West Virginia wide receiver Stedman Bailey has not been brought in for a pre draft visit as far as we know, but that doesn\’t mean he wouldn\’t be good fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially if restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders doesn\’t have his one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet from the New England Patriots matched.
I think that Bailey and Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins are perhaps the two best well-rounded wide receivers in the upcoming draft and below is the scouting report of Bailey that our good friend Dave-Te Thomas passed along to us.
STEDMAN BAILEY
Wide Receiver/Kickoff Returner/Gunner
West Virginia University Mountaineers
#3
5:09.5-197
Miami, Florida
Miramar High School
Carol City High School
OVERVIEW
To say that Bailey “ran under the radar” would be an understatement, as most of the attention accorded the West Virginia offense went to fellow receiver Tavon Austin and quarterback Geno Smith. Both produced stellar careers for the Mountaineers and will be sorely missed next season, but talent evaluators feel that when Bailey declared he was leaving school early for the National Football League as a 2013 draft entry, he is the one player the WVU offense could ill afford to lose.
The tandem of Bailey and Austin produced 488 receptions for 6,631 yards and 70 touch-downs for West Virginia, making them the most explosive active duo of receivers in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision ranks. Bailey joined Austin (288 catches; 2009-12) and
Jock Sanders (206; 2007-10) as the only players in school history to record at least 200 receptions during a career, as Bailey finished second in Mountaineers history with 210 grabs, tenth-best among active FBS performers.
His average of 84.70 receiving yards per game placed fifth-best among active major college players, while his 3,218 aerial yards saw him join Austin (3,413) as the only players in school annals to reach the 3,000-yard receiving level. No active major college player has reached Bailey’s total of 41 touchdown receptions, as he found the end zone on a very impressive 19.52% of his grabs, including 21.93% of his 2012 total of 114 catches, as his 25 scoring grabs as a junior shattered the school season-record of twelve that was set by several other Mountaineers.
The Florida native first played organized football at Carol City High School before transferring to Miramar High, where the receiver was a teammate of West Virginia University quarterback Geno Smith and receiver Ivan McCartney, where he would earn
All-State third-team honors from the Florida Sports Writers Association and All-Broward County second-team accolades as a junior. That season, he had 48 receptions for 1,032 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per catch, to go with eleven touchdowns.
Coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell at Miramar High, Bailey garnered Florida Class 6A first-team All-State recognition as a senior and was rated the sixth-best player in Broward County according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He closed out the 2008 season catching 68 passes for 1,163 yards and fourteen touchdowns.
Bailey followed his fellow teammates to West Virginia, but spent the 2009 season performing on the scout team. The red-shirt freshman played in thirteen games, starting nine at split end for the Mountaineers in 2010. He earned Freshman All-Big East honors from ESPN after he hauled in 24 passes for 317 yards (13.21 ypc) and four scores. He also excelled as a member of the special team coverage units, where he recorded four tackles and caused a fumble.
In 2011, Bailey received All-Big East Conference first-team accolades from The NFL Draft Report and ESPN, adding second-team honors from the league’s coaches. Firmly entrenched as the starting split end, he ranked second on the squad with 72 receptions, as he became the fourth player in school history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards (1,279) in a season. Twelve of his grabs were good for touchdowns. He also gained 67 yards on four short kickoffs and recorded five solo tackles with the coverage squad.
Bailey would surpass Tavon Austin in the receiving department as a junior, as he was one of three finalists for the coveted Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver. A first-team All-American choice by The NFL Draft Report and CBS Sports, along with being named to the All-Big Twelve Conference first-team, the split end tied Austin for the school season-record with 114 receptions, along with establishing new annual marks for receiving yards (1,622) and touchdowns (25).
Bailey’s receiving yards tied Ryan Broyles of Oklahoma (2010) for sixth on the Big Twelve season-record list. His 25 touchdowns also established a league annual record, bettering the previous total of 22 by Michael Crabtree in 2007. He also set a school scoring record, as his 150 points are the most ever by a Big Twelve receiver and rank fifth on the league’s annual record list.
While the Mountaineers struggled the second half of the 2012 season, Bailey flourished. But, after the regular season, the receiver announced on December 17th that he was leaving the university and forfeiting his final year of college eligibility to enter the 2013 NFL Draft. “I kind of weighed out all of my options, sat down with my family, sat down with Coach (Dana) Holgorsen and we all came to the conclusion that this was the best decision for me,” said Bailey. “I thought it out for quite a bit.”
“I support him fully,” said Holgorsen. “I have had juniors in the past as receivers that have come out and if you put two good years together as a receiver and you are an under-classman, then you’ve got a chance to do some good things at the next level and that’s what they look for.”
