Boise State Football: 5 breakout candidates for the Broncos in 2017

After two dazzling years at Coffeyville Community College, Cedrick Wilson transferred to Boise State. Between 2014 and 2015, Wilson caught 27 touchdowns and racked up 1,700 receiving yards with the Red Ravens. Once he arrived in Boise, Wilson almost immediately became one of Brett Rypien’s favorite receivers in the Broncos passing attack.

Despite sharing targets with seniors Thomas Sperbeck and Chaz Anderson, Wilson still caught 56 passes for 1,129 yards. Averaging over 20 yards per catch, the junior-college transfer led Boise State with 11 receiving touchdowns. Now that Sperbeck and Anderson are both gone, Wilson becomes the elder statesman of the receiving corps.

The Broncos will need Wilson to emerge as the leader of the receiving corps in 2017. With Brett Rypien back for just one more year, he will look to make the most of his opportunities to link up with Wilson. And the former junior college star will respond with one of the nation’s best seasons as he becomes an NFL Draft prospect in his own right.

He could easily respond with 75 or more catches this season as Rypien targets him more this season. That could translate to 15 or more touchdowns on scores both long and short. As a 6-foot-3 target, Wilson has the size and solid spatial awareness that allow him to beat defenders on tough balls. With a year of FBS ball under his belt, Wilson could break out in 2017 as one of the country’s best receivers.