Jake Breitbach had never played wide receiver before joining the Gustavus Adolphus program in 2020. He was always a quarterback, so talented that he earned second-team All-Metro honors from the Star Tribune as a senior at Armstrong High.
Gustavus recruited him to play quarterback and pursued him aggressively, except there was one tiny issue: The Gusties already had quarterback Michael Veldman running the show when Breitbach arrived on campus.
"He was such a good athlete that you can't have him be your backup quarterback and not be on the field," Gustavus coach Peter Haugen said, calling Breitbach "one of those athletes that don't come along every day."
So coaches asked him to switch positions.
"I was pretty shocked to hear that because I had never played receiver before in my life," Breitbach said. "It was totally new."
He proved to be a quick study. The receiver who had never played receiver is now one of the best at that position in Division III.
Breitbach leads D-III in receptions per game (12.3), is second in receiving yards per game (177.8) and tied for eighth in touchdown catches (10).
He posted his third 200-yard receiving performance of the season Saturday with 209 yards in a 55-18 rout of Macalester.