Brian Hightower: WR · California · #7.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Brian Hightower
Moves the chains on third down. Played for five head coaches at three programs in five seasons: Mark Richt, Manny Diaz, Rod Smith, Bret Bielema and Justin Wilcox. A game that shows it: 32 receiving yards and 3 receptions against Washington — Week 4, 2023.
Play style
Reliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive.
No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.
Sports Illustrated Oct 29Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | California | 10 | 101 | 10.1 | 0 | 20 |
| 2022 | Illinois | 37 | 452 | 12.2 | 2 | 35 |
| 2020 | Illinois | 11 | 209 | 19.0 | 3 | 46 |
| 2019 | Miami | 8 | 88 | 11.0 | 0 | 19 |
| 2018 | Miami | 4 | 60 | 15.0 | 1 | 32 |
| Career | 70 | 910 | 13.0 | 6 | 46 |
Game log · Week-by-week
2023 season · 6 games
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| Wk | Opp | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 58-21@ North Texas | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 20 | |
| Wk 2 | L 10-14vs Auburn | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 11 | |
| Wk 4 | L 32-59@ No. 8 Washington | 3 | 32 | 10.7 | 0 | 13 | Season-high 32 yds |
| Wk 5 | W 24-21vs Arizona State | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Wk 7 | L 14-34@ No. 16 Utah | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 19-63@ No. 6 Oregon | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | |
| Total | 10 | 101 | 10.1 | 0 | 20 |
Week 4 · 2023
L 32-59
at Washington
Splits · Per-game
2023 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 1.5 | 14.0 | 8.8 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 1.8 | 18.2 | 10.1 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| REC/g | YDS/g | YPR | TD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 1.8 | 16.6 | 7.9 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 1.0 | 18.0 | 18.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Justin Wilcox
Pass share
46.9%
434 pass / 491 run
Plays / game
71.2
13 games
Team sack rate
5.1%
452 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2023
Fewer catches a game than most FBS receivers who play every week.
How it ended
Five seasons, at Miami, Illinois and California, 910 receiving yards — the college career is complete.
A stat line in 32 games over five seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2018–2023
5 coachesPlayed for 5 head coaches at 3 schools: Mark Richt, Manny Diaz, Lovie Smith, Bret Bielema and Justin Wilcox.
