Top 10 College Football Wide Receivers in 2025: Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams Lead List
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Aug. 19, 2025 3:46 p.m. ET
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FOX Sports Research
College football has seen some of the most dominant offensive players over the last decade, with several quarterbacks and running backs coming to mind. However, the wide receiver position has been a supremely talented one in more recent years.
From players like Travis Hunter at Colorado to Tetairoa McMillan at Arizona just this past season, there have been several future NFL superstars to emerge after dominating at the collegiate level.
With so many incredible players at the position this year, FOX Sports Research ranked the top 10 wide receivers ahead of the 2025 season.
Let's take a look:
2025 Top College Football Wide Receivers
Carnell Tate is entering his junior season at Ohio State. (Photo by Robin Alam/)
Tate has been a steady force in Ohio State's passing attack over his two seasons in Columbus. Just last season, the former five-star recruit totaled 52 receptions for 733 yards, 14.1 yards per reception and four touchdowns en route to helping the Buckeyes win the National Championship.
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Denzel Boston led Washington with nine receiving touchdowns in 2024. (Photo by)
After red-shirting in 2022 and receiving minimal reps in 2023, Boston came on the scene in a big way for the Huskies in 2024. He totaled 63 receptions for 834 yards, 13.2 yards per reception and a team-high nine touchdowns. With Giles Jackson off to the NFL, the 6-foot-4 Boston projects to be Washington's No. 1 receiver next season.
Elijah Sarrett is entering his second season at Indiana. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sarratt transferred from James Madison to Indiana for the 2024 season, following his head coach, Curt Cignetti, and several other James Madison teammates to Bloomington. After a standout 2023 season at James Madison, Sarrett picked up where he left off, totaling 53 receptions for 957 yards and eight touchdowns for Indiana in 2024; all three outputs led the Hoosiers, who finished 11-2 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Makai Lemon was a five-star recruit. (Photo by)
After getting minimal playing time in 2023, Lemon made the most of his prominent role in USC's offense in 2024. In a season that saw the Trojans switch quarterbacks, Lemon still managed to come down with 52 receptions for 764 yards (14.7 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. Lemon, a former five-star recruit, led USC in both receptions and receiving yards and projects to be its top receiver in 2025.
Cam Coleman got considerable playing time in his 2024 freshman campaign. (Photo by)
Most freshman rarely, if ever, see the field, but Coleman went against the tide in his freshman season at Auburn in 2024. The former five-star recruit tallied 37 receptions for 598 yards at 16.2 yards per reception with eight touchdowns, serving as a bright spot in a dark 5-7 season for the Tigers. In the penultimate week of the regular season, Auburn upset then-No. 15 Texas A&M, with the 6-foot-3 Coleman reeling in seven receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the overtime win.
5. Auburn WR Eric Singleton Jr.
Eric Singleton Jr. spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Georgia Tech. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Joining Coleman in Auburn's wide receiver room next season is Singleton, who spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Georgia Tech in 2023 and 2024. Across those two seasons, Singleton averaged 52 receptions for 734 yards and 4.5 touchdowns per season. Singleton has also provided a boost in the running game, as he got the call on the run 21 times for 131 yards and one touchdown in 2024.
Antonio Williams led the ACC with 11 receiving touchdowns in 2024. (Photo by)
After a pair of effective 2022 and 2023 seasons, Williams emerged as an integral part of Clemson's offense in his junior season, reeling in 75 receptions for 904 yards and an ACC-high 11 touchdowns, with all three totals leading the Tigers in 2024. Williams also had seven carries for 101 yards and one touchdown. Williams broke the ice in Clemson's first-round playoff matchup against Texas, taking a Cade Klubnik pass 22 yards into the end zone for the game's first score. (Despite all that, the Longhorns went on to win the game.)
Jordyn Tyson began his college career at Colorado. (Photo by)
Tyson's collegiate career has been a bumpy one, as a respectable 2022 campaign at Colorado was cut short by a knee injury. That injury then limited Tyson in his first season at Arizona State, with him not recording a reception in 2023. Then, he got back on the field and took over. In 2024, Tyson totaled 75 receptions for 1,101 yards (14.7 yards per reception) with 10 touchdowns, all three totals leading the Sun Devils in a season that saw them win the Big 12 and earn a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Unfortunately, Tyson, who had five 100-yard performances, suffered a broken collarbone in the final week of the regular season, ending his junior campaign.
Ryan Williams led Alabama in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as a freshman. (Photo by Aric Becker/)
Williams flashed speed in his 2024 freshman season at Alabama. One might say it looked like Dash from "The Incredibles" was lining up on the outside for the Crimson Tide. Williams racked up 48 receptions at 18 yards per for 865 yards and eight touchdowns, with the last two totals leading Alabama; he also logged two rushing scores. In fact, the first two catches of Williams' career were touchdowns, as he had two receptions for 139 yards and two scores in Week 1. One month later, he had six receptions for 177 yards and one score, a go-ahead, 75-yard touchdown with 2:18 remaining in the game, in Alabama's dramatic win over Georgia.
1. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Jeremiah Smith led the Big Ten in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in his freshman season. (Photo by)
There are great freshman seasons, and then there's what Smith did at Ohio State last year. In a campaign capped off by the Buckeyes winning the National Championship, Smith totaled 76 receptions for 1,315 yards – 17.3 yards per reception – and 15 touchdowns. Smith's yard and touchdown totals each led the Big Ten. Arguably, Smith's best performance came in Ohio State's quarterfinal round victory over Oregon in the College Football Playoff, as the star receiver totaled seven receptions for 187 yards and two scores.
The No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024 reeled in the most pivotal pass of the season for Ohio State, coming down with a 56-yard pass on third-and-11 at the two-minute warning of the National Championship, helping the Buckeyes get in position to later kick a field goal and go up two scores, which would be enough for them to finish off the victory.
Honorable mention:
2025 Heisman Trophy odds:
Arch Manning, Texas: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Cade Klubnik, Clemson: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Julian Sayin, Ohio State: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Drew Allar, Penn State: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
DJ Lagway, Florida: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Dante Moore, Oregon: +2200 (bet $10 to win $230 total)
John Mateer (Oklahoma): +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State): +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)
Carson Beck, Miami:+3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
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