Today we’re taking a look at two more of the best freshman wide receivers, and this time it’s Karmello English of the Michigan Wolverines and William Fowles of the Louisville Cardinals.
Karmello English is a four star recruit who’s decision came down to either Michigan or Auburn, and he chose the Wolverines where he will look to make an impact early on.
William Fowles headed to Louisville with fellow freshman wideouts Catauras Hicks and Jahlil McClain, as well as five transfers as the Cardinals became one of the most active programs in the portal this offseason.
We’re taking a look at the opportunity for both of these young men today, as well as their situations at both schools, and how they might impact college fantasy football over the coming seasons.
Karmello English – Wide Receiver, Michigan
Karmello English was a consensus four star recruit out of Phenix City, Alabama who set multiple records at Phenix City Central High School. English took down the single season school records for receptions (75), yards (1,059), and touchdowns (18).
In his junior and senior seasons combined, the six foot wide receiver managed over 1,900 receiving yards, 29 receiving touchdowns and six rushing touchdowns as he attracted attention from major programs across the country.
Michigan recruited him out of his home state despite interest and an offer from Alabama. He was originally committed to Auburn, and had competing offers from Kentucky and Cincinnati, but opened his commitment back up and settled on the Wolverines, signing on December 21st of 2022.
William Fowles – Wide Receiver, Louisville
William Fowles played his high school football at the Avante Garde Academy in Hollywood, Florida, and chose the Louisville Cardinals over offers from in-state schools with the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes.
Fowles is one of the hottest three star wide receivers in this year’s class, who had a big junior year in high school with over 1,100 yards and 19 touchdowns. He played both ways and has a very natural athletic ability, now getting the chance to grow into a starting role with the Cardinals under the new regime with Coach Brohm.
The Cardinals freshman receiver did get a four star rating from 247 Sports, and you can justify why he might be ranked a little higher. Unfortunately his senior season was hindered by injuries, but there’s a lot to like about his junior year tape regardless.
2023-2024 CFB Season Opportunity
Karmello English
There are three Michigan Wolverines freshman receivers coming into the 2023 college football season, with Karmello English being the only four star among them. The other two, Semaj Morgan & Fredrick Moore, are both three star recruits, and so English is expected to be the one to make the biggest impact the earliest.
Michigan receivers Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson will both step into bigger roles this year with the departure of Ronnie Bell. The Wolverines seem to have their starters at least wrapped up, and the depth on the roster is pretty good too with multiple redshirt sophomores waiting in the wings.
Perhaps there’s an opportunity for English to get on the field on special teams, particularly with his speed. I do however feel that unless he has a serious impact very early on in preseason training there is a chance that this season ends up being a redshirt year for him. Michigan doesn’t need to force him into the lineup, they have guys capable of making an impact this year in more experienced positions.
William Fowles
There is potential for William Fowles at Louisville this season, considering the fact that the entire receiving group barring junior slot receiver Ahmari Huggins-Bruce and sophomore Chris Bell is brand new.
The new head coach Jeff Brohm and his staff got really active in the transfer portal bringing in five wide receivers. Among them were former Georgia State wide receiver Jamari Thrash who had 1,100 yards last season in a breakout year, and former Cincinnati Bearcats receiver Jadon Thompson.
Fowles will of course have far less experience than the other guys tipped to start, but there will be depth roles up for grabs for transfers and freshmen to earn within the offense.
The six foot two receiver will likely offer depth in rotation this season, and could see some playing time at the X. That said, his game needs a little polishing in places, sometimes looking a little too loose and off balance in his route running.
Pro’s and Con’s for playing time
Karmello English
The likelihood is that we don’t see all that much of Karmello English this year, but you can turn that into a positive by expecting that he redshirts this year.
In that case, English would get the season to learn the system, bulk up a little in preparation for football at the college level. He could then break into the lineup next season with seniors in Johnson and Wilson moving on after the upcoming campaign.
As mentioned, there is a potential to see him this year on special teams, and Michigan will be looking for a new returner with A.J. Hennings no longer in town. That is likely the best way for the freshman wideout to break into the lineup if he’s going to, but the more likely case is Michigan refueling the wide receiver room with three freshmen who will come into play a little further down the line.
William Fowles
The pro for seeing Fowles get on the field this year is the lack of established receivers in a brand new offense under a new coaching staff. Reps are up for grabs and while there might be more experienced players in the locker room, they wont claim all of the reps this season, so Fowles could get on the field more than you might initially think.
That said, with so many transfers coming in, the depth chart is a complete question mark, which makes it really difficult to predict who plays and how much. You can get a good feel based on the level of experience, and I’d expect both Bruce-Huggins and Jamari Thrash to be key features this year.
The best bet with William Fowles is to expect that he redshirts the year as a part of the new group of freshman receivers, along with both Catauras Hicks and Jahlil McClain. If you’re adding him to your fantasy rosters, do so with the expectation that he’ll get some work starting next year, and anything else will be bonus time.
Why draft him in CFB Fantasy Leagues?
Karmello English
There’s a lot to like about Karmello English’s game. He lines up primarily as a slot receiver and from his high school tape you can see a lot of maturity in his route running, an excellent get off from the line of scrimmage and some really impressive body control at the catch point.
He did take some reps out of the backfield and absolutely has the athleticism to make things happen with the ball in his hands, scoring six rushing touchdowns at the high school level.
English is an exciting prospect who should see the field for three solid seasons with the Wolverines, so having him tucked away on your college football fantasy roster ready for next year seems like a great idea.
William Fowles
He’s got a lot of athletic ability for a player of his size. At six foot two he’s got extremely long looking strides and plays the game fast as a result. He’s agile for a player of his body type and can get additional yardage after the catch.
I can see why he was on the line between a three and four star recruit, as there’s definitely elements of his game that need to be polished, so if you’re adding him to your devy fantasy league roster, know that it could take some time to see him produce.
Stock Radar as an NFL Prospect
Karmello English 8%
I really liked what I saw watching the tape on Karmello English. He reminded me of Josh Downs, who has an opportunity for a starting role in the slot for the Indianapolis Colts this season.
English has all the physical tools and seems to grasp the mental side of the game. When it comes to slot receivers I like to see guys who know how to win and have the burst to get open either over the middle or breaking out towards the sideline. English has a wealth of that on tape, now he just needs to execute it at the college level.
William Fowles 3%
Fowles has impressive length and a huge catch radius, but I’d like to see him play harder and more aggressive. At times his routes look a little lazy and unrefined, all things that can be polished, so with some college coaching and experience he may well develop into a very talented outside receiver.
