Stanford Football's Elic Ayomanor tabbed as one of the top returning wide receivers in all of college football

Kevin Borba | Mar 29, 2024

Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (13) catches / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Whatever Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor ate for breakfast prior to Stanford's Week 7 win needs to be what he eats before the game he plays in for the rest of his career.

While the season as a whole wasn't going how Stanford may have hoped, the team was simply looking to show improvement each and every week and get youngsters experience. By this point, they had lost four games in a row, and were playing a Colorado team that was generating a ton of buzz. We all know how it played out, the Cardinal went down 29-0 at the half but were led by Ayomanor's historic showing of 13 catches for 294 yards and three scores as they came back and won in overtime.

That performance changed something in Ayomanor, and also established him as the team's most dangerous weapon the rest of the year. It also led to him getting some well-deserved national attention.

Oct 13, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (13) pulls in a / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent ranking by 247Sports' Brad Crawford of the top 25 wide receivers in college football, Ayomanor came in as the No. 13 receiver in the country. Crawford cited the Colorado breakout game as a major reason, but expressed that he will be featured heavily in the offense moving forward.

"Stanford's best player managed arguably the nation's top individual performance at the position last fall after his 13-catch, 294-yard explosion against Colorado. Not only did  Elic Ayomanor burn top-end cornerback Travis Hunter and the Buffaloes several times downfield, he made the most of his touches with three of his six touchdowns scored as a freshman. He's a not-so-secret weapon within the Stanford passing game and now, 2024 should be his breakout campaign nationally as a featured, physical threat," wrote Crawford.

If Stanford can see their offensive line improve after a year of experience under their belt, and get more consistent quarterback play from Ashton Daniels or newcomer Elijah Brown, Ayomanor could end up being a household name. Troy Taylor is one of the better offensive minds in college football, and will have a chance to showcase that in 2024 as his roster saw more talent infused into it, and based on the fact that the majority of the starters last season had not played in years prior.

Ayomanor finished the season with 62 catches for 1,013 yards and six scores on 16.3 yards per catch. Assuming Stanford improves all around on offense and he is able to stay healthy, there's a chance that he can even have a bigger year in 2024 as Stanford makes the jump from the Pac-12 to the ACC.