College football rankings: Top 10 wide receivers of 2021

2. Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

Put simply, the Ohio State Buckeyes may be breaking in a new quarterback with Justin Fields gone but they boast the best wide receiver room in college football to help with that transition. And it’s really not all that close in terms of quality among the pass-catchers. Rising junior Garrett Wilson is one of the key reasons why that’s the case.

Wilson arrived in Columbus as a 5-star recruit and flashed his elite ability right away, even if he didn’t play a sizeable role in the offense. Over 13 games as a freshman, he caught 30 passes for 432 yards and five touchdowns. He followed that up in eight games for the 2020 season by hauling in 43 receptions for 723 yards and six scores.

Unlike the guys like Bell, Fryfogle and other big-bodied, physical receivers, Wilson wins because of his athletic traits. The guy is a nightmare to try and keep up with given his speed, quickness and footwork, which has been even more on display as of late as he’s come along as a smoother route-runner. He’s also good for a jump-out-of-your-seat highlight catch about once per game if given the opportunity.

Without question, Wilson would be the best wide receiver in virtually any wide receiver corps in college football. He’s that talented already and should only get better after garnering more experience. However, he plays at Ohio State, which means he’s the No. 2 receiver in the sport but also on his own team.