It seems that recently, the wide receiver talent pool has only been getting bigger and bigger. Whether it’s the connection between Davante Adams and Derek Carr back at Fresno State, Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow at LSU, or DeVonta Smith and Mac Jones back at Alabama, it truly feels like every quarterback’s best friend is their number one wide receiver.
Last season, college football saw some standout performances from premier wide receivers such as Nick Nash of San Jose State, Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona, Washington State’s Kyle Williams, and Iowa State’s dynamic duo, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Somehow, this year’s class may actually be better.
You’ve got the obvious names, like the EA College Football 26 cover athletes Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State and Alabama’s Ryan Williams. Beyond the headliners, there’s a deep group of receivers who deserve to be in the conversation for best in the country, along with a few that are flying under the radar. Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 wide receivers heading into the 2025 college football season.
10. Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson Tigers
Bryant Wesco Jr. turned a lot of heads in his freshman year with the Clemson Tigers. Even while sharing targets with another key receiver on this list, he still hauled in 41 catches for 707 yards and five touchdowns. He notched three 100-yard games, with one of those games coming in the ACC Championship against SMU, where he caught eight passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. A performance like that helped him earn Freshman All-American honors and certainly caught my attention.
While Bryant Wesco Jr. may never be a true WR1 for Clemson due to the team’s target share, he can still make a noticeable impact. The Tigers enter next season with incredibly lofty expectations thanks to a well-built roster. However, if Clemson hopes to meet those expectations, Bryant will likely need to refine aspects of his game in his sophomore year.
9. Denzel Boston, Washington Huskies
For the majority of wide receiver Denzel Boston's time at Washington, he was rarely mentioned among the top players at the position. That's because he was hidden behind three current NFL receivers in Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja'Lynn Polk for two seasons. However, once those three were drafted by the Chicago Bears, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New England Patriots, respectively, Denzel's full potential was finally unleashed.
In his third season, he caught 63 passes for 834 yards and nine touchdowns, despite average quarterback play, no offense to Will Rogers. Unfortunately for Boston, that situation may not improve. Their current starting quarterback, Demond Williams Jr., will be playing his first full season as the starter. Williams Jr. is also considered vastly undersized for the position. The Washington Huskies have a lot of moving parts and unanswered questions on offense. Denzel Boston will have a lot to overcome if he wants to continue his upward trajectory.
8. Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn Tigers
Eric Singleton Jr. is one of the most consistent wide receivers on this entire list, with his production in his two seasons of play looking eerily similar to one another. In 2023, he caught 48 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns. In the following year, he hauled in 56 passes for 754 yards and three touchdowns. Georgia Tech will certainly miss this reliable pass catcher.
Unfortunately for them, Eric Singleton Jr. decided to take a chance on himself and join the Auburn Tigers. It's easy to see why, as Auburn has seemingly become a contender overnight. Not only will Singleton Jr. be joining another top wide receiver who ranks higher on this list, but they'll be catching passes from former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold. Not to mention, their defense is led by a monster in Keldric Faulk. Eric is being put in a position to succeed; it's all up to him to capitalize on it.
7. Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets decided to replace one Eric with another, bringing in veteran wide receiver Eric Rivers. Eric has taken a long journey to get here. He spent his first two seasons with the Memphis Tigers; however, he hardly played as a freshman, and a shoulder injury completely derailed his sophomore year. Looking for another chance, he transferred to FIU. Although he had another underwhelming season in 2023, he showcased his full potential in 2024.
When Eric Rivers had a real opportunity to play, he delivered. He was one of the most productive receivers in all of college football in 2024, recording 1,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had five games with over 100 yards, including one where he absolutely tore New Mexico State to shreds with 295 yards and three touchdowns. Probably the best game from anyone on this list. At Georgia Tech, he'll be facing much tougher competition than he did in Conference USA, with teams like Clemson, Syracuse, and Georgia lined up on their schedule. Will his production hold up? Only time will tell.
6. Cam Coleman, Auburn Tigers
This is probably my biggest projection considering how little he's shown so far, but at the same time, this placement makes sense. Cam Coleman of the Auburn Tigers has been a highly touted receiver prospect since high school. He was the fifth-ranked player coming out of the 2024 recruiting class, and the second receiver in that class behind arguably the best receiver in the country. He certainly has the frame of a dominant receiver at 6'3 and 197 lbs. However, his talent didn't translate to production in his freshman campaign.
