ESPN dubs USC 'Wide Receiver U', but why not Alabama?

ESPN recently released a comprehensive ranking of the best "position U's" in college football, and to no one's surprise, Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide is all over the list.

What's a "Position U?" you ask? Well, you know how seemingly every fanbase likes to say that they crank out the best running backs in the nation, so they should be known as "Running Back University"? 

That's the gist of it.

ESPN didn't throw this thing together willy-nilly, either. The "Worldwide Leader" went back to the start of the BCS era and factored in everything from All-America selections to NFL success (within the first four seasons). 

Again, it's no surprise that Alabama shows up as the top school at producing running backs, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen, but surprisingly, the USC Trojans beat out the Crimson Tide when it comes to ESPN's evaluation of "Wide Receiver U". 

Here's the analysis:

Even in a down year when the coach was fired and the offense struggled, USC managed to produce a star at receiver, with Drake London selected eighth overall in this year's NFL draft. USC's lead over LSU and Alabama -- two schools producing a torrent of top receiver talent lately -- actually grew from 2021 as recent draftees Amon-Ra St. Brown and Michael Pittman blossomed in the NFL. Now add Lincoln Riley's dynamic offense to the mix -- alongside defending Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison, who transferred from Pitt this offseason -- and odds are, the Trojans will be hanging on to the top spot for the foreseeable future.

It's certainly fair to suggest that USC has been cranking out NFL-ready wideouts as of late. Amon-Ra St. Brown looks to be a breakout star for the Detroit Lions and that's not even mentioning the impact players like JuJu Smith-Schuster or Robert Woods have made in their NFL careers.

More credit should be given to the Crimson Tide in this conversation though. They have produced elite NFL wideouts in the Saban era.

Crimson Tide alum Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Jameson Williams, John Metchie III, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith, Robert Foster, Julio Jones, and Cam Sims are all featured in wide receiver rooms across the NFL, and Waddle, Cooper, Jeudy, Ridley, and Jones are all difference makers if not straight-up elite.

Sure, perhaps Saban and the Crimson Tide get too much hype, but how can anyone look at the list of wideouts above and count out Alabama?

It will be interesting to see if and how Lincoln Riley rejuvenates offensive football at Southern California, but in the here and now, the Crimson Tide truly rule the roost.