CFB’s best receivers for 2025: Who lines up after the clear No. 1?
Who will be the best receiver in college football in 2025? It seems that’s not a very hard question.
We asked a group of our reporters that question and the answer was unanimous: Ohio State phenom Jeremiah Smith. In fact of the five polls we conducted concerning the top players and coaches for the coming season, this is the only one that came back with an undisputed winner.
Our panel was asked to vote for their top 10 pass catchers for the 2025 season (tight ends included), and we distributed points based on their selections (10 points for a first-place vote, 9 points for second place and so on).
Besides Smith, only one other player appeared on all 10 ballots: Alabama’s Ryan Williams, another freshman who made an instant impact. But after that, the voting was wide open. The list includes players who bounced back from injuries, transfers from last season who hit it big with their new teams and some looking for similar breakthroughs after visiting the portal this offseason.
Here’s a look at our picks for the top 10 receivers in college football:
Points: 100 (10 of 10 first-place votes)
2024 stats: 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, 17.3-yard average, 16 TDs (1 rushing)
Rarely do incoming freshmen generate as much hype as Smith did, and then actually exceed it. He didn’t win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver, but good luck finding a coach who would prefer anyone over the Buckeyes star. He had three or more receptions in all but one game and reached the end zone in 12 of Ohio State’s 16 contests.
After earning Big Ten freshman and receiver of the year honors, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith will enter his second season as a bona fide Heisman Trophy contender, and could be by far the best player at his position for two more years before he’s eligible for the NFL draft. It’s a rare spot for such a young player to occupy, but Smith is a rare talent. — Adam Rittenberg
Points: 82
2024 stats: 48 receptions, 865 yards, 18-yard average, 10 TDs (2 rushing)
Williams didn’t finish his freshman season the way he started it, but still proved to be one of the most explosive players in the nation. He had five touchdown catches in his first four games, including the game winner against Georgia, and finished the season with 10 touchdowns (8 receiving, 2 rushing).
Williams averaged 18 yards per catch and tied for fourth nationally with five receptions of 50-plus yards. Look for even more big plays in 2025, especially with Ryan Grubb coming in as Alabama’s new offensive coordinator. — Chris Low
Points: 68
2024 stats: 75 receptions, 1,101 yards, 14.7-yard average, 10 TDs
The former Colorado transfer returned from the knee injury that sidelined him for nearly all of the 2023 season and instantly became a key figure for the Sun Devils, emerging as the lead downfield target in an offense powered by 1,711-yard rusher Cam Skattebo. Tyson’s production earned him Big 12 offensive newcomer of the year honors. An upper-body injury kept him sidelined for the Sun Devils’ postseason run.
Tyson’s dependability was huge for ASU. He eclipsed 100 yards receiving five times, logged 12 third-down receptions (17th nationally) and had more red zone targets (16) than all but 22 wide receivers across the country. With Arizona State expected to shift its offensive balance without Skattebo in the backfield, Tyson should see even more of the ball as the go-to weapon for Heisman Trophy contender Sam Leavitt in 2025. — Eli Lederman
Points: 46
2024 stats: 53 receptions, 957 yards, 18.1-yard average, 8 TDs
Sarratt is a success story for the portal era. Overlooked out of high school, the 6-foot-2, 209-pounder became an immediate star for Saint Francis (Pa.) in FCS, catching 42 passes for 700 yards and 13 touchdowns. He parlayed that into success at James Madison in 2023 (82 catches, 1,191 yards, 8 TDs), then followed Curt Cignetti to Indiana, where he became the leading receiver on a playoff team.
He enjoyed four 100-yard performances last season, and among players with at least 80 targets he ranked eighth in yards per reception (18.1) and 10th in success rate (59.1%). He’s efficient and explosive, and if Indiana again plays at a high level, he’ll be one of the primary reasons. — Bill Connelly
Points: 40
2024 stats (with Georgia Tech): 56 receptions, 754 yards, 13.5-yard average, 3 TDs; 21 carries, 131 yards, 1 TD
Singleton, the No. 4 overall player in ESPN’s transfer rankings in December, was extremely coveted upon entering the portal. The former freshman All-American finished second in ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2023 and has put up 1,849 all-purpose yards and 10 total scores over his first two college seasons.