While his stats aren't necessarily impressive, there are some signs that he is heading in the right direction. He had 27 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns, but there's some context that needs to be added to his season. He was hardly targeted for the majority of the 2024 season until the last three weeks when he began to truly shine. In those games, he averaged 102 yards and two touchdowns per game. With more targets and some time with Jackson Arnold, he's more than capable of becoming one of the best wide receivers in college football.
5. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana Hoosiers
Elijah Sarratt is another college football journeyman on this list, being a part of three different college football programs. Somehow, he's managed to make an impact on every single team he's played with. In his freshman year with Saint Francis University, he owned the redzone, hauling in 13 touchdowns, which earned him First-Team All-NEC honors in 2022. He had yet another impressive season after transferring to James Madison, catching 82 passes for 1,199 yards and eight touchdowns, and was rewarded with First-Team All-Sun Belt honors. Elijah decided it was finally time to test his abilities against the Big Ten and join the Indian Hoosiers.
His production certainly didn't let up in his first season with the Hoosiers. Sarratt and newly drafted San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke had a special connection last season, which led to 53 receptions for 957 yards and eight touchdowns. The hope for the Hoosiers is that Elijah will find the same type of connection with the newly acquired quarterback, Fernando Mendoza.
4. Antonio Williams, Clemson Tigers
Antonio Williams is the better of the two premier wide receivers for the Clemson Tigers; however, there was a time when Antonio's name could've faded into obscurity. His 2023 season was completely ruined by a foot injury that lingered throughout the year. Luckily for us, he bounced back in a big way in 2024 with 75 receptions for 908 yards and 11 touchdowns. What's even more impressive is that he caught 75% of his targets, the safest hands on this list.
The 2024 First-Team All-ACC receiver is the top target on one of the top teams in all of college football, which is certainly going to help his overall production and his potential position in the 2026 NFL Draft. He's currently viewed as a top-five receiver in next year's class, and if he replicates last season's production, there's no reason why he couldn't join his quarterback, Cade Klubnik, and be selected in the first round.
3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State Sun Devil Jordyn Tyson seems to be the consensus best wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it isn't hard to see why. He was highly productive with his running mate Sam Leavitt, winning the ACC Championship and barely losing to the Texas Longhorns in the Peach Bowl. While much of their success is attributed to Cam Skattebo's dominance running the ball, Jordyn's production and impact should not go unrecognized.
In his breakout campaign with the Sun Devils, he completely dominated with four 120+ yard games, with his most impressive being against Kansas State in week 12, catching 12 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. His dominance notched him First-Team All-Big 12 honors and he was named the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year. As long as he doesn't suffer any injuries, his spot on these rankings is as safe as it can be.
2. Ryan Williams, Alabama Crimson Tide
If it weren't for one other wide receiver on this list, he would be the clear-cut wide receiver one. Ryan Williams of the Alabama Crimson Tide is a dynamic playmaker and one of the scariest deep threats not just in the SEC, but in all college football. His high school track background certainly shows up on a weekly basis, and he was the eighth-ranked recruit in the 2024 class.
Even if his quarterback, Jalen Milroe's, accuracy was questionable at times, Ryan Williams made the absolute most of his 87 targets, managing to get 865 yards and eight touchdowns. His production was deemed impressive enough to be a Freshman All-American and be part of the SEC All-Freshman Team as well as the All-SEC First-Team. The biggest factor in Ryan's projection for this season is his quarterback play. Currently, Alabama hasn't locked down a starting QB, with the competition being between three unproven quarterbacks. Hopefully, one of them stands out and takes advantage of the special talent that is Ryan Williams.
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes
Is anyone surprised? The freshman sensation could've been ranked number one before he took a snap for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was the highest-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, and so far, he has lived up to all the hype. Jeremiah Smith was truly built in a lab, standing in at 6'3, 215 pounds. There hasn't been a wide receiver of his size, with his speed, his route running proficiency, and his ball security since Julio Jones.
In his freshman debut, he wasted no time at all showing his abilities, with 76 receptions for 1,311 yards and 15 touchdowns, all while dropping the ball only once. This was unheard of for a rookie receiver, and so he was awarded with First-Team All-American, Freshman All-American, and First-Team All-Big Ten honors. He was then also named Big Ten Freshman of the Year as well as Big Ten Receiver of the Year, and to top it all off, he won the College Football Championship. His production and accolades in one season would've warranted him being selected first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Fortunately for us, we have at least until 2027 to watch Jeremiah Smith light the college football scene on fire.