Before the 2018 ACC football season started, we went through the numbers and ranked the top five wide receivers in the league. At the top of that list: catch-maniac Greg Dortch of Wake Forest and NC State’s big-play hub Kelvin Harmon.
It should come as little surprise then that, after five weeks of action, those two rank among the most targeted receivers in the ACC.
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According to Football Study Hall, no one has been targeted more than Dortch — who leads the league in receptions (45) and receiving yards (555). Here’s a look at the top 10 most targeted players.
| Player | Team | Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Dortch | Wake Forest | 64 | 45 | 555 | 70.3% |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | UVA | 52 | 33 | 506 | 63.5% |
| Kelvin Harmon | NC State | 41 | 24 | 406 | 58.5% |
| Sage Surratt | UVA | 35 | 19 | 280 | 54.3% |
| Nyqwan Murray | FSU | 32 | 25 | 345 | 78.1% |
| Jamal Custis | Syracuse | 32 | 22 | 360 | 68.8% |
| Jaylen Smith | Louisville | 31 | 13 | 224 | 41.9% |
| Damon Hazelton | Virginia Tech | 30 | 15 | 348 | 50.0% |
| Hasise Dubois | UVA | 29 | 22 | 247 | 75.9% |
| Anthony Ratliff-Williams | UNC | 29 | 13 | 263 | 44.8% |
Team By Team
Here’s a look at the top three receivers from all 14 ACC teams in terms of targets, according to Football Study Hall.
Boston College
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Smith | 25 | 12 | 204 | 48.0% | 3 |
| Kobay White | 22 | 11 | 212 | 50.0% | 3 |
| Tommy Sweeney | 15 | 11 | 110 | 73.3% | 3 |
Clemson
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | 28 | 13 | 252 | 46.4% | 2 |
| Amari Rodgers | 27 | 21 | 218 | 77.8% | 1 |
| Hunter Renfrow | 19 | 15 | 200 | 78.9% | 1 |
Duke
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Lloyd | 27 | 21 | 287 | 77.8% | 3 |
| TJ Rahming | 26 | 20 | 188 | 76.9% | 3 |
| Chris Taylor | 18 | 11 | 110 | 61.1% | 0 |
Florida State
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyqwan Murray | 32 | 25 | 345 | 78.1% | 2 |
| Keith Gavin | 28 | 18 | 265 | 64.3% | 0 |
| Tre' McKitty | 23 | 15 | 153 | 65.2% | 2 |
Georgia Tech
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Camp | 17 | 6 | 119 | 35.3% | 0 |
| Brad Stewart | 16 | 8 | 88 | 50.0% | 1 |
| Clinton Lynch | 9 | 7 | 209 | 77.8% | 2 |
Louisville
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Smith | 31 | 13 | 224 | 41.9% | 1 |
| Dez Fitzpatrick | 24 | 14 | 168 | 58.3% | 1 |
| Devante Peete | 17 | 9 | 115 | 52.9% | 0 |
Miami
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Thomas | 20 | 13 | 320 | 65.0% | 2 |
| Brevin Jordan | 18 | 13 | 123 | 72.2% | 3 |
| Lawrence Cager | 16 | 9 | 174 | 56.3% | 4 |
NC State
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelvin Harmon | 41 | 24 | 406 | 58.5% | 1 |
| Emeka Emezie | 26 | 20 | 244 | 76.9% | 2 |
| Jakobi Meyers | 25 | 20 | 220 | 80.0% | 0 |
North Carolina
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Ratliff-Williams | 29 | 13 | 263 | 44.8% | 1 |
| Dazz Newsome | 19 | 13 | 128 | 68.4% | 0 |
| Thomas Jackson | 15 | 9 | 58 | 60.0% | 0 |
Pittsburgh
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taysir Mack | 21 | 12 | 265 | 57.1% | 0 |
| Maurice Ffrench | 20 | 14 | 172 | 70.0% | 2 |
| Rafael Arajuo-Lopes | 20 | 11 | 105 | 55.0% | 2 |
Syracuse
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal Custis | 32 | 22 | 360 | 68.8% | 3 |
| Sean Riley | 27 | 20 | 217 | 74.1% | 2 |
| Devin Butler | 23 | 12 | 120 | 52.2% | 0 |
Virginia
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olamide Zaccheaus | 52 | 33 | 506 | 63.5% | 6 |
| Hasise Dubois | 29 | 22 | 247 | 75.9% | 2 |
| Joe Reed | 12 | 9 | 125 | 75.0% | 1 |
Virginia Tech
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damon Hazelton | 30 | 15 | 348 | 50.0% | 4 |
| Eric Kumah | 20 | 12 | 211 | 60.0% | 1 |
| Hezekiah Grimsley | 20 | 12 | 167 | 60.0% | 0 |
Wake Forest
| Targets | Rec. | Yards | Catch Rate | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Dortch | 64 | 45 | 555 | 70.3% | 5 |
| Sage Surratt | 35 | 19 | 280 | 54.3% | 1 |
| Alex Bachman | 22 | 10 | 128 | 45.5% | 3 |
Quick Thoughts
- It’s pretty amazing to see just how productive Greg Dortch is for Wake Forest. In terms of targets, Wake Forest features the biggest gap between it No. 1 targeted receiver and its No. 2 targeted receiver (29). That No. 2 targeted receiver is Sage Surratt — the fourth most targeted receiver in the ACC. Think about that.
- In 13 career games, Dortch has accumulated 98 receptions on 138 targets, according to Football Study Hall, which is insane.
- Of course with Wake Forest, there are simply more opportunities. The Demon Deacons rank No. 1 nationally in adjusted pace, per Football Study Hall. Only go-go Texas Tech is running more plays per game (95.2) than Wake Forest (90.2).
- Georgia Tech, amongst Power Five programs, continues to be a complete outlier when it comes to passing the football. Jalen Camp is the team’s most-targeted receiver with 17. NC State’s offense features five players with 18 or more receptions.
- Florida State has had all kinds of issues offensively this season, especially with the offensive line. However, Nyqwan Murray is sort of quietly having a really nice senior campaign — averaging nearly 11 yards per target.
- Jaylen Smith really misses Lamar Jackson, wow.
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