Several Top 2021 Wide Receivers went through Transfers, UCF Players Included

By way of transfers, college football has become more like NFL free agency, especially for wide receivers.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Nov 15, 2021 4:09 AM EST

ORLANDO - As student-athletes now have the option to switch universities for another institution. Just because the original plan did not work out, that does not mean the next stop along the college football trail will not be a success.

Some teams have been benefitting more than others, landing key transfers that make an immediate impact. Through ten games this season, here is a list of some top-performing wide receivers after they decided to transfer at some point during their college careers.

Jameson Williams, Alabama

Williams played in 22 games and made six starts during his two-year stretch at Ohio State University, totaling 21 receptions for 378 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

The former Ohio State Buckeye has immediately inserted himself into the Alabama (9-1, 5-1 SEC) starting lineup, and he’s continuing to earn that distinction by ranking No. 10 nationally in receiving yards with 1,028. He’s also tied for second nationally with two kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Speed runs in William’s blood. The former St Louis (Mo.) Cardinal Ritter College Prep football standout was also a track star, holding the state record in the 300-meter hurdles and winning two state track and field titles. Practically, Williams is destined to be an elite athletic sprinter. His mom, dad, brother and sister all ran track at the collegiate level.

Jameson Williams Catches and runs for a 94 yard touchdown versus Miami — Jameson Williams, Wide Receiver, Alabama
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Williams has accumulated 870 receiving yards to rank No. 14 in the FBS and his 102.8 receiving yards per game also tops the SEC. Williams leads the SEC and is No 13 in the nation with a 20.2 yards per catch average and ranks second in the league in all-purpose yards with 1,319. He has also contributed nine kickoff returns for a combined 337 yards and two touchdowns.

Brandon Johnson, UCF

Johnson, a graduate transfer from the University of Tennessee, has 30 receptions for 433 receiving yards and is tied for sixth in the nation with nine touchdown receptions. Johnson has stepped up on an injured UCF team that has lost their starting quarterback (Dillon Gabriel), starting running back (Isaiah Bowser), and starting wide receiver (Jaylon Robinson) were all injured versus Louisville, and missed games during different points of this season thereafter.

The 6’2”, 195 pound receiver out of Fort Lauderdale earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in communication studies in December of 2020. For his career at Tennessee, Johnson recorded 79 receptions for 969 yards and one score, starting 15 games during the process.

Johnson has been able to help bridge the gap for Keene, as well as with Gabriel prior to him leaving the lineup. Without his efforts, it’s hard to say where the UCF passing game would be.

Charleston Rambo, Miami

The Miami Hurricanes (5-5, 3-3 ACC) traveled to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium and took a last-minute 31-28 loss to in-state rival Florida State Saturday. The Hurricanes started down 20-7 before scoring 21 unanswered points.

The receiving corps was led by Rambo, who garnered a lot of attention from the Seminoles’ defense throughout the night. Rambo was double-teamed with a safety over the top for much of the game but still recorded six receptions for 95 yards.

The deep-play threat ranks No. 18 in receiving yards with 860, along with five touchdowns. He has the speed and talent to become a top target for freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

Charleston Rambo, Wide Receiver, Miami
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Rambo, a redshirt junior, spent the first three seasons of his career at the University of Oklahoma where he saw action in 36 games and made 24 starts. With the Sooners, Rambo recorded a total of 76 catches, 1,180 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns.

He also played in the 2019 and 2020 College Football Playoff, recording the best season of his career in 2019 with 43 catches, 743 yards, and five touchdown receptions.

Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats (7-3, 5-3 SEC) defeated Vanderbilt 34-17 Saturday to improve to 7-3 and 5-3 in SEC play. The offense was powered by the Nebraska transfer Robinson, who led all receivers with six receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown. This season, Robinson has 77 receptions for 886 receiving yards with seven touchdowns.

The 5’11”, 185 pound junior out of Frankfort, Ky has three seasons of eligibility remaining and chose Kentucky over Alabama, Ohio State, and Purdue. Robinson has the speed and ability to play both wide receiver and running back. He has career totals of 580 rushing yards, 914 receiving yards, and 1,725 all-purpose yards.

During his sophomore season at Nebraska, Robinson led the offense with 51 catches and 461 receiving yards despite playing only eight games and splitting duties at running back. He also led the Huskers with 696 all-purpose yards.

Jaylon Robinson, UCF

“Flash” Robinson has emerged as a primary target for UCF’s passing attack after transferring in from Oklahoma. The electric downfield threat has missed most of the 2021 season after suffering a knee injury at Louisville on Sept. 17.

Before the injury, Robinson had 12 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson returned for his first in-game action on Saturday against SMU, finishing with two receptions for 55 yards. His longest reception was a 28 yard dime from UCF true freshman quarterback Keene.

Despite the unproductive season, Robinson had a standout sophomore season, totaling 55 receptions for 979 yards with six touchdowns. He recorded over 100 receiving yards in the first four games at UCF, tied for the second-longest streak in program history and had 100 or more receiving yards six times on the season, which is tied for the third most at UCF and the most since Brandon Marshall in 2005.

In just 10 games, Robinson and wide receiver Marlon Williams accounted for the fourth-most productive receiving duo in UCF history, totaling a combined 2,018 receiving yards. Robinson has the ability and talent to transform into a late NFL draft pick and add on to a list of Knights’ receivers who have a chance at the next level.

Jerreth Sterns, Western Kentucky

Since transferring in from Houston Baptist University, Sterns has statistically become one of the most explosive performers in all of college football for Western Kentucky (6-4, 5-1 C-USA). Sterns currently ranks second nationally in receiving yards with a total of 1,368. He is also ranked second with 11 touchdowns as of today. This past Saturday, the junior caught seven receptions for 92 yards. The Hilltoppers went on to win by the score of 42-21 against Rice.

The 5’9”, 195 pound dynamic receiver is also closing in on all-time greats. Through ten games, Sterns’ numbers are comparable to former Western Kentucky star receiver Taywan Taylor’s 2016 season. He set records in 2016 by way of 98 catches for 1,730 yards, with 17 touchdowns in 14 games.

The all-time single-season mark belongs to Nevada’s Trevor Insley, as he hauled 2,060 yards in 11 games in 1999. For the 2021 season, Sterns already has 111 receptions for 1,369 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

With 111 catches already this season, Sterns is tied for 37th all-time with 2019 LSU Tiger Justin Jefferson and LA Rams receiver Robert Woods. In his collegiate career, Sterns has 324 receptions for 3,247 yards and 29 touchdowns. In those 36 games, he played for Houston Baptist (27) and Western Kentucky (nine). He also has 15 games of 100 yards or more receiving, and 16 double-digit reception performances.

During his time at Houston Baptist, Sterns earned All-Southland Conference Third Team and Southland Conference All-Academic Team honors while leading the nation with 105 receptions, recording 833 yards and nine touchdowns, ranking No. 10 in the conference with 69.4 receiving yards per game and tied for fourth in touchdown receptions.

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