Samuel Gbatu Jr., UC Davis WR: the 2026 season story
Samuel Gbatu Jr. is a senior wide receiver for UC Davis (Big Sky). He ranks 114th of 988 wide receivers in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every wide receiver on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Knowing the one or two things a player does best, and where he is ordinary, says more than any single total. Samuel Gbatu Jr.'s strongest measure is catches of 20+ at 17, 4th of 485 (the average is 5). His weakest is yards per target at 5.8, 434th of 485 (the average is 8.2).
Season production
Why it matters. Totals reward staying healthy and getting the ball; per-game numbers show how much he really carries each week. His receiving yards per game, 61, ranks 76th among 485 ranked wide receivers.
Against every wide receiver
Why it matters. Splitting the measures into how much, how well and how many big plays shows what kind of wide receiver he is. Among ranked wide receivers he sits, on average, in the 90th percentile for volume, 50th for efficiency and 81st for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. A season average can hide a player who is great one week and absent the next; game by game shows how dependable he is. Over 10 games, Samuel Gbatu Jr.'s best came in week 1 at San Diego and his quietest in week 9 at Weber State.
When it matters
Why it matters. Plenty of players produce in easy situations; the ones who keep it up on third down and against good teams are the ones coaches trust.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. Where and how a player makes his plays shows how his team uses him and what a defense has to take away.
National and conference
Why it matters. A national rank shows how a player stacks up beyond his own league, where the competition can be very different. Samuel Gbatu Jr. is 19th of 503 FCS wide receivers and 5th of 57 in the Big Sky. Next up nationally is Elijah Taylor of San Diego, 0.00 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. Past seasons show whether this year is a breakout, a steady climb or a step back. His best season by the Player Index was 2025 at UC Davis, 40th of 1,095 wide receivers.
Wide receivers like him
Why it matters. Comparing a player with his closest statistical matches puts his season in context beyond the rankings. His closest match this season is Tayvion McCoy of Cal Poly.
