College Football’s Top 25 Receiving Corps for 2026

NCAAF College Football
July 16, 2026
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With less than 45 days until the start of the 2026 college football season, it’s time to hand out preseason hardware and rank the top 25 receiving corps for the upcoming year. Despite some personnel turnover, Ohio State takes the No. 1 spot with Jeremiah Smith back to lead this group. It’s a close battle behind the Buckeyes in the top five. Texas, Miami, Oregon and Clemson round out the next tier, with Indiana and Texas A&M headlining the following group.

How did we come up with these rankings? Many factors were considered. Depth, overall talent, production, level of competition and projected output in 2026 all factored into the rankings. While some teams may have experienced a down year last season, having a different quarterback or a change of scheme can make a huge difference. These rankings reflect projections for ’26, not solely what teams accomplished in ’25. Note: This ranking also takes into account tight ends.

2026 Season Preview: 138 Team Rankings | All-America Team | Bowl Projections

The Buckeyes are seemingly a factory for high-end talent every year at wide receiver under coach Ryan Day. Jeremiah Smith — arguably the top returning player in college football for 2026 — anchors this unit after back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Smith also has 27 receiving touchdowns in his Ohio State career. Change headlines the rest of this unit. Receivers coach Brian Hartline left to be the head coach at South Florida, with former LSU assistant Cortez Hankton hired in his place. Receiver Carnell Tate and tight end Max Klare departed for the NFL, but the cupboard isn’t bare here for quarterback Julian Sayin. Brandon Inniss (36 catches) returns as a key contributor, while true freshman Chris Henry Jr. is primed for an instant impact. Transfers Devin McCuin (UTSA) and Kyle Parker (LSU) will also contribute. A pair of transfers — Ohio’s Mason Williams and Northwestern’s Hunter Welcing (28 catches last year) — join Nate Roberts as the top options at tight end.

Quarterback Arch Manning’s supporting cast received a major upgrade this offseason when receiver Cam Coleman opted to transfer from Auburn to Austin. Coleman’s ability to make plays downfield will stress opposing defenses and allow Manning to push the ball deep more often in ‘26. Ryan Wingo (54 catches for 834 yards and seven touchdowns last year) is one of the SEC’s top returning receivers, with Emmett Mosley V (28 catches for 408 yards) likely to make a bigger impact this fall after a slow start in ‘25 due to injury. Coach Steve Sarkisian has plenty of young talent waiting in the wings, including Jermaine Bishop and Kaliq Lockett. Michigan State transfer Michael Masunas was a valuable pickup at tight end.

After a breakout freshman season, Malachi Toney should be even better as a sophomore. The Miami native stuffed the stat sheet in ‘25, catching 109 passes for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns, rushing for 113 yards and throwing two passes for scores. After catching 72 passes for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns in his FBS debut at Duke last year, Cooper Barkate (a former Harvard standout) followed quarterback Darian Mensah from Durham to Coral Gables. The Toney-Barkate pairing is arguably among the nation’s best receiving duos, and there’s quality depth here with transfers Cam Vaughn (West Virginia) and Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina) rounding out the key contributors. Tight end Elija Lofton will push for All-ACC honors.

The Ducks must replace receiver Malik Benson (16.7 yards per catch in ‘25) and tight end Kenyon Sadiq (51 catches), but quarterback Dante Moore still returns one of the nation’s top pass-catching units. Receiver Dakorien Moore caught 34 passes in a standout freshman campaign and is poised for an even bigger role this fall. Evan Stewart was expected to rank among the Big Ten’s top receivers last season but missed the entire year due to injury. His return, along with Jeremiah McClellan’s continued development and the arrival of UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, provides Moore with ample weapons. Sadiq is a big loss at tight end, but Jamari Johnson looks like the Ducks’ next star at this position.

The Tigers return one of the nation’s top receiving duos with T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. back this fall. Wesco Jr. was limited to just seven games due to injury but still grabbed 31 receptions for 537 yards and six scores. Moore paced the Clemson attack with 52 catches for 837 yards last fall. Tyler Brown and Cole Turner are back to provide veteran depth, and true freshman Naeem Burroughs is a potential breakout candidate. Christian Bentancur and Olsen Patt-Henry form a solid duo at tight end.

Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt and E.J. Williams departed after combining for 170 catches for 2,205 yards and 34 touchdowns. Despite significant turnover, the Hoosiers are still in great shape at this position. After a breakout ‘25 campaign, Charlie Becker (34 catches for 679 yards) is poised to rank among the top receivers nationally this fall. Also, Michigan State transfer Nick Marsh will be an instant impact pickup, and Tyler Morris is back after missing all of ‘25 due to injury. Tulane transfer Shazz Preston, Davion Chandler and Lebron Bond round out the other key contributors at receiver. Miami transfer Brock Schott is a name to watch at tight end.

KC Concepcion’s playmaking ability will be missed, but the Aggies bring back Mario Craver (59 catches for 917 yards and four scores) and Ashton Bethel-Roman (21 yards per catch). Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton arrives to give quarterback Marcel Reed a big target in the red zone. Terry Bussey and true freshman Aaron Gregory will also contribute at receiver. Transfers Richie Anderson (Fresno State) and Houston Thomas (UTSA) will man the tight end spot for coach Mike Elko.

Quarterback play is a question mark in Gainesville, as the battle between Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. will continue into fall practice. However, the weapons around the winner of the quarterback competition aren’t in question. The Gators feature one of the SEC’s top receiver trios, as Eric Singleton transferred to Florida to play under his former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator (Buster Faulkner), while Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III are just scratching the surface of their potential. Wake Forest transfer Micah Mays had a breakout performance in the spring game and should team with Bailey Stockton (a Georgia Tech transfer) and TJ Abrams to round out the key contributors at receiver.

More consistency is needed from Ryan Coleman-Williams, but the junior still ranks among college football’s top receivers entering ‘26. Lotzeir Brooks also returns after a breakout freshman campaign, with Rico Scott, Cederian Morgan and Derek Meadows rounding out the next tier of contributors. NC State transfer Noah Rogers suffered an injury in the A-Day scrimmage but will return at some point during the ‘26 season to give coach Kalen DeBoer another weapon in the passing game.

This is a top-heavy group for coach Mike Norvell. Duce Robinson earned first-team All-America honors by Athlon Sports for 2026 after catching 56 passes for 1,081 yards and six scores last year. Micahi Danzy is a threat to score every time he touches the ball, averaging 21.1 yards per reception and 18 yards per rush in ‘25. Jayvan Boggs and true freshman Jasen Lopez are likely to be featured as the other top targets for quarterback Ashton Daniels. East Carolina transfer Desirrio Riles and Landen Thomas anchor the tight end position.

11. Oklahoma
12. Tennessee
13. LSU
14. Ole Miss
15. Texas Tech
16. Notre Dame
17. USC
18. Colorado
19. Georgia
20. South Carolina
21. Oklahoma State
22. Nebraska
23. Missouri
24. Arizona State
25. Texas State

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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