Who would be the greatest receiver in faculty soccer in 2025? Plainly’s not a really onerous query.
We requested a bunch of our reporters that query and the reply was unanimous: Ohio State phenom Jeremiah Smith. In reality of the 5 polls we carried out regarding the prime gamers and coaches for the approaching season, that is the one one which got here again with an undisputed winner.
Our panel was requested to vote for his or her prime 10 move catchers for the 2025 season (tight ends included), and we distributed factors primarily based on their picks (10 factors for a first-place vote, 9 factors for second place and so forth).
In addition to Smith, just one different participant appeared on all 10 ballots: Alabama’s Ryan Williams, one other freshman who made an immediate influence. However after that, the voting was broad open. The record consists of gamers who bounced again from accidents, transfers from final season who hit it huge with their new groups and a few on the lookout for comparable breakthroughs after visiting the portal this offseason.
This is a take a look at our picks for the highest 10 receivers in faculty soccer:
Factors: 100 (10 of 10 first-place votes)
2024 stats: 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, 17.3-yard common, 16 TDs (1 dashing)
Hardly ever do incoming freshmen generate as a lot hype as Smith did, after which truly exceed it. He did not win the Biletnikoff Award because the nation’s prime broad receiver, however good luck discovering a coach who would favor anybody over the Buckeyes star. He had three or extra receptions in all however one recreation and reached the tip zone in 12 of Ohio State’s 16 contests.
After incomes Massive Ten freshman and receiver of the yr honors, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith will enter his second season as a bona fide Heisman Trophy contender, and could possibly be by far the very best participant at his place for 2 extra years earlier than he is eligible for the NFL draft. It is a uncommon spot for such a younger participant to occupy, however Smith is a uncommon expertise. — Adam Rittenberg
Factors: 82
2024 stats: 48 receptions, 865 yards, 18-yard common, 10 TDs (2 dashing)
Williams did not end his freshman season the way in which he began it, however nonetheless proved to be one of the crucial explosive gamers within the nation. He had 5 landing catches in his first 4 video games, together with the sport winner towards Georgia, and completed the season with 10 touchdowns (8 receiving, 2 dashing).
Williams averaged 18 yards per catch and tied for fourth nationally with 5 receptions of 50-plus yards. Search for much more huge performs in 2025, particularly with Ryan Grubb coming in as Alabama’s new offensive coordinator. — Chris Low
Factors: 68
2024 stats: 75 receptions, 1,101 yards, 14.7-yard common, 10 TDs
The previous Colorado switch returned from the knee harm that sidelined him for practically the entire 2023 season and immediately grew to become a key determine for the Solar Devils, rising because the lead downfield goal in an offense powered by 1,711-yard rusher Cam Skattebo. Tyson’s manufacturing earned him Massive 12 offensive newcomer of the yr honors. An upper-body harm stored him sidelined for the Solar Devils’ postseason run.
Tyson’s dependability was large for ASU. He eclipsed 100 yards receiving 5 instances, logged 12 third-down receptions (seventeenth nationally) and had extra purple zone targets (16) than all however 22 broad receivers throughout the nation. With Arizona State anticipated to shift its offensive steadiness with out Skattebo within the backfield, Tyson ought to see much more of the ball because the go-to weapon for Heisman Trophy contender Sam Leavitt in 2025. — Eli Lederman
Factors: 46
2024 stats: 53 receptions, 957 yards, 18.1-yard common, 8 TDs
Sarratt is successful story for the portal period. Missed out of highschool, the 6-foot-2, 209-pounder grew to become an instantaneous 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 adopted Curt Cignetti to Indiana, the place he grew to become the main receiver on a playoff group.
He loved 4 100-yard performances final season, and amongst gamers with not less than 80 targets he ranked eighth in yards per reception (18.1) and tenth in success charge (59.1%). He is environment friendly and explosive, and if Indiana once more performs at a excessive stage, he’ll be one of many main causes. — Invoice Connelly
Factors: 40
2024 stats (with Georgia Tech): 56 receptions, 754 yards, 13.5-yard common, 3 TDs; 21 carries, 131 yards, 1 TD
Singleton, the No. 4 total participant in ESPN’s switch rankings in December, was extraordinarily coveted upon coming into the portal. The previous freshman All-American completed second in ACC Offensive Rookie of the 12 months voting in 2023 and has put up 1,849 all-purpose yards and 10 whole scores over his first two faculty seasons.
