Oregon edges Ohio State for best college football receiver room entering 2024 season

College football the offseason has turned into a veritable arms race with the advent of the transfer portal and recent legislation that essentially prohibits the NCAA from enforcing its own transfer regulations. Chief among the most coveted acquisitions, given the proliferation of pass-heavy offenses on a national scale, are players who can catch those passes.

Wide receivers and tight ends have seen their stock rise in recent seasons. Programs that consistently result in effective recipients tend to be very successful. Just look at Washington and its surprise run to the College Football Playoff National Championship a year ago: The Huskies got there thanks to an explosive passing attack headlined by a trio of 2024s. NFL Draft picks in Rome Odunze (Round 1), Ja’Lynn Polk (Round 2) and Jalen McMillan (Round 3).

Texas followed a similar path to a Big 12 championship and its first playoff appearance in program history, relying on the production of wide receivers Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, among others, while marching to a 12-2 result. It’s no wonder, then, that highly ranked wide receivers and tight ends, whether from high school or transfer portals, are often among the most sought-after players.

Building depth at each position is especially important with expanding conferences and a larger College Football Playoff increasing the team’s weekly rigors. With that in mind, there are some programs in better shape than others at receiver heading into the 2024 season.

Here’s a look at the country’s best – at least on paper.

1. Oregon

Leading receiver Troy Franklin is out for the NFL, but that shouldn’t be a big problem for an Oregon offense that should be among the best in the country. Tez Johnson, who set a single-season program record with 86 receptions in 2023, is back to lead a revamped receiving corps. He returns 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns and has All-American upside if another explosive season follows. A pair of 400-yard receivers in Traeshon Holden and Gary Bryant Jr. round out Oregon’s returning depth.

Joining them is transfer Evan Stewart, a former five-star prospect who impressed in two seasons at Texas A&M despite inconsistent quarterback play and a dismal offensive scheme under former head coach Jimbo Fisher. Even with the veterans in front of him, Stewart could be the team’s best pass catcher. The return of tight ends Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert and high-level backups like Jurrion Dickey and Kyler Kasper make this an incredibly deep unit.

2. Ohio State

No program recruits and develops wide receivers better than Ohio State. This year’s group may be short on overall experience thanks to notable draft departures like All-American Marvin Harrison Jr., but the Buckeyes are more than capable of fighting for the top spot on this list with the absurd amount of talents in the cast. Emeka Egbuka skipped the NFL Draft to give new quarterback Will Howard at least a proven option after recording 1,666 yards and 14 touchdowns the past two years.

But Egbuka hasn’t been the center of Ohio State’s offseason hype machine. Far from it, in fact. That honor goes to true freshman Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2024 and one of the most vaunted players to never take a snap at the college level. It will be difficult to keep Smith off the field due to his explosive spring. The initial impression is that he is more than ready for a major role. Carnell Tate is another former five-star prospect the Buckeyes hope to step up after a solid first year with the program.

3. Texas

Texas will have to replace four of its top five receivers from last year’s College Football Playoff team. That level of attrition would normally suggest regression for an explosive passing attack, but not with the way coach Steve Sarkisian has accumulated talent at skill positions. The jewel of Texas’ transfer class is former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond, who was ranked fourth in the 247Sports Transfer Rankings. Bond had a scorching close to the 2023 season and presents himself as a breakout star waiting to happen. The Longhorns also signed athletic transfer tight end Amari Niblack from Alabama. Niblack should build on the production left behind by 2024 NFL Draft pick Ja’Tavion Sanders.

The Alabama expatriates join Matthew Golden (Houston) and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) to form the best receiver transfer tandem in the country. Pay special attention to Bolden, who was a multi-dimensional threat for the Beavers and is an absolute weapon with the ball in his hands. Johntay Cook II, a top-10 WR recruit in 2023, will take on a larger role, while five-star freshman Ryan Wingo will get a chance to see the field a lot in his junior year.

4. Missouri

Luther Burden III attracts most of the attention in discussions surrounding Missouri’s passing attack, and for good reason. He could be the first offensive player off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. But Missouri is much deeper than just a name. Former Oklahoma transfer Theo Wease Jr. established himself as a reliable target with 682 yards and six touchdowns last season. Dynamic slot receiver Mookie Cooper and his 939 yards in three seasons are back, while Marquis Johnson is an excellent depth pick.

Tight end Brett Norfleet is another emerging candidate. He initially planned to play baseball and football, but abandoned the former to focus more on the latter. At 6-foot-2, he has a huge catch radius and the athletic traits to be an elite threat. He has worked hard to improve as a blocker and has received rave reviews from Missouri coaches and players, so a big season in a prominent role could be just around the corner.

5. Old Miss

Lane Kiffin’s offenses have captivated a national audience, dating back to his time as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. With the arsenal of weapons at his disposal, this could be his best unit ever. Tre Harris has made his fair share of jaw-dropping plays and has emerged as one of quarterback Jaxson Dart’s favorite targets in 2023, hauling in 54 receptions for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. Louisville transfer Jordan Watkins was an effective running mate with 741 yards and three touchdowns. The two have been around for over a year and have established chemistry with Dart.

To make up for the loss of Dayton Wade, Ole Miss went online and secured the commitment of former South Carolina star Antwane Wells Jr. Wells was sidelined with a foot injury for most of the 2023 season, a illness that lasted until the spring, but he’s one of the best in the SEC when he’s healthy. Rounding things out, 6-foot-2, 255-pound tight end Caden Prieskorn has great body control and moves extremely well for a player his size. He has over 1,000 receiving yards the past two seasons at Memphis and Ole Miss, and will add heavily to that total this fall.

Honorable mention

• Georgia (Colbie Young, Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas)
• LSU (Kyren Lacy, Chris Hilton Jr., Mason Taylor)
• Miami (Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, Samuel Brown)
• Oklahoma (Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Deion Burks)
• Kansas (Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner, Luke Grimm)