Haven’t been many that tore it up. Well over 10 years ago it was Dwayne Bates. More recent vintage, Ross Lane and Mark Philmore have the best stats.
Bryce Kirtz Watch - WATCH HIM COMMIT TO THE CATS!
- Thread starter Hungry Jack
- Start date
Every time I read his name I think of Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now......
I was waiting to pull this one out. Hopefully our Kirtz will inflict lots of suffering on the opposition.
and both Markshausen and Carr literally came out of nowhere and made their mark. No harbinger along the way, just hard work and skill. and a QB who looked for them
Really? Bates for sure.
I would have thought Sam Simmons over the two you mentioned. Along with Ebert, Markhausen, and of course Carr.
Back in the day it was Gissendaner and Buchanan.
Markshausen and Carr both had literally zero impact as freshmen, which was the question.
Both were excellent - I loved Giss, who won the Silver Football for best player in The Big Ten. But, you forgot about Curtis Duncan, who was also great. After graduating from NU, he played for about 10 years for the Chargers with Dan Fouts and some other very good receivers.
Pretty sure Duncan played with Warren Moon and the Houston Oilers.
We have had a couple QBs that converted to WR and did well but not as Frosh because they were still trying to make it as QBs.
I was responding to who was tearing it up. If we're talking about freshmen, Bates was recruited as a QB and redshirted and didn't play until a Sophomore.
Yep. He was one of the Oilers' "Run and Shoot" receivers in the late 80's and early 90's. He still lives here, and I had a chance to visit with him at the Rice game a few years back. A very nice guy.
So what I'm hearing is that not many true freshman WRs have had a great impact at NU. My sense is that this recruit could be the exception to the rule. That is a pretty exciting possibility so let's just enjoy waiting to see. Wouldn't be a shame if we had to wait till he was a sophomore to see him set a record? or two?
It’s very hard for true freshmen WRs to play in college. A lot of additional responsibilities and complexity, not the least of which is their blocking responsibilities.
The question was on Recent Freshman impact WR’s. I believe Bates has close to 1000 yards as a Freshman. I’ll check.
During spring practice of Bates' freshman year, injuries rendered a position move from quarterback to receiver to add depth to the scout team after injuries.[3] Bates' collegiate debut came during an away game against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium, a memorable experience for Bates, who grew up idolizing Rocket Ismail and the Fighting Irish.[2] Entering the game, Bates and the Wildcats were 28-point underdogs to the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish. In the third quarter, Bates caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Steve Schnur stretching the NU lead to 17-9. Northwestern would hold on to win and stun Notre Dame, 17-15.[4] Bates continued to excel throughout his freshman campaign, helping lead Northwestern to the 1996 Rose Bowl, where he had seven receptions for 145 yards in a losing effort. Bates finished 1995 with 49 catches and 889 receiving yards, both Northwestern and Big Ten Freshman Records. For his efforts, he was named second team All-Big Ten.[5]
The definition of “10 years” now stretches to the 80s.
The best freshman receiver (pass catcher) NU has had in the last decade is Danny Vitale, who caught 28 balls in 2012. He was a truly remarkable talent. Unheralded nationally, and a no-doubt contributor the moment he arrived in Evanston.
Christian Jones caught 16 in 2011, and Leesus got 15 last season. Ebert got 15 in 2008. Colter would have been the best had he played the full season as a true freshman- he had 43 catches during his remarkable near 500/500/500 sophomore campaign, but only one catch when pressed into duty in the final three games as a freshman.
Kirtz might be a great player for NU. But history suggests it won’t be until 2020.
The game was so different in the 90s - Bates averaged 18 yards per catch, just an unheard number these days.
Last edited:
Paul Flatley should be remembered in this thread. Richmond, IN product, 3 year starter who was a Pro Bowl NFL PLAYER. A leader of the 1960 or 1961 team that was ranked #1 in the country for a couple of weeks mid season. Vikings fourth round draft pick.
Is that a nickname? He does kinda resemble popular depictions of the big guy when his hair is grown out.
Played or was an impact player as a Frosh? Two different questions. Played, yes. Impact, not so much
OK, players who started in their first year of university eligibility. A player of Flatley’s era didn’t learn timing routes and precise route running in HS. So the comparison should stand when the 1960-62 athlete actually was a pioneer in these routes before the practice routines of today. CREDIT IS DUE, not relegation to a “yesteryear” category.
Can this recruit make a big impact while at NU? Good chance. His Frosh year, likely not.
Sorry but it was his second year in the system. It is hard for a true frosh WR to make a BIG impact.
Latest posts
-
-
-
Brendan Sullivan enters the transfer portal
- Latest: Purple Pile Driver
-
-