Gold: The Pac-12's most explosive players
On today of all days, we celebrate ramparts so gallantly streaming, the rockets’ red glare and all of the Pac-12’s bombs bursting through the air.
Last year, there were plenty of fireworks throughout the conference, and with several of the country’s top passing games returning in 2023, we can only expect to see more in 2023.
Here’s a look at the Pac-12’s most explosive players…
USC wide receiver Dorian Singer
Singer was a revelation last year for the Wildcats, more than tripling his production from the previous year. He was remarkably consistent in his big play performances, dialing up 4 100-yard games with a reception of at least 20 yards in all but 1 game and a catch of 30-plus yards in 9 different games.
Now he takes his league-best 1,105 yards with him to Los Angeles to perhaps serve as Caleb Williams’ top target. Last year it was Jordan Addison. This year it’s Singer, and even more importantly he comes from another Pac-12 opponent.
Arizona wide receiver Jacob Cowing
Coming off a 1,354-yard season in which he averaged 19.6 yards on his 69 receptions for UTEP in 2021, the expectations were sky high for Cowing in Tucson last year.
He…somewhat…met those expectations, catching 85 balls for 1,034 yards, but his YPC was drastically down to 12.2 last year. His previous career low was 16.9. So we know he has it in him to go off, but we’d like to see it more in 2023.
UCLA running back Carson Steele
The 1st 2023 transfer on this list, Steele followed up a sensational freshman season in 2021 (891 yards on 289 carries) with an even better 2022. He had 1,556 yards on 289 carries with 14 touchdowns for the Cardinals.
Steele punished would-be tacklers and saved his best for the end of the season, when he racked up 180-plus yards in 3 of his last 4 games. He had at least a 19-yard run or a 20-yard catch in 10 of 12 games.
Now he goes to a UCLA offense that featured the fantastic Zach Charbonnet last year. Steele should step into those shoes easily.
Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter
In addition to being one of the top young defensive backs in the country, the Jackson State transfer dabbled on the offensive side, catching 18 passes for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns with a season-long reception of 30 yards.
This year, he is expected to grow in his offensive role in his 1st year with the Buffaloes.
Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze
The Huskies have a trio of the top receivers in the league in Odunze, Jalen McMillan (see below) and Ja’Lynn Polk. Spreading the wealth like that may limit any one target, but Odunze managed to produce on a near-weekly basis. And in a big way.
Odunze had a half-dozen games above 100 yards, including 3 games above 150 yards. His big play ability was a big reason why. He showed some of what he could do early with a 61-yard touchdown reception in Week 4 against Stanford. He later had a pair of 48-yard catches and finished with more than 2 dozen explosive plays.
Oregon State wide receiver/punt returner Anthony Gould
Gould was one of the league’s best all-around players, contributing greatly to both the passing game and the return game. Gould had 27 catches for 457 yards, a 16.9-yard average, getting off to a good start with a 74-yard reception in Week 1. He followed that up with a 42-yard catch against Fresno State in Week 2.
But he was truly great as a punt returner. He had 14 returns for 256 yards with 2 touchdown returns. He may be a good watch in the passing game, but he’s must-see TV on every punt.
Oregon WR Troy Franklin
Franklin is a good bet to lead the Pac-12 in receiving, particularly if Bo Nix can bump above the 4,000-yard mark. In his first season as a primary target, Franklin had 61 receptions for 891 yards and 9 touchdowns, topping the 130-yard mark 3 times. Those were his only games above 84 total yards, so he was a bit feast or famine.
But when he ate, he ate. He had receptions of 67, 50, 50, 49 and 41 yards and finished the year with almost 2 dozen explosive plays. With an even bigger role in 2023, he’ll top the century mark on a regular basis.
USC wide receiver Mario Williams
When Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison became a surprise addition to the Trojans in the late transfer window, some of the shine was taken from Williams’ arrival alongside Oklahoma teammate Caleb Williams. People forgot about their quick connection with the Sooners, though, and the Williamses — Williamsi? — teamed up for a pretty darn impressive year.
