The 2024 Auburn Tigers quarterback situation was suboptimal, but that didn’t prevent Cam Coleman from showcasing his talents as one of the top wide receivers in the country. After snagging 598 yards at an impressive 16.2 yards per catch with eight touchdowns, Coleman earned CSN Freshman All-American honors in 2024 and should benefit from what looks like an improved Tigers QB room this fall. With incredible agility in a 6’3”, 200-pound frame, he can (and did) embarrass even the best defenses.
A CSN Freshman All-American in 2023, Kevin Concepcion had something of a down year as part of a relatively anaemic NC State Wolfpack offense last fall. However, his transfer to the Texas A&M Aggies should reignite one of the most talented and versatile pass catchers in all of college football. An electric playmaker with the ball in his hands, Concepcion’s slippery agility and explosion allows him to contribute after the catch and as a ball carrier out of the backfield with ease.
Jaden Greathouse hasn’t been a statistical standout by any stretch of the imagination during his two seasons in South Bend, but that’s a product of system rather than skill set. The true junior receiver showcased during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game that he has the ability to contest at the catch point and the agility, suddenness and speed to add value after the catch. It’s unclear what the offense will look like this fall, but it should be tailored to Greathouse.
Former Troy Trojan Devonte Ross was one of the most productive wide receivers at the Group of Five level last season, logging 1,043 yards (20th in the FBS) while snagging 11 touchdowns. Detractors will point to 229 yards and three touchdowns against FCS opposition as a stat-filler, but he also tore up the Iowa Hawkeyes to the tune of 142 yards and two scores. His speed will be a significant factor in the Penn State Nittany Lions offense.
O’Mega Blake just spent a year with the Charlotte 49ers dominating AAC competition, but he’s returning to the SEC spotlight after a year away honing his craft. The former South Carolina Gamecock receiver transferred to the Arkansas Razorbacks after snagging 795 yards and nine touchdowns. The headline number to know is 24.84. That’s his yards per catch from last fall, more than any returning college football receiver in 2025. He’s dominant at the catch point and set to prove himself this year.
Elijah Sarratt returns to the Indiana Hoosiers for the 2025 season, marking the first time in his college football career that he’s played for the same program in successive seasons. He’s adapted effortlessly at every turn on that journey, moving up from non-FBS, to Group of Five, to the Power Four and impressing accordingly. He’s averaged over 1,000 yards and eight scores over the last two seasons, and a career year as the go-to guy for new quarterback Fernando Mendoza shouldn’t be a surprise.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets lost some receiving talent to the transfer portal but landed one of the top playmakers in the country in the form of Eric Rivers. The former FIU Golden Panther wins with an incredible release package, adds value after the catch and is one of the most productive returning receivers in college football (97.7 yards per game, 12 touchdowns, 136.5 EPA), giving Haynes King an elite target.
A collarbone injury sustained in the regular season finale deprived the Arizona State Sun Devils of one of their greatest playmakers to end the 2024 season, but it appears like Jordyn Tyson will be fully healthy by the spring and ready to dominate as one of the best receivers in the country by the start of the 2025 campaign. He finished the year with three consecutive 100+ yard games, showcasing his reliable hands and unbelievable body control throughout the year.
Williams led all freshman wide receivers in the SEC with 865 yards, 18.02 yards per catch, and eight touchdowns with his incredible agility and after the catch ability.
Jeremiah Smith looked like a man amongst boys during the 2024 college football season. He earned Freshman All-American and Third-Team All-American honors from CSN. Smith finished the season with the fourth-most receiving yards (1,315) and second-most receiving touchdowns (15)
