Your college football fantasy roster needs replenishing with freshman talent and you’re not sure who to pick up? Don’t worry, with this series we’ve got you covered. There’s a new group of wide receiver talent coming through fresh out of high school, and these are some of the brightest young stars with the potential to make an immediate impact.
Let’s take a look at two freshman wideouts, their opportunity to play, where they might rank in college fantasy football rankings, and follow their journeys as their careers in the college game unfold.
Jaquaize Pettaway – Wide Receiver, Oklahoma
Jaquaize Pettaway is a consensus four star recruit who was ranked in the top 10 amongst the year’s class of wide receivers. He’s been productive at wideout for the past three seasons of high school, totaling over 1,800 yards and 16 touchdowns over the course of three seasons. He’s also a highly talented track athlete who competed in the 100 meters as a high school junior, clocking in at under 10.50 seconds.
Pettaway played his high school football at Langham Creek in Texas and attracted offers from the likes of the Texas Longhorns, Ole Miss Rebels, Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs.
He chose Oklahoma over a wealth of alternative options, and could now get a lot of looks early on, either as a return specialist or as a pure wide receiver.
Aidan Mizell – Wide Receiver, Florida
Aidan Mizell is also a consensus four star recruit and the number 11 ranked wide receiver in this year’s recruiting class. He had 47 catches for 1,003 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior, which attracted the attention of some of the top schools in the country.
He has strong roots at the University of Florida, with both of his parents graduating from UF and having competed in track and field for the program. Aidan is no different with his track speed. He’s one of the fastest receivers in the class and will bring his speed to the football field for the Gators.
Despite being heavily recruited with the opportunity to go to Alabama or Georgia, Mizell chose Florida, where he’ll get a chance to prove himself and earn early playing time as Billy Napier looks to rebuild the Gators.
2023-24 CFB Season Opportunity
Jaquaize Pettaway
Pettaway comes into the Sooners program as part of the same class as five star quarterback Jackson Arnold, who will challenge second year Sooner QB Dillon Gabriel this coming season.
Pettaway has already had reps with Arnold at the Under Armour All America practice, where the two connected multiple times and both impressed throughout the event.
While Pettaways playing time with the starters might be limited this season, he will undoubtedly spend the year building a rapport with Arnold, and both could step into starting roles next season.
The Sooners will feature junior Jalil Farooq stepping into a major role this year after the departure of Marvin Mims, plus redshirt senior Drake Stoops and Michigan transfer Andre Antony. Not only do they have guys who have proven themselves last season as a supporting cast to Mims, but the receiver room has a tonne of depth with sophomores Jayden Gibson and Gavin Freeman as well as several other competing wideouts.
Pettaways best shot at early playing time will be in the return game, where he showed off his track speed in high school already.
Aidan Mizell
Aidan Mizell joins the Gators along with fellow freshmen receivers Andy Jean and Eugene Wilson. The Gators struggled for standout talent in the pass game last season, with Ricky Pearsall being the only receiver left on the roster who managed more than 250 receiving yards last season.
Pearsall led the Gators with 669 yards and five touchdowns, and while he was supported by Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson, Shorter headed to the NFL and Henderson the transfer portal, which means behind Pearsall the targets are up for grabs.
These freshmen receivers will be hungry for early game time, and should be especially keen considering the lack of proven talent in front of them. If any of the three are able to show out in spring practice and pre-season training, they will earn playing time right out of the gate.
Aidan Mizell’s speed could be key for Florida, who’s offense sputtered and lacked any explosiveness last season. Napier is looking for the guys who are going to become difference makers and help turn the program around after a multi-season slump, so there is plenty of opportunity for Mizell to get on the field.
Pro’s and Con’s for playing time
Jaquaize Pettaway
The biggest pro for Pettaway is his blazing speed. His highlight tape shows him giving defensive backs a move and then flat out running away from them, and that could greatly benefit him early at the University of Oklahoma.
As earlier mentioned, there’s a good opportunity in the return game, and that might be where he proves himself before earning reps at receiver. Many great college wideouts start out as returners, and some of them make some early plays and get on the field in other capacities in a hurry.
The other key is going to be the relationship that he builds with Jackson Arnold. By the later half of the season Arnold could be on the field, and that might mean more looks for Pettaway if the two have been connecting well in training throughout the year.
Aidan Mizell
It’s a similar story for Mizell, but in his case he has far less competition in front of him. While his speed is certainly a pro, the other conversation is the fact that the Gators have nothing to lose this year.
There is no consensus wide receiver group at Florida right now. Besides Ricky Pearsall none of the guys on the roster have done anything to prove they deserve starting reps, which is great news for a freshman.
Mizell could also get some early reps as a returner, but look for Napier to offer fourth quarter reps and game time to his young offensive weapons in blowouts and against smaller schools on this year’s schedule.
The concern for Mizell is that he’s going to have to beat out two fellow classmen for those opportunities. With three freshman wideouts coming in and targets being up for grabs, we’ll have to monitor reports coming out of the Gators camp throughout the build up to the season to figure out who’s impressed the most.
Why draft him in CFB Fantasy Leagues?
Jaquaize Pettaway
Pettaway might not be on the field in Week 1, but if you’re playing the long game it’s that connection with Jackson Arnold and the two being the vision for the long term future of the Sooners that earns him a place on your roster.
Sure you might not get much from him early, but as the two settle in with the Sooners and eventually take over starting reps, big things could follow. It wouldn’t be outlandish to consider Jackson Arnold might be starting before his freshman year is out. He’s the best quarterback in the class and one of the Sooners best recruits of all time, and the fans want to see him play.
As for Pettaway, he might have to wait a little longer, but he’s the big ticket weapon for the Sooners pass catching class this year. If he impresses early and the Sooners need a spark or some additional speed, they could call upon him.
Aidan Mizell
Opportunity. There’s a severe lack of confidence around who the Gators are going to throw the football to this season. The offense is going to take on a completely new form with transfer Graham Mertz coming over from Wisconsin, and even he isn’t guaranteed to hold the job all season.
Mertz will figure out which guys he can trust during camp, and these freshmen will have just as much of an opportunity there as anybody else. The Gators offense right now is Ricky Pearsall and then a tonne of question marks, so the upside with grabbing one of their freshmen, especially speed threat Aidan Mizell is a nice play.
Stock Radar as an NFL prospect
Jaquaize Pettaway 3%
We’ll start Pettaway at 3% for now, but Jaquaize Pettaway really reminded me of Jalin Hyatt with his high school tape, and Hyatt just won the Fred Biletnikoff award and was drafted in the third round by the New York Giants.
If all goes to plan for Pettaway who has impressed at every opportunity in his young career so far, he could be the Sooners next Denzel Mims in a couple of years time.
Aidan Mizell 2%
Aidan Mizell will bulk out at Florida, and with a six foot two frame and track speed he has the measurables to be a very intriguing prospect if correctly developed.
I’d like to see him on the field as a freshman, I think he can earn it and when he does this stock meter could start to rise in a hurry.