College football’s 20 best wide receivers of 2025

It’s a position that requires great hands, blocking, sharp route-running and gaining yards after the catch.

These 20 wideouts come in all shapes and sizes, and are weapons in the schemes they play in. Some are dangerous out of the slot, while others do their damage on the edge. Now they’re looking to pick up where they left off from last season.

20. Trent Walker, Oregon State: The Portland native led the Beavers in receptions, receiving yards and tied for first on the team in touchdown catches last season. Walker also tied for 13th nationally in receptions per game. His 81 catches tied for seventh-best in a single-season at Oregon State. Walker caught eight passes for 92 yards in the victory at San Diego State. He generated seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown at Nevada. Walker scored Oregon State’s only touchdown of the game at California. The former three-star prospect caught 11 passes for a season-high, 151 yards against San Jose State. Walker even posted a season-high, 12 catches for 136 yards in the win over Washington State.

19. Cayden Lee, Ole Miss: Last year the 20-year old proved he was a weapon in the Rebels’ aerial attack, and made some noise down the stretch in SEC play. Lee got off to a nice start with four catches for 78 yards, and a touchdown in the opener against Furman. He hauled in nine passes for 132 yards at LSU, which were both season-highs. Lee posted five receptions for 127 yards in the victory at Arkansas. Not to mention he recorded four catches for 81 yards in the win against Georgia. The Georgia native generated six receptions for 94 yards and a score at Florida. Now that wideouts Tre Harris, and Jordan Watkins are off to the NFL, look for Lee to emerge as the Rebels’ go-to receiver this fall.

18. Carnell Tate, Ohio State: The former five-star prospect finished third on the Buckeyes in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches last season. Tate got off to a hot start with a touchdown reception in the opener against Akron. He caught four balls for a season-high, 102 yards and a score in the victory over Nebraska. Tate even hauled in four passes for 52 yards and a season-high, two touchdowns  in the win at Northwestern. The Chicago native posted a season-high, seven catches for 87 yards in the Playoff Semifinals against Texas. Although Ohio State fans are waiting for Tate to live up to all of the hype, his production should increase this fall with wideout Emeka Egbuka off to the NFL.

17. Jayce Brown, Kansas State: The 19-year old led the Wildcats in receptions, receiving yards, and tied for first on the team in touchdown catches last season. Brown solidified that he’s a deep threat after he finished fourth in the Big 12, and 31st nationally in yards per reception. He caught four passes, including a touchdown in the win over Oklahoma State. The former three-star prospect hauled in six balls for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the victory at Colorado, which were all season-highs. Brown posted five catches for 98 yards against rival Kansas. The six-foot, 175-pound Brown even closed out the regular season strong, with three catches for 106 yards, and two scores at Iowa State.

16. Aaron Anderson, LSU: Despite standing only five-foot-eight, Anderson led the Bayou Bengals in receptions, and receiving yards last season. The former five-star prospect was the top target of 4,000-yard passer Garrett Nussmeier. He got off to a hot start, with a 13-yard touchdown reception in the opener against USC. Anderson hauled in five passes for 96 yards in the victory at South Carolina. On top of that he caught a touchdown against South Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss. The New Orleans native recorded a season-high, 126 receiving yards, and a score at Texas A&M. Anderson left a lasting impression after he generated a season-high, eight catches for 100 yards in bowl win over Baylor.

15. Ted Hurst, Georgia State: The Georgia native led the Panthers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2024. Hurst averaged a jaw-dropping, 17.2 yards per catch, and earned second-team, All-Sun Belt honors for his heroics. He caught seven passes for 128 yards, and two touchdowns in the victory over Vanderbilt. The next game Hurst generated four receptions for 112 yards and a score against Georgia Southern. The six-foot-three, 185-pounder posted season-highs against Arkansas State, which were nine catches for 173 yards, to go along with a touchdown. Hurst also hauled in a touchdown pass against Old Dominion, Appalachian State, Connecticut and James Madison.

14. De’Zahn Stribling, Ole Miss: The Hawaii native led Oklahoma State in receiving yards in 2024. Stribling proved he can stretch the field on opposing defenses, and averaged 17 yards per catch. The former three-star prospect put on a show in Big 12 play. He caught seven balls for 157 yards, and a touchdown at Kansas State. Stribling posted seven catches for 101 yards, and a score at TCU. Not to mention he caught seven balls for 123 yards, and a touchdown on Senior Day against Texas Tech. His 174 receiving yards, and two touchdown catches in the victory at Tulsa, were season-highs. Stribling also found the endzone against West Virginia. He’ll be a perfect fit in Lane Kiffin’s scheme.

