year with a PFF grade of 68.5, good for 3rd on the team. Cooper has shown immense potential to be a real threat for the Hoosiers on multiple occasions, but has been hit with unfortunate injury luck during his time in Cream and Crimson. With Cooper back healthy this season, we could be in for a similar breakout campaign as McCulley. The tools are all there and the offense will be throwing a lot - get ready for Omar Cooper Jr, folks!
#4: Myles Price, Senior+, 5-10 / 185
Myles Price was a strong 4-year contributor for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, posting 1,751 combined yards and 10 combined receiving touchdowns during his tenure. In his most recent season (2023), he posted a PFF grade of 69.2, good for a near top-300 grade in the nation (again, with over 1,500 WR’s graded). He comes to Bloomington as a transfer and figures to compete for snaps in the slot, bringing much needed speed, route running, and experience to the IU wide receiver room. Look for Price to be a dangerous threat in short yardage situations to gather RAC yards, while also slipping through the middle of the defense on deep post routes. Price is a major X-Factor for this offense and is absolutely one to watch.
#5: Ke'Shawn Williams, Senior+, 5-11 / 190
It’s clear Curt Cignetti has a vision for his slot position, because Ke’Shawn Williams almost mirrors Myles Price exactly. Williams was also a strong 4-year contributor, posting 1,385 combined yards and 5 combined receiving touchdowns during his tenure with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Ke’Shawn received incredibly strong PFF grades during the 2023 season, posting a grade of 73.8, coming right behind McCulley’s grade. Similar to Price, look for Ke’Shawn to compete for slot snaps, but don’t be surprised if either guy rotates out wide as well in this dynamic, talent loaded receiver room.
#7: E.J. Williams Jr, Senior+, 6-3 / 200
Transferring in from Clemson where he arrived as an extremely high rated recruit (69th overall recruit per 247 Sports Composite Rankings), expectations were high for E.J. in Bloomington. Despite a few injuries in the 2023 season, E.J. proved he belonged and showed why his recruiting ranking was so high. Specifically in the last 4 games of the season, E.J. picked up 87% of his total receptions and 88% of his total yards. He finished on a high note too, gathering 6 catches for 97 yards against Purdue in the last game of the season. Per PFF, he graded the same as Omar Cooper Jr. at 68.5. E.J.’s ceiling is sky high and he will certainly be looking to build on his hot finish to the 2023 season. As is the case with many of Indiana’s supremely talented receivers, look for Williams to breakout in a big way in 2024.
#8: Elijah Sarratt, Junior, 6-2 / 209
Quite possibly the best of the bunch, Elijah Sarratt had a 2023 to remember. He finished with the 4th best PFF wide receiver grade in the entire country. Yes, the entire country, with over 1,500 wide receivers graded by PFF. Elijah finished 4th with a grade of 89.9. Tied with Marvin Harrison Jr. and ahead of Rome Odunze. Did I hammer it in enough? Elijah Sarratt is a stud. Pencil him in as a starter on day 1, especially since he reunites with fellow former James Madison University coaching staff across the board on offense - like Head Coach Curt Cignetti and Offensive Coordinator Mike Shanahan.
During his amazing 2023 season at James Madison, which again resulted in Sarratt earning the 4th best PFF wide receiver grade in the entire country (okay, I’ll stop), Elijah put up 82 receptions for 1,191 yards and 8 receiving TDs. Look for him to explode in this offense and take the nation by storm as one of the best wide receivers in the country. Don’t forget this name, Sarratt is the real deal.
#10: Derin McCulley, RS-Senior, 6-0 / 174
Derin McCulley, the brother of Donaven McCulley, transferred to Indiana from Ball State entering the 2023 season. Like his brother, he played quarterback in high school and transitioned to wide receiver at the next level. No doubt, the fact that both brothers made the same position change helps both of them succeed even more. Look for Derin to be a strong, veteran contributor on special teams this season.
#12: Miles Cross, Senior, 6-1 / 210
Let me know if you’ve heard this one before, as Miles Cross has a very similar background as both Myles Price and Ke’Shawn Williams. Cignetti and team did a fantastic job at identifying high quality talent with a bevy of experience at other schools in a starting role. Cross is no different, coming from Ohio University with potential starting QB Kurtis Rourke, after 3 years of strong performance. Across those 3 years, Cross put up 105 combined receptions for 1,301 combined yards and 8 combined receiving TDs. For the 2023 season, Cross received a PFF grade of 70.4, putting him just between Price and Williams, respectively, and finishing top 300 in the nation by PFF grade. Cross found a strong connection with Kurtis Rourke during their time at Ohio. If Rourke wins the starting QB job, look for that connection to continue and thrive in Bloomington.
#13: Kamryn Perry, RS-Sophomore, 5-9 / 170
Perry is one of the fastest wide receivers on the team and figures to compete for slot snaps. He made his first career reception in 2023 against the Maryland Terrapins and finished that game with 3 catches for 22 yards. Perry played 54 total snaps in 2023 after appearing in one game during the 2022 season. As Perry gets older, expect him to get into the mix for snaps, routes, and games, which might even begin this season. You can’t teach speed, and Kamryn Perry absolutely has speed.
#24: Jackson Wasserstrom, RS-Sophomore, 6-0 / 173
Wasserstrom joined the team as a walk-on in 2022 and earned Co-Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week honors during Penn State week (11/5/2022). His hard work earned him snaps in 2023, as he logged time at special teams against Indiana State.
#80: Derrick Bohler, RS-Freshman, 6-1 / 201
Bohler, a three-star recruit out of Miami, FL from the 2023 class, hasn’t seen game action yet but will likely benefit from being a sponge this year with the amount of talent on this roster. Bohler’s offer list would make most recruits blush, receiving scholarships from schools like Arizona, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse, Tulane, Utah, West Virginia, and many more. He was clearly an extremely sought after recruit and boasts high upside long term. Look for him to fight for playing time while soaking in all the experience and talent in the loaded IU WR room. More than likely, that will help him contribute for the Hoosiers in the long term.
#81: Brady Simmons, RS-Sophomore, 6-1 / 169
Simmons joined the team as a walk-on in 2022 and earned Co-Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week honors during Maryland week (10/15/2022) and Michigan State week (11/19/2022). Like Jackson Wasserstrom, his diligence earned him snaps on special teams against Indiana State during the 2023 season.
#83: Eli Jochem, RS-Junior, 6-1 / 191
Eli Jochem joined the team as a walk-on in 2021 and earned Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week during Ohio State week (10/23/2021) and Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Week during Michigan week (11/6/2021).
#89: Camden Jordan, RS-Junior, 6-0 / 180
Jordan joined the team as a walk-on in 2022 after previously playing baseball for the University of Louisville and San Jacinto College. He earned Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Week honors during Michigan week (10/8/2022) and translated that work into playing in 5 games during the 2023 season.
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