Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis made history Friday night against the Toledo Rockets, setting the record for most career receiving yards in FBS history.
With a seven-yard catch in the second quarter, Davis ran his career total to 5,007 yards, moving him ahead of Trevor Insley, who played for the Nevada Wolf Pack from 1996 to 1999.
Entering the 2016 season, much of Davis’ work flew under the radar, since casual college football fans haven’t been following Western Michigan’s exploits in the MAC on a regular basis. The Broncos went 17-21 over the previous three seasons, so they weren’t among the premier “Group of Five” teams, either.
When given a big stage, though, Davis often delivered. In the Broncos’ last two bowl appearances, he has a combined 16 receptions for 359 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown in Western Michigan’s season-opening defeat to Michigan State in 2015.
As the Broncos began the year 11-0, Davis’ profile grew significantly, and as a result, he has established himself as one of the best wideouts in the 2017 draft class. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller tweeted on Nov. 21 he considers Davis a first-round talent and the No. 2 wide receiver, up from No. 5 in his initial 2017 rankings after the draft.
“It wasn’t even fair the way he did those corners in that conference,” an AFC North scout said to NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein. “Like a man among boys. Should see just how real he is at the Senior Bowl.”
Davis will likely have one more opportunity to make an impression in front of a national audience before his college career draws to a close. No. 19-ranked Boise State lost to Air Force on Friday, 27-20, giving Western Michigan a clearer path to the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2 as the highest-ranked Group of Five team.
