Top 10 returning wide receivers entering the 2025 season

by
  • Jeremiah Smith leads the way: Ohio State’s superstar sophomore isn’t just the best receiver returning to college football; he’s the best player returning to college football.
  • Four true sophomores on the list: Three other rising sophomores crack this list — Alabama’s Ryan Wiliams, Auburn’s Cam Coleman and Clemson’s Bryant Wesco Jr.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

With the 2024 college football season in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to 2025 by ranking the top returning players at every position. 

Next up is wide receiver. While there’s superstar talent at the top, it becomes wide open after the first few with many players having cases to make the top 10. 

Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning wide receivers in college football, in addition to an honorable mention nominee. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.

Click below to view our other position rankings

QB | RB

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

    Smith entered Columbus as the highest-rated recruit from the 2024 class and the highest-rated wide receiver recruit in Ohio State history. Suffice it to say, the Florida native faced sky-high expectations.

    And he lived up to them. Immediately.

    As a true freshman, Smith was the most valuable receiver in college football, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 89.8 PFF receiving grade in 2024 ranked third and is more than four points higher than any other returning wideout. He also led the Power Four with 15 receiving touchdowns while trailing only Tetairoa McMillan in receiving yards (1,311).

    Smith is an athletic freak at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with an incredibly refined skill set for someone who turned 19 years old in November. Not only is he the best returning receiver in college football, but he’s the best returning player in college football.

    2. Ryan Williams, Alabama

    While it didn’t match Smith’s otherworldly freshman campaign, Williams’ first college season was still incredible.

    The top-five recruit’s 865 receiving yards ranked second to Smith among FBS true freshmen — and second among all true freshmen over the past three seasons. Williams also led all true freshmen this past season with 170 receiving yards after contact while trailing only Smith in yards after the catch (397), receiving touchdowns (eight) and yards per route run (2.51).

    He has elite speed and body control at 6 feet and 175 pounds. And did you know he was only 17 years old for all of his freshman season? Has anyone mentioned that?

    Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database!

    3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

    Tyson enjoyed a massive breakout year with the Sun Devils, tallying 1,098 yards as a redshirt sophomore. The only returning Power Four receiver who posted more was Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. 

    Something clicked for the Colorado transfer in the second half of the season. In Arizona State’s final six games of the regular season, Tyson led the nation with 729 receiving yards and ranked second in the Power Four in yards per route run (4.03). He suffered a shoulder injury in Arizona State’s final regular-season game, which kept him out of the Big 12 title game and the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, the latter of which the Sun Devils lost in double overtime.

    Tyson and Sam Leavitt (No. 2 in PFF’s quarterback rankings) form the best quarterback-receiver combo in college football heading into 2025. If Arizona State is going to repeat as Big 12 champions, it’ll likely be because of those two. 

    4. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana

    Sarratt was one of 13 former James Madison Dukes to follow head coach Curt Cignetti to Bloomington and was still incredibly productive despite the jump in competition level. Only Jeremiah Smith and Jordyn Tyson recorded more receiving yards than him (957) among returning Power Four wideouts, and his 16 contested catches tied for the seventh most among all Power Four receivers. 

    Sarratt’s 90.3 PFF overall grade over the past two seasons leads all returning FBS receivers, as do his 2,156 receiving yards. The latter is nearly 400 more than any other returning wideout. Sarratt is excellent at boxing out defenders thanks to his size (6-foot-2) and strong hands. 

    5. Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn

    The highest-ranked transfer on this list, Singleton is now with the Tigers after two seasons at Georgia Tech. 

    His 1,468 receiving yards across his two years with the Yellow Jackets are the second most among returning Power Four wideouts. He also scored above the 99th percentile in PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. As that figure might suggest, Singleton has track speed with the ability to hit a home run at any point. His 664 receiving yards on deep balls since 2023 lead all returning Power Four receivers.

    6. Cam Coleman, Auburn

    Eric Singleton Jr.’s future teammate slots in one spot behind him on this list. Coleman was one of three wide receivers among the top five overall recruits in the 2024 class, joining the aforementioned Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams. While it took him a bit longer to get going than those two, he still showed off his absurd potential down the stretch. 

    During the final three weeks of the 2024 regular season, the true freshman led the nation with six receiving touchdowns and racked up the sixth-most receiving yards (306). He accomplished that while dealing with the worst quarterback play of anyone in this top 10, which could be remedied by Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold’s arrival for 2025.

    Coleman scored near the 100th percentile of PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric, boasting ridiculous movement ability at 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds to go along with a large catch radius. Expect a monstrous sophomore breakout campaign from him.

    7. Bryant Wesco Jr., Clemson

    The final rising sophomore on this list, Wesco helps form one of the nation’s best trios next year alongside Antonio Williams and fellow sophomore T.J. Moore, both of whom had compelling cases to also be ranked here.

    Wesco’s 707 receiving yards in 2024 trailed only Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams among true freshmen wideouts, while his 2.21 yards per route run ranked fifth and led the Tigers. He showed off his upside most in Clemson’s ACC Championship win over SMU, against whom he caught eight passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

    Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database!

    8. Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M

    After a down sophomore season at NC State, Concepcion will start fresh with the Aggies. 

    He still deserves a place on this list for his two-year production thus far. Since 2023, his 792 yards after the catch are the second most among returning Power Four receivers and his 16 receiving touchdowns are the most. Concepcion’s 357 rushing yards in that span rank third among all wideouts, too.

    He’s an electric player with the ball in his hands who should be utilized much more in Texas A&M’s offense. 

    9. Makai Lemon, USC

    Lemon was extremely efficient in his sophomore season with the Trojans. His 3.03 yards per route run ranked third among returning Power Four wideouts, trailing only Jeremiah Smith and Jordyn Tyson. Smith is also the second-most valuable returning wide receiver in college football, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. 

    After a slow start to the season, Lemon turned it on down the stretch, tallying the 11th-most receiving yards in the nation from Week 7 on (682). 

    10. Eugene Wilson III, Florida

    Wilson played in just four games this past season following knee and hip surgeries.

    His electric true freshman season was enough to earn him a spot on this list, though, with his 81.5 PFF receiving grade that year being a top-20 mark among Power Four wideouts, as well as his 480 yards after the catch and 18 forced missed tackles. Wilson was utilized mostly underneath during his freshman year with a conservative quarterback in Graham Mertz, but that should change next year with a gunslinger in DJ Lagway under center. Expect Wilson to bounce back in a major way. 

    Honorable Mention: Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

    Fields was very productive across his past two seasons at Virginia, leading all returning Power Four receivers in receiving yards (1,619).

    He’s a big-bodied receiver at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds who is tied for 15th among FBS receivers since 2023 with 23 contested catches. He put up with a bad quarterback situation with the Cavaliers, as Virginia finished just 117th in PFF passing grade this past season (59.7).

    Fields should be one of the favorite targets for Notre Dame’s next quarterback in 2025. 



Source link

Read More

Visit Our Site

Read our previous article: Aston Villa vs Liverpool LIVE: TV channel, live streaming details and talkSPORT commentary for rearranged Premier League clash

Sports Update: . Stay tuned for more updates on Top 10 returning wide receivers entering the 2025 season and other trending sports news!

Your Thoughts Matter! What’s your opinion on Top 10 returning wide receivers entering the 2025 season? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the discussion!

Leave a Comment