One of the most exciting players in a very deep wide receiver class is also one of the most enticing from the Group of Five collection of schools. Western Kentucky standout Malachi Corley is building himself into a legitimate top-75 overall prospect.
The 5-11, 200-pounder continues to thrive for the Hilltoppers. Last weekend, he tore apart Louisiana Tech for over 200 receiving yards on eight receptions, scoring three more touchdowns in the process. Corley has hauled in at least eight receptions for 80 yards in WKU’s last four games, scoring five touchdowns.
The first of those games came at Ohio State, where he was a major problem for the Buckeyes defense. In a 63-10 loss, Corley still managed to post eight catches, 88 yards and a touchdown. The TD came on a quick throw that allowed Corley to use his power and drive to get into the end zone on a short field.
The ability to run after the catch is Corley’s calling card. He led the entire FBS in YAC in 2022 and tacked on over 125 more against Louisiana Tech. Corley has good balance through contact even though it often looks like he’s somewhat out of control. He’s got a barrage of spins, stiff arms, shoulder charges and high-knee moves to break tackles from all angles.
It works great in C-USA and is tailor-made for WKU’s high-paced shotgun spread offense. Corley typically lines up in the slot but can motion out and across the formation, even sliding into the backfield pistol at times. He plays bigger than his listed size in part because Corley is exceptional at attacking the ball in the air.
The Hilltoppers don’t use him as a deep threat often. His speed is merely good-not-great, and the acceleration off the line won’t win a lot at the NFL level. Route running evaluation is complicated because of WKU’s scheme and how quickly they like to get the ball out. He’s already had 20 targets behind the line of scrimmage in five games, an indication of how Corley is used, with just 16 percent of his targets beyond 20 yards in the last two seasons.
As an early projection, Corley has some similarities to players like Brandon Aiyuk and Amon-Ra St. Brown. That won’t thrive in every offense, but Corley look to be a fun asset for aa team that values versatility, toughness and YAC in receivers.
