The Virginia Tech Hokies’ Football 2014 Top 10 Player Countdown: #7 Joshua Stanford

Nov 2, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Joshua Stanford (5) pulls in a 27 yard reception for a first down in the fourth quarter as Boston College Eagles defensive back C.J. Jones (6) looks on at Alumni Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Hokies 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Ed Wolfstein-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 Virginia Tech Football top 10 player countdown continues today at number 7 with sophomore wide receiver Joshua Stanford.

Entering last season, the most talked about wide receiver for the Hokies was probably D.J. Coles as the senior had the most previous success of any Hokie. Entering 2014, the Hokies have a sophomore receiver in Joshua Stanford who is now the Hokies’ top wideout.

Joshua Stanford gained playing time throughout the regular season and ended up making 11 starts in a season in which he was named as a honorable mention for College Football News’s Freshman All-American team. Stanford was one of the biggest surprises of the 2013 season and is ready to take the next step in the 2014 season.

Stanford ended the 2013 season with 40 receptions for 640 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown. The biggest stat that shows how big of a threat Stanford is to make some big plays is the fact that he averaged 16.0 yards per catch last season which was 36th in college football among players who had at least 40 receptions.

Nov 9, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Joshua Stanford (5) scores a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Stanford proved to be someone that had very good athleticism, especially in going up and getting the football sometimes while also having the strength to earn some tough yards and break some tackles. Stanford is not a receiver that is going to outrun to many quarterbacks but he is a reliable, downfield target that has solid speed to go with very good athleticism, toughness, and some polished route running skills.

Stanford proved that he could be relied on to have some big games as he had back-to-back big performances against Boston College and Miami in which he had 13 catches for 278 receiving yards and 1 touchdown with an average of 21.4 yards per reception in those two games. Stanford had a reception in every game which is very good for a freshman receiver while also having more than one reception in all but two games.

Joshua Stanford has proven to be a very productive receiver and has the potential to be Virginia Tech’s best wide receiver since Jarrett Boykin. Stanford could also end up challenging some of Jarrett Boykin’s Virginia Tech records over the course of his college football career.