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2014 college football receiver stats

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So we're past the midway point of February, and I haven't posted last season's receiving stats yet. I should fire myself.

Better late than never, however! Here is a link to a rather enormous Excel file with receiving stats -- standard downs, passing downs, and all -- broken out into receivers, tight ends, running backs, etc. Play with it, and feel free to share anything interesting you might find.

You'll find some random stats on the far right of each tab:

Net Expected Yards: Basically, "Your Catch Rate was A%, and one with that average would typically net about B yards per catch. With your total targets, then, you should have ended up with C receiving yards, but you ended up with D receiving yards instead." (Also: NEP/Target).

Real Yards Per Target: On average, a player tended to be targeted A% of the time on standard downs, so if Player B was targeted A% on SDs and C% on PDs, his per-target average would have been D.

RYPR: (Receiving yards / Total Team Plays) * Passing S&P+. For more, go here.

The way I see it, all of these measures are potential components of a good receiving measure, but I don't use them for much right now. Regardless, they're yours to play with here.

I also thought it would be interesting to take a detailed look at the most frequently targeted players. Who had the best/worst catch rates of the bunch? Yards per catch? Target Rates (percentage of your team's passes targeting you)? Here you go. Spoiler alert: Amari Cooper was awesome.

Player Offense Targets Catches Yards Catch Rate Yards/ Catch
Yards/ Target
Target Rate Target No.
Amari Cooper Alabama 173 124 1727 71.7% 13.9 10.0 39.8% 1
Justin Hardy East Carolina 171 121 1494 70.8% 12.3 8.7 28.2% 1
Vince Mayle Washington State 163 106 1483 65.0% 14.0 9.1 21.8% 1
Kevin White West Virginia 158 109 1447 69.0% 13.3 9.2 30.6% 1
Keevan Lucas Tulsa 154 101 1219 65.6% 12.1 7.9 33.7% 1
Nelson Spruce Colorado 153 106 1198 69.3% 11.3 7.8 29.7% 1
Jaelen Strong Arizona State 152 82 1165 53.9% 14.2 7.7 34.0% 1
Tyler Lockett Kansas State 149 106 1515 71.1% 14.3 10.2 37.4% 1
Jamison Crowder Duke 144 86 1085 59.7% 12.6 7.5 32.6% 1
Rashad Greene Florida State 143 99 1365 69.2% 13.8 9.5 29.3% 1
Josh Harper Fresno State 143 90 1097 62.9% 12.2 7.7 29.9% 1
Roger Lewis Bowling Green 139 73 1093 52.5% 15.0 7.9 26.4% 1
DaeSean Hamilton Penn State 138 82 899 59.4% 11.0 6.5 29.0% 1
Tajae Sharpe Massachusetts 135 85 1281 63.0% 15.1 9.5 29.3% 1
Tommy Shuler Marshall 134 92 1138 68.7% 12.4 8.5 29.9% 1
Nelson Agholor USC 134 104 1313 77.6% 12.6 9.8 30.0% 1
Kenzee Jackson UL-Monroe 133 79 866 59.4% 11.0 6.5 26.5% 1
Deontay Greenberry Houston 132 72 841 54.5% 11.7 6.4 30.9% 1
Rashard Higgins Colorado State 131 96 1750 73.3% 18.2 13.4 30.8% 1
Cayleb Jones Arizona 130 74 1029 56.9% 13.9 7.9 25.0% 1
Bud Sasser Missouri 124 77 997 62.1% 12.9 8.0 31.8% 1
Tyler Boyd Pittsburgh 122 78 1261 63.9% 16.2 10.3 41.5% 1
Da'Ron Brown Northern Illinois 121 61 974 50.4% 16.0 8.0 35.1% 1
Tyler Winston San Jose State 121 78 694 64.5% 8.9 5.7 28.1% 1
Joshua McCain Idaho 120 76 1162 63.3% 15.3 9.7 29.8% 1
Jordan Williams Ball State 118 56 753 47.5% 13.4 6.4 29.8% 1
