GROVE CITY — Nobody can say Scott Fraser came out of nowhere.

His 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame is hard to miss as a wide receiver on the football field, after all.

But his ascent to prominence in the Grove City College passing game is impressive, nonetheless.

“In college football, the jump a player makes from freshman to sophomore year is always important,” Grove City coach Andrew DiDonato said. “Scott's improvement and progress from his freshman to sophomore year is the best I've seen in my five years here.”

Fraser was a receiver in Knoch's triple-option offense during his high school career.

“I learned how to block and I was thrown an occasional jump ball,” Fraser said of his involvement in Knoch's offense. “This year has been a lot of fun. I feel like a key part of the offense, a total football player.”

That's because he has been.

Through seven games this season, Fraser has caught 34 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns. He's been serving as the complementary receiver to veteran Wolverines standout Cody Gustafson, who has 59 catches for 915 yards and 10 scores.

Cameron Drake served that No. 2 receiver role the past couple of seasons, hauling in 51 passes for 994 yards and seven TDs in 2019. He is now graduated.

“We needed someone to take over Cam's role,” DiDonato said. “Honestly, I didn't think Scott would be that guy this year. We knew the potential was there. That's why we recruited him.

“He had the size and ability. He played basketball in high school, too, so we knew he had athleticism. He fit the bill for the type of receiver we look for.

“Through hard work and studying Cody and Cam, how they run their routes and execute plays ... he just vaulted up our depth chart.”

Fraser has been thriving from lining up opposite Gustafson.

“He's such a dynamic player and attracts a lot of double coverage,” Fraser said. “That leaves me with a lot of 1-on-1 coverage. It's up to me to beat my man.”

The speed of the game has been Fraser's biggest adjustment to college football.

“In high school, I could just run down the field and get open, or out-leap the defender for the ball,” he said. “In college, I have to sprint down the field. The plays develop much faster.

“I had to work on route-running, learn the pass patterns to get open. I feel like I'm getting better that way.”

Grove City played a four-game season last spring after the 2020 football campaign was canceled due to COVID-19. Fraser rarely saw the field and was not involved in the passing game.

“I wasn't really a part of things. I wasn't ready,” Fraser admitted.

Of course, Grove City's freshman class last year didn't get much of an opportunity for growth.

“That's what makes Scott's development this year that much more remarkable,” DiDonato said. “His class basically missed out on all of the classroom work and little things that are so critical to freshmen adapting to the next level.

“Now, while we tell receivers like Scott to study Cody and Cam to see how it's done, we'll be telling future receivers coming into the program to study Scott to see how it's done.”

Expectations for Fraser's Grove City College football career have “definitely shot up,” DiDonato said.

Fraser has three years of football eligibility remaining after this season.

“Scott Fraser is going to be a No. 1 receiver here,” DiDonato said. “We were 8-3 in 2018, then 9-2, now 6-1 so far this year ... he will be a big part of that success continuing.”

And that's something Fraser is up for.

“We're in the running for the PAC title,” Fraser said. “It's the first time we've been involved in that race and I'm going to enjoy the ride.”