UVA lands Northwestern’s top receiver Washington via transfer portal

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Posted on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, 4:00 pm

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Malik Washington (Photo: Northwestern University Athletics)

Virginia has landed a dynamic wide receiver via the transfer portal in Northwestern’s Malik Washington, who led the Wildcats in receiving in 2022.

Washington, a 5-foot-9, 192-pound receiver has one year of eligibility remaining and is ranked the No. 34 overall player in the 2023 On3.com’s Transfer Portal player rankings. Originally from Park View High in Lawrenceville, Ga., outside Atlanta, Washington was a 3-star prospect who played four seasons in the Big Ten.

Last season, he led Northwestern in receiving with 65 catches for 694 yards and a touchdown, the second-straight season he topped the 500-yard receiving mark for the Wildcats. He posted 44 catches in 2021 for 578 yards.

This past season, Washington hauled in a career-high eight catches and 97 yards in a Northwestern win over Nebraska, and had seven catches for 51 yards against Duke.

He was ranked the No. 54 athlete nationally by 247Sports his senior year of high school (2018) and finished his prep career with 29 touchdowns.

Pro Football Focus rated him with the third-most “missed tackles forced” on receptions among Power 5 players this past season with 15, tied with Virginia’s Keytaon Thompson.  Washington was also named to the Academic All-Big Ten team.