13. Denzel Boston, Washington: The six-foot-four, 209-pounder has great size, and uses his frame to create mismatches when locating the ball. Boston started all 13 games for the Huskies last season, and led the team in touchdown receptions. He hauled in two touchdown passes against Eastern Michigan. Boston caught seven balls for 121 yards, and two scores in the victory over Northwestern. The following game at Rutgers he had six receptions for a season-high, 125 yards, and two touchdowns. Boston also had a receiving score against Iowa, Weber State and Michigan. The former three-star prospect posted a season-high, nine catches for 99 yards in the win over USC.

12. Corey Rucker, Arkansas State: The former three-star prospect is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign.Rucker eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards, and earned second-team, All-Sun Belt honors. He finished 18th nationally with 1,053 receiving yards, which was also fourth-best in a single-season at the program. Rucker even ranked 25th in the FBS in receiving yards per game. The Mississippi native got off to a hot start with nine catches for 179 yards and a touchdown in the opener against Central Arkansas. His 12 receptions for 193 yards in the victory over Troy were season-highs. Rucker also set the school’s single-game record in 2020, with 310 receiving yards.

11. Junior Vandeross, Toledo: The five-foot-eight, 182-pounder knows how to damage out of the slot, and led the Rockets in receptions last season. Vandeross tied for 15th nationally in receptions per game, and earned first-team, All-MAC honors. His 85 catches were the sixth-best in a single-season at Toledo. Vandeross caught three passes for 115 yards, and a touchdown in the win over Massachusetts. He also caught a touchdown against Duquesne, Mississippi State and Eastern Michigan. Vandeross had 11 catches apiece against Bowling Green and Akron. The Florida native set career marks, and was named MVP, after he made 12 catches for 194 yards and a score in bowl victory over Pittsburgh.

10. Devonte Ross, Penn State: The Georgia native is coming off a monster campaign at Troy. After all, Ross posted 76 catches for 1,043 yards in 2024, which ranked 20th in the FBS, and fourth all-time in a single-season for the Trojans. He finished 16th nationally in receptions per game, and earned first-team, All-Sun Belt honors. Ross recorded seven catches for 102 yards in the opener against Nevada. The former three-star prospect posted 142 receiving yards, and two scores at Iowa. Ross generated a school-record, 229 receiving yards and three scores against Florida A&M. He also caught a touchdown against Coastal Carolina, Louisiana, Texas State, Georgia Southern and South Alabama.

9. Josh Cameron, Baylor: Although he had no stars behind his name out of high school, Cameron set the Big 12 on fire last season. He led the Bears in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches. Cameron’s 10 touchdown receptions tied for second in the Big 12, and 13th in the FBS. The Texas native caught seven balls for 125 yards, and two touchdowns against BYU. Cameron hauled in a season-high, three touchdown passes in the victory at Texas Tech. The six-foot-one, 218-pounder went over the century mark in receiving yards, and caught a touchdown in wins over West Virginia and Kansas. Cameron left a lasting impression with eight catches for 111 yards and a score against LSU.

8. Kevin Coleman, Missouri: The St. Louis native led Mississippi State in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches last season. Coleman posted a touchdown reception in each of the Bulldogs’ first three games, including a 103-yard performance at Arizona State. He hauled in eight passes for 103 yards at Georgia. Coleman also caught eight balls for 89 yards, and a score against Texas A&M. Not to mention he generated eight catches for 100 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas. Now he’s spending his final year of eligibility under Eliah Drinkwitz. Coleman needs to fill Luther Burden’s shoes, but his past SEC experience, should make it a smooth transition.

7. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana: The former four-star prospect led the Hoosiers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2024. Sarratt averaged 18.1 yards per catch, which ranked third in the Big Ten, and 26th nationally. Sarratt even earned third-team, All-Big Ten honors. The 21-year old caught six balls for 137 yards, and a touchdown against Western Illinois. Sarratt hauled in seven passes for 128 yards, and a score against Maryland. He had seven catches for 135 yards at Northwestern. His eight catches for 165 yards, and two touchdowns against Purdue, were all season-highs. Sarratt also caught two touchdowns at Michigan State, and scored against Nebraska and Michigan.

