Keon Coleman rated second most reliable pass-catcher in Big Ten

Keon Coleman was rated the second most reliable pass-catcher in the Big Ten by CFB Film Room. That bodes well for 2023.

Michigan State is home to one of the best receivers in the Big Ten. Keon Coleman is fresh off a career season and he’s getting some recognition.

Coleman caught 58 passes for 798 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, leading the team in a year that was supposed to be Jayden Reed’s to show out. But he took over the offense and became Payton Thorne’s favorite target even though the two were sometimes not on the same page.

Thorne’s accuracy when targeting Coleman was off quite a bit but there were some catches that the sophomore made that were just mind-boggling.

For this reason, CFB Film Room dubbed him the second most reliable target in the Big Ten behind only Penn State’s Mitchell Tinsley.

Based on the route-adjusted metric Catch Rate Above Average, here are the most reliable pass-catchers from the Big Ten last season. pic.twitter.com/scxmBnPHTh

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) February 23, 2023

Shocking to absolutely no one, Coleman is one of the best receivers in the Big Ten and arguably a top wideout in the nation. If you asked him, he’s a legit first-team All-American candidate.

Entering the 2023 season, Coleman will be considered the top offensive weapon for the Spartans and if the video of him and Katin Houser working out together is any indication, the offense should improve by leaps and bounds.

It’s hard to believe that an offense with Coleman (the Big Ten’s second most reliable pass-catcher) and Jayden Reed (the Reese’s Senior Bowl’s best receiver) struggled so mightily.

But that’s why a quarterback change might be needed.

OK, getting too far off-topic here.

Michigan State has had some really good receivers over the years like Benny Fowler, BJ Cunningham, Devin Thomas, Aaron Burbridge, Tony Lippett, and Jayden Reed. Coleman is going to join that group of top receivers in Michigan State history before his career is said and done. I truly believe that.

Don’t be shocked when he has over 1,000 yards next season and makes the All-Big Ten first team. I know I won’t be.