Josh Doctson TCU 117 66 1022 56.4% 15.5 8.7 22.9% 1
Isiah Myers Washington State 116 78 972 67.2% 12.5 8.4 15.5% 2
Isaiah Jones East Carolina 115 83 852 72.2% 10.3 7.4 18.9% 2
Mike Dudek Illinois 115 76 1038 66.1% 13.7 9.0 25.2% 1
William Fuller Notre Dame 115 76 1094 66.1% 14.4 9.5 26.6% 1
Corey Davis Western Michigan 115 78 1408 67.8% 18.1 12.2 32.7% 1
Quinton Pedroza Hawaii 114 59 674 51.8% 11.4 5.9 25.6% 1
Carlos Harris North Texas 112 70 863 62.5% 12.3 7.7 36.0% 1
Rashon Ceaser UL-Monroe 112 77 872 68.8% 11.3 7.8 22.3% 2
Mario Alford West Virginia 112 65 945 58.0% 14.5 8.4 21.7% 2
Mitch Mathews BYU 111 73 922 65.8% 12.6 8.3 24.0% 1
David Frazier Miami (Ohio) 110 59 949 53.6% 16.1 8.6 25.5% 1
Richy Turner Nevada 110 63 587 57.3% 9.3 5.3 28.2% 1
Jakeem Grant Texas Tech 110 67 938 60.9% 14.0 8.5 20.7% 1
Marcus Kemp Hawaii 109 56 800 51.4% 14.3 7.3 24.5% 2
Antwan Goodley Baylor 108 60 830 55.6% 13.8 7.7 21.6% 1
Victor Bolden Oregon State 107 72 798 67.3% 11.1 7.5 23.2% 1
Lucky Whitehead Florida Atlantic 106 76 709 71.7% 9.3 6.7 29.8% 1
Curry Sexton Kansas State 106 79 1059 74.5% 13.4 10.0 26.6% 2
Byron Marshall Oregon 106 75 1011 70.8% 13.5 9.5 22.6% 1
Daniel Braverman Western Michigan 106 86 996 81.1% 11.6 9.4 30.1% 2
Zach D'Orazio Akron 105 62 658 59.0% 10.6 6.3 20.8% 1
Tony Lippett Michigan State 105 65 1198 61.9% 18.4 11.4 27.0% 1
Zach Pascal Old Dominion 104 59 743 56.7% 12.6 7.1 24.2% 1
John Harris Texas 104 68 1051 65.4% 15.5 10.1 26.1% 1
Jordan Leslie BYU 103 55 779 53.4% 14.2 7.6 22.3% 2
Teldrick Morgan New Mexico State 102 75 891 73.5% 11.9 8.7 24.2% 1
Pharoh Cooper South Carolina 102 70 1152 68.6% 16.5 11.3 22.7% 1
Bradley Marquez Texas Tech 102 65 821 63.7% 12.6 8.0 19.2% 2
Hunter Sharp Utah State 102 66 939 64.7% 14.2 9.2 27.6% 1
Ryan Burbrink Bowling Green 101 64 758 63.4% 11.8 7.5 19.2% 2
River Cracraft Washington State 101 66 771 65.3% 11.7 7.6 13.5% 3
Alex Erickson Wisconsin 101 55 772 54.5% 14.0 7.6 33.7% 1
Devin Funchess Michigan 100 62 733 62.0% 11.8 7.3 32.5% 1
Geno Lewis Penn State 100 55 763 55.0% 13.9 7.6 21.0% 2
Devonte Boyd UNLV 100 64 973 64.0% 15.2 9.7 21.6% 1
Shaq Washington Cincinnati 99 66 761 66.7% 11.5 7.7 20.9% 1
Shavarez Smith South Alabama 99 54 748 54.5% 13.9 7.6 25.3% 1
Corey Jones Toledo 99 68 842 68.7% 12.4 8.5 25.8% 1
Jordan Payton UCLA 99 67 954 67.7% 14.2 9.6 23.6% 1
Titus Davis Central Michigan 98 60 965 61.2% 16.1 9.8 26.8% 1
Robert Davis Georgia State 97 50 732 51.5% 14.6 7.5 23.5% 1
Trent Taylor Louisiana Tech 97 64 834 66.0% 13.0 8.6 22.0% 1
Ajalen Holley UL-Monroe 97 57 863 58.8% 15.1 8.9 19.3% 3
Alonzo Russell Toledo 96 52 784 54.2% 15.1 8.2 25.0% 2
Cam Worthy East Carolina 95 55 1016 57.9% 18.5 10.7 15.7% 3
Demarcus Robinson Florida 95 53 810 55.8% 15.3 8.5 31.4% 1
Jared Dangerfield Western Kentucky 95 69 825 72.6% 12.0 8.7 17.6% 1
KD Cannon Baylor 94 58 1030 61.7% 17.8 11.0 18.8% 2
Breshad Perriman Central Florida 94 50 1044 53.2% 20.9 11.1 24.5% 1
Casey Pierce Kent State 94 61 658 64.9% 10.8 7.0 22.6% 1
Stefon Diggs Maryland 94 62 792 66.0% 12.8 8.4 24.2% 1
Antonio Vaughan Old Dominion 94 63 1019 67.0% 16.2 10.8 21.9% 2
Leonte Carroo Rutgers 94 55 1086 58.5% 19.7 11.6 27.8% 1
Ty Montgomery Stanford 94 61 604 64.9% 9.9 6.4 25.4% 1