6. Ja’Kobi Lane, USC: The 20-year old utilized his six-foot-four, 218-pound frame, and made several plays for the Trojans last season. Lane finished second in the Big Ten, and fifth in the FBS in touchdown receptions. He caught fire down the stretch, with a jaw-dropping, seven touchdown catches over the final three games. Lane hauled in a season-high, 10 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over Wisconsin. The former four-star prospect had seven catches for 127 yards, and three touchdowns in the bowl win over Texas A&M. Lane also recorded three receiving scores against Notre Dame. Lane even generated a touchdown reception against LSU, Michigan, Maryland and UCLA.

5. Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech: The Tennessee native set a single-season record for Florida International in receiving yards, and touchdown catches in 2024. Rivers’ 12 receiving touchdowns tied for fifth nationally. He finished fifth in the FBS in receiving yards per game, 11th in receiving yards, and 16th in yards per catch. Rivers earned first-team, All-CUSA honors, and was the Panther’s best wideout since T.Y. Hilton. His 295 receiving yards in the win over New Mexico State set a single-game record. Rivers caught seven balls for 125 yards, and two scores at Kennesaw State. The former three-star prospect went over 100 yards receiving against Monmouth, Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee.

4. Ryan Williams, Alabama: The former five-star prospect led the Crimson Tide in receiving yards, and touchdown catches as a true freshman last season. Williams caught at least one touchdown in each of the first five games, and six total during that span. He even scored 10 total touchdowns through the first 10 contests. The Alabama native posted two receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in the opener against Western Kentucky. Williams hauled in six passes for a season-high, 177 yards and a touchdown in the win over Georgia.  The six-foot, 175-pounder had a rushing, and receiving score against Vanderbilt and Mercer. Williams is versatile, and knows how to make plays with the ball.

3. Antonio Williams, Clemson: The 20-year old led the ACC Champs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2024. Williams’ 11 touchdown catches ranked 12th nationally, and were the most by a Clemson wideout since 2019. He had  a season-high, 13 receptions for 149 yards, and two touchdowns in the victory at Pittsburgh. Williams also posted two receiving scores in wins over NC State and The Citadel. The former four-star prospect caught eight balls for 99 yards against rival South Carolina. Williams hauled in a touchdown pass against Appalachian State, Florida State, Wake Forest, Louisville and Texas. The South Carolina native finished the year with first-team, All-ACC honors.

2. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State: The Texas native put together a monster campaign for the Big 12 champs last season. Tyson’s 1,101 receiving yards ranked fifth in the Big 12, 16th nationally, and were the most by a Sun Devil wideout since 2019. He earned first-team, All-Big 12, and third-team, AP All-America honors. Tyson was even named the league’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year. He caught two touchdowns apiece in Big 12 victories over Kansas, UCF and Kansas State. His 12 catches for 176 yards against the purple Wildcats were season-highs. Tyson also eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards against Texas State, Cincinnati, BYU and Arizona. He’s back healthy this spring too.

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: The former five-star prospect lived up to the hype for the National Champs last season. Smith’s 1,315 receiving yards ranked first in the Big Ten, fourth in the FBS and fourth all-time in a single season by a Buckeye. He led the conference, and tied for second nationally, with 15 touchdown catches, which also ranked second-all-time in a single-season at Ohio State. Not only did Smith earn first-team, All-Big Ten, and second-team, AP All-America honors, but he was also named the league’s Freshman and Receiver of the Year. After all, Smith had at least one touchdown catch through the first seven games. Smith even posted five receiving scores through the Playoffs.

Honorable Mention

Nic Anderson, LSU: He missed most of the 2024 season with a lower body injury, but had 10 touchdown catches for Oklahoma in 2023. Returning back to form, and having Garrett Nussmeier throwing him passes, means the best is yet to come for Anderson.

Germie Bernard, Alabama: The former four-star prospect led the Crimson Tide with 50 receptions last season. Bernard caught a touchdown in victories over Wisconsin and South Carolina. His seven catches for 111 yards in the win over Auburn were season-highs.

Evan Stewart, Oregon: The Memphis native finished second on the Big Ten champs in receiving yards, and tied for second on the team in touchdown receptions. With Tez Johnson, and Traeshon Holden gone, look for Stewart to step up as the Ducks’ top receiver.