Last week, the ACC Digital Network sent out this tweet about the conference’s top five wide receivers for this fall.
Who are the top 5 WRs in @ACCFootball? You'll wanna see this list. pic.twitter.com/9DAQGtgVQc
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) July 5, 2017
The list did not include any members of the Syracuse Orange -- a team that had one of the most productive receiving corps. in the ACC last season. Granted, Amba Etta-Tawo and Brisly Estime are no longer on the squad. But the 2017 edition of the SU receivers still features seniors Steve Ishmael and Ervin Philips.
Instead of either Orange player, the ACC went with the following five:
1. Ahmmon Richards, Miami (2016: (49 receptions, 934 yards, 3 TD)
2. Deon Cain, Clemson (38 receptions, 724 yards, 9 TD)
3. Hunter Renfrow, Clemson (44 receptions, 495 yards, 6 TD)
4. Jester Weah, Pittsburgh (36 receptions, 870 yards, 10 TD)
5. Cam Phillips, Virginia Tech (76 receptions, 983 yards, 5 TD)
Here’s what Ishmael and Philips did last year:
- Ishmael (48 receptions, 559 yards, 1 TD)
- Philips (90 receptions, 822 yards, 6 TD)
This isn’t an impassioned plea for why one of those Syracuse players (Philips) belongs on the list. It’s more just a jumping off point for a debate: Do either of the Orange players belong instead of someone else?
And on top of that: could other players outside of this list and Ishmael and/or Philips also belong on the list?
Duke’s T.J. Rahming caught 70 passes for 742 yards last season. Virginia’s Doni Dowling had over 600 receiving yards. Stephen Louis (NC State), Jaylen Smith (Louisville), Austin Proehl (North Carolina) and Olamide Zaccheaus (Virginia) also return after racking up 550 or more receiving yards last season.
For Syracuse, Erv Philips is third among returning ACC players in receiving yards per game. He’s first in receptions. And he’s among the top-10 in receiving touchdowns as well.
Given the fact that Erv was snubbed from the All-ACC team last season, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s left off this list. But as much as we would love to have his case for this “top five” list be pretty and dry, take a look at the numbers of the players they did include.
There are some low receptions figures, but also some big yardage numbers. I’d argue that Cam Phillips is probably the best of the bunch, followed by Cain, Weah and Richards. The debate is probably between Renfrow (a stretch at No. 3) and then either Erv Philips or maybe someone like Rahming/Louis/Smith.
There will be a time and a place for the proper rankings (swing back in two weeks for our ACC wide receivers preview). But for now, what do you think? Should Erv be one of the top five? How might you reorder the list?