Singleton also ran track at Georgia Tech, with a personal best of 10.32 seconds in the 100-meter dash. The speedster is hoping to play up to his early-round NFL draft pick potential in an Auburn offense that seriously reloaded with portal pickups this offseason. — Max Olson
Points: 30
2024 stats: 75 receptions, 904 yards, 12.1-yard average, 12 TDs (1 rushing)
There were growing concerns about what had happened to Clemson’s wide receiver room entering the 2024 season, but Williams helped put those to rest. A freshman All-America selection in 2022, he had injuries wipe out most of his 2023 season, but he returned last fall to record career highs in receptions (75), receiving yards (904), receiving touchdowns (11) and offensive snaps (727).
Williams was the first Clemson player to reach 75 or more receptions since Amari Rodgers in 2020, and the first with 10 or more touchdown receptions since Tee Higgins in 2019 (13). He also was a factor on punt returns, averaging 9.7 yards per runback. — Rittenberg
Points: 29
2024 stats: 48 receptions, 613 yards, 12.8-yard average, 5 TDs
Few returning wideouts bring more talent to the table than Stewart. The former five-star recruit went through ups and downs in two seasons at Texas A&M but really impressed Oregon’s coaching staff last season and is coming back for his senior year to prove he can become an elite playmaker.
Stewart has turned 139 career catches into 1,776 yards and 11 touchdowns with six 100-yard performances, including a career-best 149 yards in the Ducks’ regular-season win over Ohio State. Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden moving on to the NFL creates plenty of opportunity for Stewart to see a ton of targets this fall. — Olson
Points: 21
2024 stats: 41 receptions, 708 yards, 17.3-yard average, 5 TDs
A midseason ankle injury tamped down his full-season numbers, but Wesco lived up to his blue-chip status both early and late in his freshman season. In September, he caught passes of 51 and 76 yards against Appalachian State and 70 and 34 against Stanford; after his return from injury, he starred in Clemson’s ACC championship game victory, catching eight passes for 143 yards and two scores.
On a team hungry for big plays, nine of his 41 receptions gained at least 34 yards, and as he bulks up a bit (he was listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds last season) and improves his short-route game, he’ll only become more dangerous on the long balls. Clemson enters 2025 with top-10 billing, and both Wesco’s production and his potential for even greater heights are a major reason for that. — Connelly
Points: 19
2024 stats: 52 receptions, 733 yards, 14.1-yard average, 4 TDs
One of the nation’s top receiver prospects when he signed out of high school, Tate was the No. 3 option last season for the Buckeyes and still caught 52 passes for 733 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-2, 191-pound junior will pair with Jeremiah Smith to give Ohio State one of the top pass-catching combos in the country.
Tate averaged 14.1 yards per catch last season and had five catches of 30 yards or longer. There was some chatter after the season that Tate might transfer, but he said he never thought about leaving Ohio State. He’s a tough, physical matchup for opposing cornerbacks and has the speed to make big plays down the field. — Low
Points: 19
2024 stats (with NC State): 53 receptions, 460 yards, 8.7-yard average, 6 TDs; 19 carries, 36 yards, 2 TDs
The 5-foot-11 pass catcher broke NC State’s freshman reception record (71 catches) and became a freshman All-American with 1,159 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. The Wolfpack regressed last fall, and so did Concepcion’s production, but he should be a frequent target within an Aggies passing attack that finished 88th nationally and 12th in the SEC in completions of 20-plus yards a year ago.
Concepcion’s 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons are tied for 14th most nationally over that span. Stepping into a remade Texas A&M wide receiver unit alongside transfers Mario Craver and Jonah Wilson, Concepcion could be the key in turning around an offense that finished 87th in passing yards per game in 2024. — Lederman
Also receiving votes: Nic Anderson, LSU, 18 points; Cam Coleman, Auburn, 17; Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech, 14; Zachariah Branch, Georgia, 7; Makai Lemon, USC, 6; Barion Brown, LSU 5; Eugene Wilson III, Florida 5; Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon (TE), 5; Devonte Ross, Penn State, 4; Aaron Anderson, LSU, 3; Malachi Fields, Notre Dame, 3; Deion Burks, Oklahoma, 2; Oscar Delp, Georgia (TE), 2; Ryan Wingo, Texas, 2; Dakorien Moore, Oregon, 1; Max Klare, Ohio State (TE), 1; Nick Marsh, Michigan State, 1
CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.
The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.
The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.
“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”
There haven’t been many games like this, though.
The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.
The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”
On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.
“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”
The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.
Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.
Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.
The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.
Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.
“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.
Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.
“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.
“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”
Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”
MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”
Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.
Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.
“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”
The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.
“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.
Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway