UCLA Football: Caleb Wilson is PFF’s highest rated TE heading into 2018
Pro Football Focus has come out with their highest rated returning college football players for the 2018 season and UCLA football’s Caleb Wilson has taken the honor for tight ends.
Pro Football Focus is known for analyzing individual player performances before, during and after the season. As we head into the 2018 season, PFF has been analyzing the best returning players at each position and UCLA football‘s Caleb Wilson has taken the top spot for tight ends.
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PFF has given Wilson an overall grade of 93.4, best among all Division I tight ends. The amazing thing about this is that with everything he accomplished to be the highest rated TE, Wilson only needed five games to attain this grade.
Caleb Wilson is your highest-graded returning TE pic.twitter.com/NozM1Wj91M
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 4, 2018
Wilson had unfortunately suffered a foot injury during UCLA’s fifth game of the season against Colorado which required surgery and kept him out for the rest of the season. Yet what he did in those first five games caught the attention of the entire nation.
Compared to his 2016 outing (playing in 8 games), Wilson more than doubled his receptions as a favorite target of former UCLA QB Josh Rosen with 38. He accumulated 490 yards (he had 220 in 2016) and reeled in one touchdown. His reception total was 4th most on the Bruins. Remember, all these accomplishments were done in only five games, so imagine what he could have done in an entire season.
Even better, imagine what he can do in an entire season under Chip Kelly.
Wilson had the uncanny ability to get into open space and consistently pull in passes, especially in traffic. His size and speed also helped him to gain several yards after contact. On top of that, Wilson’s strength helped him to block out and shut down defenders looking to get into the back field. Needless to say, he is a multi-talented individual that is going to be a big weapon for the Bruins this season.
Next: UCLA Football: 10 bold predictions for the 2018 season
With the quarterback competition up in the air, it is good to know that whoever will be throwing the ball will have a solid pass catcher in Wilson. Is it September yet?