With two regular-season games and a postseason appearance remaining, Jeremiah Koger has established himself as one of the best freshman wide receivers in USF football history.
Maybe the best.
With the Bulls (7-3, 4-2 American Conference) preparing for Saturday afternoon's road game against the UAB Blazers (3-7, 1-5), Koger has 28 receptions for 467 yards and six touchdowns. It's already a record for freshman wide receiver touchdowns at USF and leads all Football Bowl Subdivision true freshmen in the nation. He's on pace to set USF freshman marks for catches and receiving yards as well and currently stands fourth among FBS freshmen in receiving yards.
"It's really no surprise to us,'' quarterback Byrum Brown said. "He's been making plays pretty much since he got here (in spring football).''
"We trust Jeremiah,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "It's not like we're putting a freshman out there and he's holding us back. We trust Jeremiah a lot. He has earned that trust.''
Here's how Koger stacks up against USF's all-time most productive freshman receivers (ranked by yards):
* Randall St. Felix (2018) — 33 catches, 679 yards (20.6-yard average), four touchdowns.
* Carlton Mitchell (2007) — 37 catches, 537 yards (14.5-yard average), four touchdowns.
* Johnny Peyton (2004) — 22 catches, 469 yards (21.3-yard average), two touchdowns.
* Jeremiah Koger (2025) — 28 catches, 467 yards (16.7-yard average), six touchdowns.
* Deonte Welch (2011) — 31 catches, 433 yards (14.0-yard average), one touchdown.
* Jimmy Horn (2021) — 30 catches, 408 yards (13.6-yard average), one touchdown.
While the most productive member of USF's freshman receiving trio — don't forget Christian Neptune (29 catches for 233 yards, one touchdown) and Kory Pettigrew (three catches for 28 yards while battling injuries) — Koger actually had to display a great deal of patience.
Through the first four games, Koger had no catches. Zero.
"The timing is different for everybody,'' Gordon said. "Jeremiah was working his butt off, really finishing with great (blocking) effort in the run game. When you play hard all the time, the ball is going to find you at some point. We're glad it found him.''
Koger was one of three FBS players in October to record at least five touchdown catches and 300 receiving yards, joining San Jose State's Danny Scudero and TCU's Eric McAlister. Koger was also the second USF player ever to accomplish that in a calendar month (Andre Davis had 355 yards and five touchdowns in October 2014).
At Navy last Saturday, Koger had a career-best nine catches for 112 yards, including a 29-touchdown reception on a trick play from running back Nykahi Davenport. The ball was slightly underthrown and Koger made a nice adjustment to grab it and tumble into the end zone.
Koger, who had caught a touchdown pass in four straight games, now has scored in five of his last six outings. In fact, his first career catch at USF was a 38-yard touchdown against Charlotte. He then posted 60-yard or longer touchdown catches in back-to-back games – doing so with a 63-yarder vs. North Texas and a 60-yarder vs. FAU – to become the only FBS freshman this season with multiple receiving touchdowns of that length.
Koger, a 6-foot-3, 209-pound product of Baltimore's St. Frances Academy (the nation's No. 8-ranked high-school program last season), said he had offers from several ACC schools, along with the Big Ten Conference's Maryland Terrapins, his home-state school.
So why USF?
"I had a few options, but ultimately, what led me to USF was the feeling of family,'' Koger said. "I felt like I was home when I got here. They treated me like their own family. The love was genuine. I trusted in USF's process and trusted that the coaches would put me in the right place to succeed.''
Head coach Alex Golesh said he believed Koger was well-positioned for early success.
"Jeremiah is unique,'' Golesh said. "He's so competitive. I think with Jeremiah, Christian (Neptune) and Kory (Pettigrew), all those young guys, they draw greatness out of each other. They demand greatness from each other.
"I don't think Jeremiah even knows how good he can be. He's just keeping his head down, doing what we ask, working like crazy. He watches guys like Keshaun Singleton and Chas Nimrod, just attaches himself to them, and follows their example. Jeremiah wants to get better every single day. He has adjusted very well as a freshman.''
Koger said he lives in a house with three other freshmen — Pettigrew, quarterback Locklan Hewlett and running back Chase Garnett. Meanwhile, Neptune is a regular visitor.
"Our bond is really crazy,'' Koger said. "I met them all when I got here, but it's like I've known them for so long. Our brotherhood is so close and you can truly see how that has translated to the field.
"When you're a freshman, you're looking to fit in and catch on. I feel like we've all put in the work, practically non-stop, and it's great to see it paying off. I'm working with one of the best quarterbacks in the country (Brown) and I feel like I'm getting better. But believe me, there's a lot more to accomplish. I feel like this is just the start.''
–#GoBulls–