Singleton additionally ran monitor at Georgia Tech, with a private better of 10.32 seconds within the 100-meter sprint. The speedster is hoping to play as much as his early-round NFL draft choose potential in an Auburn offense that significantly reloaded with portal pickups this offseason. — Max Olson
Factors: 30
2024 stats: 75 receptions, 904 yards, 12.1-yard common, 12 TDs (1 dashing)
There have been rising issues about what had occurred to Clemson’s broad receiver room coming into the 2024 season, however Williams helped put these to relaxation. A freshman All-America choice in 2022, he had accidents wipe out most of his 2023 season, however he returned final fall to document profession highs in receptions (75), receiving yards (904), receiving touchdowns (11) and offensive snaps (727).
Williams was the primary Clemson participant to succeed in 75 or extra receptions since Amari Rodgers in 2020, and the primary with 10 or extra landing receptions since Tee Higgins in 2019 (13). He additionally was an element on punt returns, averaging 9.7 yards per runback. — Rittenberg
Factors: 29
2024 stats: 48 receptions, 613 yards, 12.8-yard common, 5 TDs
Few returning wideouts carry extra expertise to the desk than Stewart. The previous five-star recruit went via ups and downs in two seasons at Texas A&M however actually impressed Oregon’s teaching employees final season and is coming again for his senior yr to show he can develop into an elite playmaker.
Stewart has turned 139 profession catches into 1,776 yards and 11 touchdowns with six 100-yard performances, together with a career-best 149 yards within the Geese’ regular-season win over Ohio State. Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden shifting on to the NFL creates loads of alternative for Stewart to see a ton of targets this fall. — Olson
Factors: 21
2024 stats: 41 receptions, 708 yards, 17.3-yard common, 5 TDs
A midseason ankle harm tamped down his full-season numbers, however Wesco lived as much as his blue-chip standing each early and late in his freshman season. In September, he caught passes of 51 and 76 yards towards Appalachian State and 70 and 34 towards Stanford; after his return from harm, he starred in Clemson’s ACC championship recreation victory, catching eight passes for 143 yards and two scores.
On a group hungry for large performs, 9 of his 41 receptions gained not less than 34 yards, and as he bulks up a bit (he was listed at 6-foot-2, 180 kilos final season) and improves his short-route recreation, he’ll solely develop into extra harmful on the lengthy balls. Clemson enters 2025 with top-10 billing, and each Wesco’s manufacturing and his potential for even higher heights are a serious motive for that. — Connelly
Factors: 19
2024 stats: 52 receptions, 733 yards, 14.1-yard common, 4 TDs
One of many nation’s prime receiver prospects when he signed out of highschool, Tate was the No. 3 possibility final season for the Buckeyes and nonetheless caught 52 passes for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns. The 6-2, 191-pound junior will pair with Jeremiah Smith to provide Ohio State one of many prime pass-catching combos within the nation.
Tate averaged 14.1 yards per catch final season and had 5 catches of 30 yards or longer. There was some chatter after the season that Tate would possibly switch, however he mentioned he by no means thought of leaving Ohio State. He is a troublesome, bodily matchup for opposing cornerbacks and has the pace to make huge performs down the sector. — Low
Factors: 19
2024 stats (with NC State): 53 receptions, 460 yards, 8.7-yard common, 6 TDs; 19 carries, 36 yards, 2 TDs
The 5-foot-11 move catcher broke NC State’s freshman reception document (71 catches) and have become a freshman All-American with 1,159 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. The Wolfpack regressed final fall, and so did Concepcion’s manufacturing, however he needs to be a frequent goal inside an Aggies passing assault that completed 88th nationally and twelfth within the SEC in completions of 20-plus yards a yr in the past.
Concepcion’s 16 touchdowns over the previous two seasons are tied for 14th most nationally over that span. Stepping right into a remade Texas A&M broad receiver unit alongside transfers Mario Craver and Jonah Wilson, Concepcion could possibly be the important thing in turning round an offense that completed 87th in passing yards per recreation in 2024. — Lederman
Additionally receiving votes: Nic Anderson, LSU, 18 factors; Cam Coleman, Auburn, 17; Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech, 14; Zachariah Department, 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