College Football’s Pre-Spring Rankings: Top 10 Wide Receivers for 2026
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A handful of college football’s top wide receivers from 2025 have moved on to the NFL, but the ‘26 season still features plenty of talent on the outside. Headlining the nation’s best receivers for the upcoming year is Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Miami’s Malachi Toney. Smith has dominated opposing defensive backs since he stepped onto campus prior to the ’24 campaign, while Toney was a breakout star as a true freshman last fall.
Cam Coleman joins Smith and Toney in the top five for ‘26, as his arrival should give Texas quarterback Arch Manning a clear No. 1 receiver to team with Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley V. Florida State’s Duce Robinson and Texas A&M’s Mario Craver round out the rest of the top selections, but Alabama’s Ryan Coleman-Williams could join that mix if he eliminates the drops that hindered his ‘25 season.
With spring practice underway or coming soon for all 138 teams, Athlon Sports ranks the top 10 wide receivers returning in college football for 2026. Keep in mind, this list will change several times during the offseason with names moving up and down based on spring performance, offseason evaluation, and other factors before the start of next year.
College Football’s Pre-Spring Rankings: Top 10 Wide Receivers for 2026
The Next Tier: Beau Sparks, Texas State; Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State; Evan Stewart, Oregon; Danny Scudero, Colorado; Ryan Wingo, Texas; T.J. Moore, Clemson; Bryant Wesco, Clemson; Ian Strong, California; Easton Messer, Florida Atlantic; Chris Dawn, Texas State; Isaiah Sategna III, Oklahoma; Omarion Miller, Arizona State; Nick Marsh, Indiana; Braylon Staley, Tennessee; Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame; Jackson Harris, LSU; Jayce Brown, LSU
10. Amare Thomas, Houston
Thomas developed a quick connection with quarterback (and fellow transfer) Conner Weigman to lead a much-improved Houston attack last season. The former UAB standout caught 67 passes for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. Thomas ranked second among Big 12 receivers with 39 catches of 10-plus yards and posted three of 50-plus yards.
9. Cooper Barkate, Miami
After a successful one-year stop at Duke in 2025, Barkate followed quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami in the transfer portal. After starting his career at Harvard, Barkate quickly emerged as one of the ACC’s top receivers last season. Over 14 games, he caught 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns. Barkate led all ACC receivers with 49 receptions of 10-plus yards.
8. Ryan Coleman-Williams, Alabama
Williams isn’t lacking for talent, but the junior needs to be more consistent overall in ‘26. Through the first two years of his Crimson Tide career, the Alabama native has grabbed 97 receptions for 1,554 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, his 10 drops in ‘25 ranked near the top of college football.
7.Charlie Becker, Indiana
With Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper off to the NFL, Becker should slide into the No. 1 receiving role for coach Curt Cignetti and new quarterback Josh Hoover. The sure-handed Tennessee native came on strong in the second half of ‘25, including seven receptions for 118 yards against Penn State, 126 receiving yards versus Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game, and four catches for 65 yards in the national title win over Miami. Becker recorded 34 receptions for 679 yards and four scores overall in a breakout ‘25 campaign.
6.KJ Duff, Rutgers
Duff is arguably one of the most underrated players returning for ‘26. The New York native quietly caught 60 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns – a major jump from his freshman totals (27 catches for 425 yards). Duff’s average yards per catch (18.1) ranked second among Big Ten receivers last year.
5. Mario Craver, Texas A&M
With KC Concepcion off to the NFL, Craver will become the No. 1 target for quarterback Marcel Reed in ‘26. The Mississippi State transfer shined in his first season with the Aggies last fall, catching 59 passes for 917 yards and four scores. He also tied for third among SEC receivers with five completions of 40-plus yards.
4. Duce Robinson, Florida State
Robinson transferred from USC to Florida State last offseason and emerged as one of the nation’s top impact additions at receiver from the portal. The Arizona native grabbed 56 receptions for 1,081 yards and six scores. The 6-foot-6 target led all ACC receivers with 12 receptions of 30-plus yards.
3. Cam Coleman, Texas
The ultra-talented Coleman should be one of college football’s top impact transfers in ‘26. Despite inconsistent quarterback play, Coleman caught 93 passes for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns in two years at Auburn. With an opportunity to catch passes from quarterback Arch Manning and work under coach Steve Sarkisian, Coleman is primed for a monster junior campaign.
2. Malachi Toney, Miami
The sky is the limit for Toney after dominating opposing defensive backs as a true freshman last year. In 16 appearances, Toney caught 109 passes for 1,211 yards and 10 scores and showcased his all-around versatility with 113 yards on the ground, averaged 12.96 yards on punt returns, and threw two touchdown passes.
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
There’s no debate at No. 1 for the top receiver entering ‘26. Smith is easily college football’s best returner at this position, as the Florida native has dominated since stepping onto campus in ‘24. Over 29 games with the Buckeyes, Smith caught 163 passes for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns. In addition to Smith’s No. 1 ranking on this list, he’s easily the best overall returning player in college football entering ‘26.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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