James Gardner

Corey Davis garnered most of the headlines among MAC receivers last season, and rightfully so, but Gardner enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign in 2016 and has positioned himself to be one of the top receivers in the conference this fall. He hauled in 45 of 83 targets for 750 yards (16.7 YPR) and six touchdowns, two of which came against Iowa in the season opener. Standing in at 6-4, 212, Gardner has size that'd make him a mismatch in any conference, let alone a MAC conference where most teams were middling at best on defense last season. Gardner also figures to benefit from improved quarterback play in the form of Gus Ragland, who completely turned the Redhawks around last season and took them to a bowl game after an 0-6 start. If Ragland can maintain or improve his accuracy (64.2 completion percentage in 2016), Gardner should be able to up his catch rate while simultaneously owning a high market share of the Miami targets, making him a viable option in nearly any format.