Greatest Kansas Football Players Bracket: David Verser vs Brandon Rideau

(4) David Verser

Four years at Kansas and four years of improvement in almost every statistical category at wide receiver. He grabbed 11 passes for 220 yards and one TD in his freshman year of 1977. The next year, he snagged 15 passes for 214 yards and one TD but was used as a kick returner and averaged almost 19 yards per return.

His junior season of 1979 was where Verser made the biggest leap. He caught 21 passes for 463 yards and four touchdowns. He also scored a rushing TD that season. His senior campaign was his most productive yet. He caught 30 balls for 576 yards and four TDs. Those two seasons earned him a spot on the All-Big Eight first team in 1979 and 1980.

Verser was the tenth pick overall in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and he played six years in the league. He changed positions when he got to the NFL and was used primarily as a kick-returning specialist. Overall he caught 23 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns with the Bengals. He played out his final two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns.

(13) Brandon Rideau

Brandon Rideau was a model of consistency for KU. In his three most industrious years (he only caught two passes as a freshman), he was quite productive. He was first regularly integrated into the offense in 2002 where he caught 27 passes for 307 yards.

His 2003 season was even better. He grabbed 51 passes for a career high 677 yards and six touchdowns en route to a Tangerine Bowl appearance. His senior campaign of 2004 was almost identical. He caught 51 passes for 597 yards and seven touchdowns.

Rideau got a shot to play in the NFL but only managed to get two games under his belt for the Chicago Bears in 2008. He then plied his trade north of the border for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL and in two years caught 67 passes for 997 yards and six scores.

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