Who is 'WRU'? Clemson left out of ESPN's Top-10 list
It’s the age-old debate that every top program aspires to be a part of-- who recruits and produces the most elite talent per position group? AKA, who really is (insert position group) University?
When it comes to recruiting, the term “Wide Receiver U” has become a staple in Clemson’s pitch to up-and-coming receivers. Just scroll through co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Jeff Scott’s twitter account, and you’ll easily come across the hashtag: #WRU.
Heck, on game days you can even see receivers on Clemson’s roster wearing a shirt with “WRU” on the front.
To help put an end to the debate - or perhaps make it even worse - ESPN put together a list of the top position groups in the country that recruit, develop, and produce elite talent in the NFL. They used the network’s Stats and Information data to create a formula and find out a top-10 ranking for each position.
The formula included looking at All-Americans, players who were all-conference, where individual players got drafted, and NFL performance. Only players from the BCS and College Football Playoff era were used, so it’s a 20-year radius dating back to 1998.
ESPN put out its list of the top 10 schools who are the best at developing elite receivers before becoming stars in the NFL. Clemson did not make the cut.
At the top of the list is the University of Southern California. The Trojans have had five All-American receivers, which tied for first with Oklahoma State. They have also had 17 receivers drafted since 1998, the BCS era. Marcqise Lee, Dwayne Jarrett and Juju-Smith Schuster all had 3,000-yard careers in the past 15 years, which also tied for first on the list.
This list is a reminder of just how dominant USC was in the 2000s.
Other notable programs listed in front of Clemson are Florida State, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, and Notre Dame.
The Tigers currently possess two of the top receivers in the country, Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross, and have made their case that they believe they have the deepest group in the country.
DeAndre Hopkins has risen to become one of the best receivers in the league. Sammy Watkins, Mike Williams, Martavis Bryant, Jaron Brown, and Adam Humphries are other notable Tigers who have made strides in the NFL.
But those players weren’t enough to overcome the gap of receiver talent that other programs have had over the last 20 years. You can view the entire list of the top position groups here.