DURHAM – Wide receiver Neil O’Connor had a breakout season for the University of New Hampshire football team in 2017.

He led the Colonial Athletic Association in catches per game and receiving yards per game and ranked third in the NCAA at the FCS level in receptions and receiving yards with his 97 catches for 1,396 yards.

The numbers stacked up nicely in a UNH historical context as well. Only one former Wildcat (R.J. Harris) ever caught more passes in a single season with his 100 in 2014. Only two (Harris and David Ball, who did it twice) had more receiving yards in a season.

O’Connor returns for his senior year in the fall aiming for another impressive season and ready, along with junior Malik Love and senior Kieran Presley, to lead a talented and productive crew of receivers.

“Obviously we’re excited to get Neil back and look to put another great group of skilled guys around him to spread the wealth around,” said UNH assistant Michael Ferzoco, who works with wide receivers and is the pass game coordinator. “If he can be as productive as he was last year, or build on that, hopefully we’ll be putting up some points.”

The Wildcats are down to their last couple of sessions before wrapping up spring football with their annual Blue-White spring game Saturday at 11 a.m. in Wildcat Stadium.

O’Connor, 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, is rehabilitating from surgery and has seen limited action during the spring.

“We’re hoping that we even get a better senior year out of him,” Ferzoco said. “Having him come back 100 percent healthy will certainly benefit him. He played with a lot of nagging injuries and he played a ton of snaps. He’s a tough kid, a smart kid. I don’t worry too much about him not being able to pick up what we’re doing offensively just because of the type of savvy athlete he is.”

O’Connor has 164 career catches for 2,303 yards and 16 touchdowns. The yardage puts him at No. 8 on the UNH career list, just behind Mike Boyle, who had 2,317 yards from 2005-08.

Love (5-10, 183) led the Wildcats in catches with 59 for 520 yards in 2016 and upped his numbers to 70 for 733 yards and three scores last year.

“Malik’s explosive,” Ferzoco said. “He and Neil have been a really good combination as an inside receiver and an outside receiver. He plays hard. He’s competitive and he wants to win. He’s got a knack for finding windows and finding spots and making plays. When he’s full speed, he’s a fun player to watch and he certainly gives us another big-play element.”

Love has been slowed by injuries this spring and was banged up last year as well.

“Building our depth and give him a little bit of a blow, starting from week one, where he doesn’t have to play 90 plays a game, that should help us keep him fresh so that we can make a better run at the end of the season,” Ferzoco said.

Presley (6-0, 193 pounds) also deal with injuries last year and missed the first five games before starting the final nine contests and finishing with 43 catches for 459 yards and three scores.

“Kieran’s got a world of talent,” Ferzoco said. “He’s having a tremendous spring right now. He’s probably been, he and Joey Carroll, our two most consistent guys. Kieran’s very versatile. He can play inside. He can play outside. He’s probably our fastest receiver so he’s got the ability to stretch the field. He’s also athletic enough to play inside and be a mismatch on linebackers and safeties. He’s someone we have a lot of high hopes for.”

Sophomore Nick Lorden (6-4, 215 pounds) is one of a bunch of receivers vying for playing time. He had a knack for making key catches last year: he caught 12 passes, six of them for touchdowns.

Sophomore C.J. Turner played as a true freshman last season. Carroll, a sophomore, and redshirt freshman Benyeal Hill, Jr., have drawn praise from coaches during the spring.

Junior Ivan Niyomugabo, a Merrimack Valley graduate, was moved from quarterback to wide receiver this spring. Redshirt freshman Sean Coyne and sophomore Jason Hughes have both worked out in the spring as kickers and at wide receiver. Others in the mix include junior Nick Lubischer redshirt freshman Brian Espanet and junior Mike Vailas.