D.J. Foster Arizona State 93 62 688 66.7% 11.1 7.4 20.8% 2
Mike Williams Clemson 93 57 1030 61.3% 18.1 11.1 21.5% 1
Allen Lazard Iowa State 93 46 592 49.5% 12.9 6.4 19.0% 1
Chris Humphrey Kent State 93 51 635 54.8% 12.5 6.8 22.4% 2
Keyarris Garrett Tulsa 93 47 698 50.5% 14.9 7.5 20.4% 2
Artavis Scott Clemson 92 76 965 82.6% 12.7 10.5 21.3% 2
KeVonn Mabon Ball State 91 59 717 64.8% 12.2 7.9 23.0% 2
Ronnie Moore Bowling Green 90 56 690 62.2% 12.3 7.7 17.1% 3
Isaiah Ford Virginia Tech 90 56 709 62.2% 12.7 7.9 22.1% 1
Donovan Harden Georgia State 89 60 885 67.4% 14.8 9.9 21.5% 2
Kevonte Martin-Manley Iowa 89 52 521 58.4% 10.0 5.9 20.9% 1
Deon Long Maryland 89 51 575 57.3% 11.3 6.5 22.9% 2
Jerico Richardson Nevada 89 56 655 62.9% 11.7 7.4 22.8% 2
Jalen Fitzpatrick Temple 89 53 730 59.6% 13.8 8.2 23.9% 1
Corey Coleman Baylor 88 64 1119 72.7% 17.5 12.7 17.6% 3
Kenny Bell Nebraska 87 47 790 54.0% 16.8 9.1 25.6% 1
Jaxon Shipley Texas 87 59 581 67.8% 9.8 6.7 21.9% 2
Ryan Switzer North Carolina 86 61 762 70.9% 12.5 8.9 17.7% 1
Darius Joseph SMU 86 54 379 62.8% 7.0 4.4 21.1% 1
Shane Wynn Indiana 85 56 708 65.9% 12.6 8.3 28.5% 1
Malcome Kennedy Texas A&M 85 53 611 62.4% 11.5 7.2 17.2% 1
Ron Willoughby Buffalo 84 50 771 59.5% 15.4 9.2 24.1% 1
Jonnu Smith Florida International 84 61 688 72.6% 11.3 8.2 27.2% 1
Kenny Lawler California 83 54 701 65.1% 13.0 8.4 16.4% 1
Chris Harper California 83 52 634 62.7% 12.2 7.6 16.4% 2
Pig Howard Tennessee 83 54 618 65.1% 11.4 7.4 19.5% 1
Willie McNeal Western Kentucky 83 56 666 67.5% 11.9 8.0 15.4% 2
L.T. Smith III Akron 82 46 502 56.1% 10.9 6.1 16.2% 2
Travin Dural LSU 82 37 758 45.1% 20.5 9.2 31.3% 1
Jordan Taylor Rice 82 54 842 65.9% 15.6 10.3 24.5% 1
Kolby Listenbee TCU 82 41 753 50.0% 18.4 9.2 16.0% 2
Devin Fuller UCLA 82 59 447 72.0% 7.6 5.5 19.6% 2
JuJu Smith USC 82 54 724 65.9% 13.4 8.8 18.4% 2
Tres Houston Arkansas State 81 53 680 65.4% 12.8 8.4 19.4% 1
Bryce Treggs California 81 52 583 64.2% 11.2 7.2 16.0% 3
Rokeem Williams Miami (Ohio) 81 35 682 43.2% 19.5 8.4 18.8% 2
Shay Fields Colorado 80 50 486 62.5% 9.7 6.1 15.5% 2
De'Runnya Wilson Mississippi State 80 47 680 58.8% 14.5 8.5 19.4% 1
Sterling Shepard Oklahoma 80 51 970 63.8% 19.0 12.1 22.7% 1
Durron Neal Oklahoma 80 42 513 52.5% 12.2 6.4 22.7% 2
Teddy Veal Tulane 80 40 381 50.0% 9.5 4.8 19.3% 1
Jaydon Mickens Washington 80 60 617 75.0% 10.3 7.7 21.0% 1

Some quick notes:

* Keevan Lucas is going to put up 1,000,000 yards next year in Philip Montgomery's offense. He had 1,200 yards as part of an awful Tulsa offense last year.

* Amari Cooper, Tyler Lockett, and Tyler Boyd all averaged 10-plus yards per target with target rates of 37-plus percent. Everybody knew where the ball was going, and they still put up huge numbers.

* River Cracraft and Alex Erickson both had 101 targets. Cracraft's target rate was 13.5% in Wazzu's all-pass offense, and Erickson's was 33.7% in Wisconsin's run-run-run-pass-run-run offense.

* The most noticeable thing: Almost every name at the top of this list is gone in 2015. Lucas is back, as are Rashard Higgins and Boyd. And while his per-target numbers were awful, DaeSean Hamilton was a freshman security blanket for Christian Hackenberg at Penn State. But this list is going to look completely different next year.