The Miami resident said the fact that he is now a father also played a role in the decision making process. “(His son) played into this decision,” Bailey said. “I have a family now and that pretty much comes first for me, so it all works out for me to go.”
“I didn’t have any conversations with him and he really didn’t need any advice,” said teammate and high school classmate Geno Smith. “That was a decision that he was going to make as a man on his own and I respect that. I don’t want to have any say in what he does because he is his own man and whatever he does I’m going to back him and support him 100 percent, and I think he’s going to do fine.”
Despite only playing three full seasons, Bailey wound up his Mountaineer career owning the majority of West Virginia’s pass receiving records. “It was hard when I began thinking about it,” Bailey admitted of the tug of remaining for his senior season. “I had another year here and I would like to do all I can to help those guys next year, but this is the best decision for me.”
“We’re going to treat him like one of the seniors,” said Holgorsen. “The truth of the matter is he came in with a lot of them. He came in with Geno, he came in with Tavon (Austin) and was forced to redshirt that first year or he probably wouldn’t have, which means he would have been a senior at this point anyway.”
CAREER NOTES
Bailey started 35-of-38 games at split end for West Virginia, coming up with 210 receptions for 3,218 yards (15.32 ypc) and 41 touchdowns, as his scoring grabs were the most for any active player in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision ranks…His receiving yards are the fourth-highest for any active major college player and his reception total ranks tenth…He added 213 yards on fourteen kickoff returns and scored 246 points while also recording nineteen tackles (15 solos) with a forced fumble as a member of the WVU special team coverage units…Joined Tavon Austin (288; 2009-12) and Jock Sanders (206; 2007-10) as the only WVU players to catch 200 passes in a career…His 3,218 receiving yards fall in place behind Austin (3,413) on the school all-time record chart…His 41 touchdown grabs far surpassed Austin (29) for the West Virginia career-record…Collected 3,444 all-purpose yards, the 11th-best total in school annals…With 246 points, Bailey became the eighth non-kicker in WVU history to score 200 points in a career, ranking sixth on that chart behind Steve Slaton (330; 2005-07), Ira Errett Rodgers (313; 1915-19), Pat White (284; 2005-08), Avon Cobourne (252; 1999-2002) and Amos Zereoue (252; 1996-98)…Gained at least 100 yards receiving fourteen times, one more than Austin to set another West Virginia all-time record.
2012 SEASON
Bailey had a sensational junior campaign, as the finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (top receiver in the nation) added first-team All-American honors from The NFL Draft Report and CBS Sports, earning second-team accolades from the Associated Press, Fox Sports and Walter Camp Foundation…Unanimous All-Big Twelve Conference first-team choice…
Tied Tavon Austin, as both set the school season-record with 114 receptions, topping the previous Mountaineers mark of 110 grabs by Austin in 2011…During their last two seasons, Bailey and Austin combined for 410 receptions…Bailey gained 1,622 yards behind those catches, as Austin’s 1,289 yards in 2012 rank second and his 1,186 yards in 2011 rank third on the school season-record list…Set school and conference season-records with his 25 touchdown grabs, as only Troy Edwards of Louisiana Tech (27 in 1998) and Randy Moss of Marshall (25 in 1997) had more scoring grabs in a season in NCAA FBS history. Those 25 scores shattered the former school record of twelve that he shared in 2011 with Austin (2012), Chris Henry (2004) and Darius Reynaud (2007)…Recorded seven games with at least 100 yards receiving, including a trio of performances for more than 200 yards…Had five contests where he caught at least ten passes…Added 13 yards on two carries, 146 yards on ten kickoff returns and led the special team coverage units with ten tackles (7 solos) while finishing third in the Big Twelve with 1,781 all-purpose yards…His 150 points scored broke the old school annual record of 147 points by Ira Errett Rodgers in 1919, and rank sixth-best in a campaign by a Big Twelve player, topped by Ricky Williams of Texas (168 in 1998; 152 in 1997), Collin Klein of Kansas State (162 in 2011), Quinn Sharp of Oklahoma State (156 in 2012) and Joseph Randle of Oklahoma State (156 in 2011)…His first 100-yard receiving day came in the season opener, as he tallied 104 yards with a score on nine grabs vs. Marshall…Grabbed thirteen passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns vs. James Madison…Exploded for 303 yards and five touchdowns, including an 87-yarder, while snatching thirteen passes vs. Baylor to earn National Player of the Week honors. His 303 yards shattered the previous school game-record of 209 yards by Chris Henry (vs. Syracuse in 2003), as Tavon Austin also used the Baylor clash to pass Henry with 215 yards…Bailey’s 303 yards vs. Baylor also set the Big Twelve game-record, as he joined Adarius Bowman of Oklahoma State (300 vs. Kansas in 2006) as the only players in the league to ever gain 300 yards in a contest…His five touchdown catches vs. Baylor set the school record and were two shy of both the league and FBS game-record of seven scoring grabs by Rashaun Woods of Oklahoma State (vs. Southern Methodist in 2003), and his 87-yard scoring grab vs. the Bears is the fourth-longest catch in school history…Bailey scored three more times of eight catches for 75 yards vs. Texas and set the school game-record after hauling in fourteen balls for 225 yards and a score vs. Oklahoma State…He was one off his own school mark when Bailey followed with thirteen receptions for 205 yards and four touchdowns, including a long of 40 yards vs. Oklahoma…The junior added eleven catches for 159 yards and a pair of scores gave him 23 receiving touchdowns, setting a new Big Twelve Conference season-record when he surpassed the 22 scores by Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech in 2007…He closed out his career with eight catches for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns vs. Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl.
