Click here to watch some of the wide receiver highlight reel catches and touchdowns

When college football teams change their offense to run the spread offense they have to have at least three good receivers, among other things. A few years back when Lindenwood changed their offensive scheme to the spread they made sure to start recruiting more and more wide receivers. But you can only imagine that head coach Patrick Ross would have ever thought he would be as deep at the position as they are today.

“I feel like that we could stick any of the receivers on the field in our top eight rotation and any of them can make a play,” Coach Ross said about the group.

The Lion receivers are led by a trio that would be considered the top receiver on almost every team in the country. Leading the way is two-time first team All-HAAC member, Rudy Fleming, who is leading the team in catches (55) and yards (949). Senior Marcel Thompson is the deep threat for the Lions. He has 49 catches in 2009 to go along with 817 yards and seven touchdowns. Three of Thompson's touchdowns have been for more than 45 yards, including a 69-yard score against Missouri Valley. Junior Matt Bramow is the touchdown machine for the receiving corps, with a team leading 10 to go along with 45 catches and 577 yards.

“I have never been on a team like this,” said Matt Bramow. “It was amazing when I first got here and saw Rudy play, I was like hold on, why is Rudy here, and there is no way he should be here, he could have gone Division I. The good thing though is we're all here now and it is just football, it's a 100 yards. We are just happy that we can succeed and have a chance to win a national championship.”

When you look at the receiving corps' talent you might suspect that somebody would be getting upset that they don't get the ball enough or being forgotten in the offense. Actually, it is the complete opposite for this group of receivers.

“People want to get the ball and it is hard for them to stay on the field and not be getting the ball, we are an unselfish group we all want to see each other succeed,” Marcel Thompson said. “That is what our offense is about, and that is what we have been taught from day one. Not everybody is going to get the ball every time and we have to just make sure to do our job every play to help the team win.”

There have been numerous games that a receiver has gotten shutout or have only made one catch but the unselfishness of these guys is one of their best aspects of their games.

“We are not here jealous of what anybody else does,” Bramow, the junior from Breswell, Oregon, said. “We all are friends, we all hang out together, we all know that based on what coverage their running that day any of us are going to get open. There is a few games where I had one catch and others had one catch but then someone else had seven or eight and a few touchdowns.”

It also helps that this group of pass catchers enjoy each others company. When you like and care for the person next to you, it is hard to get upset watching them get all the glory or catches.

“Its fun for the most part, we are all friends and we hang out and if one guy is having a great game we all feel like were having a part in it with a good block or a decoy route,” Rudy Fleming said. “Its all fun because it could be any of us that have a great game.”

The thing about the receivers is that we have focused on three of them but not only have these three been spectacular, you can go three or four more spots down the depth chart and you will find receivers that would be all-conference performers any where else.

Senior Roren Thomas joined the Lions late in the summer and has been an added bonus all year with 34 catches and 396 yards to go along with a pair of touchdowns. Sophomore Matt Angell exploded onto the scene this year with 25 catches, 465 yards and five receiving scores.

“We were a great group and then we added Roren. He is an unbelievable playmaker and can score any time he touches the ball. Then to have Angell come in and play so well, we have just gelled,” Fleming said.

Teams have tried to take away different receivers each game but it has not worked. Each receiver brings something different to the field and almost becomes impossible for a secondary to stop the group.

“The great thing that separates us all is that we all bring different things to the table, if it is speed, different ways to use your speed to get open,” third-team All-HACC receiver, Bramow said. “We're all not the same receiver, so if you want possession, or speed that is the best part, there are no mirror images. You have different threats at each position and when you put four people on the field at receiver that can do four different things it is much easier to run and execute plays.”

One person that has really reaped the benefits of having these five guys is quarterback Philip Staback, who has stepped in and rewrote the Lindenwood passing records.

“They are all smart and with Bramow and Marcel they are just amazing huge athletes on the outside, which makes it easy to put the ball in multiple places and they will come up with it,” Staback said. “Then Rudy and Roren are just quick and athletic guys, and Rudy knows how to get open every play.”

You also have to look a little deeper to see why this group has been so spectacular all year. When you ask Coach Ross about the offense and how it has been so explosive this year, one of the first things he will mention is the way the receivers block.

“Most importantly the reason why I think our offense is where it is today and setting the records they are, is because the way the receivers have blocked,” Coach Ross said. “They are downfield blocking more than any receiving corps I have ever seen. They take it to heart, they battle each other to see who can get the best one.”

“It is a great feeling because we know that we made a play to help spring a big play and help our team score more points and help the team win,” Thompson said about blocking.

The final question that was asked to the receivers in the interview for this story was who they thought was the best. You would have thought they were politicians who were just asked about their stance on health care. They all looked at each other and smiled, then smiled at me and that was all the answer I needed.