Mario Williams had 631 yards on 40 receptions, a impressive average of 15.8 yards per catch, and he did so despite rarely seeing more than a handful of targets. Williams had 1 big, big game, catching 4 passes for 145 yards in a 1-point loss to Utah, but he finished with 15 explosive plays on the year.
UCLA wide receiver Kyle Ford
Ford was buried behind Williams and a host of other talented Trojans, but if you extrapolate his numbers with increased usage, he presents quite a compelling case. Well, now that he transferred across town to UCLA, he might be able to close that case.
Ford had 20 catches for 365 yards as USC’s 5th option, a bonkers average of 18.3 yards per catch. He had receptions of 70, 49 and 42 yards despite little usage. He could blow up for the Bruins with Jake Bobo graduated.
Oregon RB Noah Whittington
The other half of what should be a thrilling backfield, Whittington had some true home runs for the Ducks, and he proved to be a danger to break one off on any play. Whittington topped 600 yards for the second straight year, rushing 139 times for 779 yards and 5 scores while adding 22 receptions for 169 yards and a score.
He didn’t quite house one like he did in 2021, when he went 86 yards for a touchdown, but his season-high 55-yard run wasn’t too shabby. That was one of 30 explosive plays for the Oregon back.
Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan
Even alongside Odunze and Polk, McMillan may have been the biggest home run threat. His 79 receptions for 1,098 yards put him among league leaders, and here’s the scary thing: He could be even more dangerous this year.
He had 10 games with 2 or more explosive plays, with grand slam grabs of 84 and 75 yards. That 75-yard touchdown catch came as part of an incredible Apple Cup performance, when he had 6 catches for 150 yards against the rival Cougars.
USC wide receiver Tahj Washington
Seemingly lost in the shuffle behind Addison along with guys like Brenden Rice and Kyle Ford, Washington carved out a major role for himself starting in Week 4, when he had an important 6 grabs for 67 yards in a narrow 17-14 win over impressive Oregon State.
Washington truly broke out midway through the season, topping 100 yards in back-to-back wins over Arizona and Cal. He had catches of 46 and 47 yards against the Cats and 4 more explosive plays a week later against the Bears.
He proved particularly useful when Addison was sidelined with myriad injuries. With Addison moved on to the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, Washington is in store for a big year.
Oregon RB Bucky Irving
Irving had a good freshman season and a very good sophomore campaign, and he’s looking good for a bang-up 3rd year. He had 1,058 yards and 5 scores on 156 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per tote.
He gradually gained steam through the season, coming alive in November. Irving had a 65-yard run and an 18-yard touchdown pass against Colorado on Nov. 5, then followed with 6 explosive plays against Washington a week later, totaling 146 yards on the ground and 35 through the air.
But Irving was at his best in the Holiday Bowl against North Carolina, rushing 13 times for 149 yards with 2 touchdowns, including a 66-yard scoring run and 3 other runs of more than 10 yards. He also added 4 kick returns for 106 yards.
For the year, Irving finished with more than 40 explosive plays.
Washington State safety Jaden Hicks
Talk about making an early impression. Hicks had a terrific freshman season, picking up double-digit tackles in Games 3, 4 and 5 in his career. On the year, he had 6 passes defended and an interception, and he finished the season with 75 tackles.
He could take on the mantle as the league’s top defensive back in a hurry.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan
One reason for the optimism coming out of Tucson is the big-play ability of youngsters like McMillan, who will undoubtedly see more targets with Singer moving on to USC.
What McMillan did with his targets last season was impressive: He had 702 yards on 39 receptions, averaging 18.0 yards per catch, with 8 touchdowns. Perhaps most impressively, he had at least one explosive play in every single game.
His command performance was a 7-catch, 132-yard, 2-touchdown day at Washington.