2011 SEASON
Bailey earned All-Big East Conference first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report, ESPN and Phil Steele, as the league’s coaches selected him to their second-team…Started all thirteen games at split end, finishing second on the squad and fourth in the conference with 72 receptions, joining Tavon Austin (1,186 in 2011) and David Saunders (1,043 in 1998) as the only Mountaineers to gain 1,000 yards in a season, setting the WVU annual mark with 1,279 yards that he would later break in 2012 (1,622)…Tied the school season-record with twelve touchdown catches, only to top it with his Big Eight Conference 25 scoring grabs in 2012…Gained 67 yards on four kickoff returns and recorded five solo tackles to finish sixth in the Big East with 1,346 all-purpose yards…Set another school record when he gained at least 100 yards in five consecutive games – beginning that string with 113 yards and a 34-yard score on eight grabs vs. Maryland; 115 yards and a touchdown on eight more catches vs. Louisiana State; 112 yards behind four catches vs. Bowling Green; 178 yards with two scores, including an 84-yarder while snatching seven balls vs. Connecticut and then ended that string when he pulled down seven throws for 130 yards and a 64-yard touchdown vs. Syracuse…Tallied 118 yards with two scores that had a long of 46 yards while piling up 118 yards vs. Louisville, followed by six receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown vs. Cincinnati…Closed out his sophomore campaign with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown vs. Clemson in the Orange Bowl, as he set up both the game-tying and game-winning drives in a 70-33 romp.
2010 SEASON
The Freshman All-Big East Conference selection (by ESPN), Bailey was twice named WVU
Offensive Champion (vs. Maryland and Cincinnati)…After sitting out the season opener vs. Coastal Carolina, he started the next nine games at split end, finishing fourth on the squad with 24 receptions for 317 yards (13.21 ypc) and four touchdowns…Also recorded four tackles (3 solos) and caused a fumble as a member of the coverage units…Made the first five receptions of his career, a season high, at Marshall for a season-high 72 yards with a long of 30…Added four catches for 60 yards vs. Maryland, including two touchdowns with a long of 26…Snared four balls for 61 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown, tying his season-long catch, vs. North Carolina State in the Champs Sports Bowl.
2009 SEASON
Red-shirted as a freshman.
INJURY REPORT
No major injuries reported.
AGILITY TESTS
4.40 in the 40-yard dash…1.49 10-yard dash…2.52 20-yard dash…4.21 20-yard shuttle…
11.17 60-yard shuttle…7.18 three-cone drill…37-inch vertical jump…9’11” broad jump… Bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times…31-inch arm length…9 ¼-inch hands…73 ¼-inch wingspan.
HIGH SCHOOL
Bailey first played organized football at Carol City Fla.) High School before the Miami native transferred to Miramar High, where the receiver was a teammate of West Virginia University quarterback Geno Smith and receiver Ivan McCartney…Earned All-State third-team honors from the Florida Sports Writers Association and All-Broward County second-team accolades as a junior…That season, he had 48 receptions for 1,032 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per catch, to go with eleven touchdowns…Coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell at Miramar High, Bailey garnered Florida Class 6A first-team All-State recognition as a senior and was rated the sixth-best player in Broward County according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel…Closed out the 2008 season catching 68 passes for 1,163 yards and fourteen touchdowns.
PERSONAL
Multidisciplinary Studies major, with an emphasis on Criminology…Member of the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll… Son of Tara Daniels and John Bailey…Born 11/11/90… Resides in Miami, Florida.
