Voltar
Florida Atlantic's Easton Messer is likely the best receiver in college football you've never heard of, and he's on an absolute heater in his last three games.
Messer scored his 11th touchdown of the Owls' last 9 quarters against College Football Playoff contender UTSA on Thursday, Nov. 5, scoring three times in the first quarter alone. He caught seven passes for 79 yards in the first half, also throwing a 14-yard touchdown.
He has scored in four different ways during his streak, too. He has thrown, rushed and caught touchdowns during his three-game scoring binge, and had a punt-return score in a 51-49 win against Rice.
He's not a physically imposing player, either. Messer, a former walk-on, is listed at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds and was a two-star recruit out of high school, per 247 Sports' composite rankings. He's making quite the case for the Burlsworth Trophy, an honor given to the nation's best former and current walk-on player in college football.
It hasn't been just the hot streak of touchdowns, either, for Messer. The small-but-mighty receiver entered Thursday's game with a nation-leading 74 receptions, a ridiculous 42 of which came in Florida Atlantic's previous three games against Army, Rice and North Texas.
His 798 receiving yards entering Week 10 ranked fifth nationally, and his 13 total touchdowns ranked tied-for-seventh nationally. Two of those touchdowns even came on punt returns earlier this season.
Messer entered Florida Atlantic's game against UTSA as the FBS's active leader in receptions (260) while ranking second in receiving yards (3,082) and all-purpose yards (4,437).
Not bad for a 5-foot-9 former walk-on.