The Wildcats' wide receiving corps is one of the team's youngest position groups, with only one senior among them. But it is also a group filled with talent; a wide-eyed bunch that coaches say are soaking everything up and doing everything asked of them while in the early stages of developing their identity in camp as a high-energy, high-effort unit.
"They're fresh, their slate's clean right now," said wide receivers coach Dennis Springer, now entering his seventh season with the team. "When you watch practice, its one kid doing this well, another kid is doing this well, so there's a lot of talent out there that we've got to harness and get going in the right direction."
It is an aspect of the team that has allowed Springer to mix-and-match receivers with different offensive units early on in preseason camp. While upperclassmen Macan Wilson, Flynn Nagel and Jelani Roberts still see the majority of time with the first unit, the abundance of talent has allowed for players like sophomore Bennett Skowrownek, Oregon transfer Jalen Brown and redshirt freshman Riley Lees to get reps with the first team early in camp. And Springer is using this opportunity as a gauge for playing time moving forward.
"I told them after practice, it's about production," Springer said. "I want to see us produce on the field, let our work show for us."
Wilson, the lone senior of the bunch, had a breakout season in 2016 after coming into the year without a reception. After redshirting his freshman year, the Houston, native appeared as a reserve wide receiver and special teamer in his first two years in Evanston before cracking the rotation last season as a junior.
Wilson led the Wildcats with 13.9 yards per catch in 2016, while hauling in 22 passes for 306 yards and one touchdown. He scored his first career touchdown, a 32-yard reception, in the 'Cats' 24-14 win over Indiana, and finished with a season-high 57 yards - including a season-long 35-yard reception - in Northwestern's 24-13 win over Duke.
"It was a decision I made at the end of the [2015] season," said Wilson, who capped off his career-year in 2016 with three catches for 47 yards, including a 32-yard catch, in the Wildcats' Pinstripe Bowl victory. "I felt like I was to the point where I was confident enough in myself to believe I should be out there on the field helping this team win. So, it was a result of all the extra work I put in in the offseason getting ready for the year and the boost in confidence in myself that I needed."
Wilson also said that has built an even stronger relationship off the field with third-year quarterback Clayton Thorson, who he spent a lot of time with in the offseason, talking and watching film.
"We're closer than ever," Wilson said. "As you keep playing together you get a better understanding of what the other one's looking for and what's going through his mind on every play. Our relationship's really grown and it's going to be exciting to see what we can do this year on the field."
Another familiar face for Thorson this year is junior Flynn Nagel, last season's second-leading receiver behind Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year Austin Carr, now with the NFL's New England Patriots. The Lemont, Illinois, product finished 2016 with 40 catches and 447 receiving yards, both career highs, while also serving as the team's primary punt returner. Nagel showed early flashes at slot receiver as a true freshman in 2015, before suffering a season-ending injury after just five games.
But last season is when he really emerged as a top target, contributing five or more catches four times during the year. He finished with five catches for a season-high 81 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown catch, in the 'Cats win over Michigan State. For the year, he also returned five kicks for 98 yards and 19 punts for 132 yards.
The Wildcats gained another veteran presence when they brought in junior transfer Jalen Brown from the University of Oregon in the offseason. Brown appeared in 25 games over two seasons at Oregon, and caught 26 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns. He gives the Wildcats another battle-tested receiver to add to the young group.
"He's a veteran guy who's been in wars," Springer said. "He's played Power Five football for two years, so I'm excited to see his leadership start to come out."
The Wildcats will spend the rest of the week in Evanston, and then a week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, before returning to campus for the final week of camp.
"They're fresh, their slate's clean right now," said wide receivers coach Dennis Springer, now entering his seventh season with the team. "When you watch practice, its one kid doing this well, another kid is doing this well, so there's a lot of talent out there that we've got to harness and get going in the right direction."
?? the wide receivers today. #B1GCats pic.twitter.com/SJOQNBlEd8
— #B1GCats Football (@NUFBFamily) August 8, 2017
It is an aspect of the team that has allowed Springer to mix-and-match receivers with different offensive units early on in preseason camp. While upperclassmen Macan Wilson, Flynn Nagel and Jelani Roberts still see the majority of time with the first unit, the abundance of talent has allowed for players like sophomore Bennett Skowrownek, Oregon transfer Jalen Brown and redshirt freshman Riley Lees to get reps with the first team early in camp. And Springer is using this opportunity as a gauge for playing time moving forward.
"I told them after practice, it's about production," Springer said. "I want to see us produce on the field, let our work show for us."
See ball. Catch ball. Make plays.#B1GCats pic.twitter.com/TLhrqoaSpE
— #B1GCats Football (@NUFBFamily) August 8, 2017
Wilson, the lone senior of the bunch, had a breakout season in 2016 after coming into the year without a reception. After redshirting his freshman year, the Houston, native appeared as a reserve wide receiver and special teamer in his first two years in Evanston before cracking the rotation last season as a junior.
Wilson led the Wildcats with 13.9 yards per catch in 2016, while hauling in 22 passes for 306 yards and one touchdown. He scored his first career touchdown, a 32-yard reception, in the 'Cats' 24-14 win over Indiana, and finished with a season-high 57 yards - including a season-long 35-yard reception - in Northwestern's 24-13 win over Duke.
"It was a decision I made at the end of the [2015] season," said Wilson, who capped off his career-year in 2016 with three catches for 47 yards, including a 32-yard catch, in the Wildcats' Pinstripe Bowl victory. "I felt like I was to the point where I was confident enough in myself to believe I should be out there on the field helping this team win. So, it was a result of all the extra work I put in in the offseason getting ready for the year and the boost in confidence in myself that I needed."
Wilson also said that has built an even stronger relationship off the field with third-year quarterback Clayton Thorson, who he spent a lot of time with in the offseason, talking and watching film.
"We're closer than ever," Wilson said. "As you keep playing together you get a better understanding of what the other one's looking for and what's going through his mind on every play. Our relationship's really grown and it's going to be exciting to see what we can do this year on the field."
Another familiar face for Thorson this year is junior Flynn Nagel, last season's second-leading receiver behind Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year Austin Carr, now with the NFL's New England Patriots. The Lemont, Illinois, product finished 2016 with 40 catches and 447 receiving yards, both career highs, while also serving as the team's primary punt returner. Nagel showed early flashes at slot receiver as a true freshman in 2015, before suffering a season-ending injury after just five games.
But last season is when he really emerged as a top target, contributing five or more catches four times during the year. He finished with five catches for a season-high 81 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown catch, in the 'Cats win over Michigan State. For the year, he also returned five kicks for 98 yards and 19 punts for 132 yards.
The Wildcats gained another veteran presence when they brought in junior transfer Jalen Brown from the University of Oregon in the offseason. Brown appeared in 25 games over two seasons at Oregon, and caught 26 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns. He gives the Wildcats another battle-tested receiver to add to the young group.
"He's a veteran guy who's been in wars," Springer said. "He's played Power Five football for two years, so I'm excited to see his leadership start to come out."
The Wildcats will spend the rest of the week in Evanston, and then a week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, before returning to campus for the final week of camp.