The 2025 college football season is nearly here, which means that 2026 NFL Draft discourse is also set to begin, with top prospects pushing to prove they’re worthy to make it to the pros.

Every single year the wide receiver class is always heavily debated. Which receivers will ascend to first round status? Who is the best of the best in a 2026 group that doesn’t exactly look elite? That’s what we’ll be diving into now as the season approaches.

Our A to Z Sports staff covers the NFL Draft year-round, studying prospects a year (or more) in advance to help fans everywhere get to know the top players in all of college football who could find their way to the league. Several of our NFL Draft and college football analysts ranked their top ten wide receivers, then made their case for player(s) they were higher on than the rest of our staff.

Here’s how the best 2026 NFL Draft eligible college football wide receivers stack up according to our team of experts as we head into the 2025 season. Enjoy!

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1. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

“This wide receiver class–at least early on–may lack a bit of the massive upside we’ve seen in recent classes. That being said, Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson offers the best blend of potential and proven talent in the class. He can win over the top, but that doesn’t take away from his separation skills and YAC ability underneath. Tyson’s a smooth mover, especially for a WR listed at 6’2″, 195 pounds, and is route running is some of the best in the class. Tyson could add a little bit more to his frame without losing much burst too. I expect him to have a huge year for the Sun Devils and end up as a projected top 15 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.” – Adam Holt, A to Z Sports LSU Tigers

2. Denzel Boston, Washington

“The wide receiver group doesn’t look to be the strongest we’ve seen in recent years. What we do have are some intriguing prospects at the top of the group, and the most interesting to me is Denzel Boston of Washington. The son of former NFL wide receiver David Boston, Denzel has a few similar elements to his game, including his size profile and deep ball prowess. The NFL loves a dynamic X receiver and Boston is that guy. He thrives in contested catch situations with powerful hands and excellent body control. Watch him blossom this year with young starting quarterback Demond Williams ready to take full control of the offense.” – Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Florida Gators

3. Antonio Williams, Clemson

“If Antonio Williams had stayed healthy for his entire sophomore season back in 2023 he may be considered a no-brainer for many as a first round NFL Draft talent. Williams has been productive any time he’s stayed healthy for Clemson, posting over 600 yards as a true freshman, grabbing nearly five catches per game in his injury-shortened sophomore season, then leading Clemson with over 900 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024. At 5’11”, 190 pounds Williams projects to spend most of his time in the slot at the NFL level, but to say that is not considered a pejorative designation in the modern NFL that relies heavily on three-wide receiver sets. His explosiveness off the line, suddenness out of breaks, and ability to win in a variety of ways against any coverage will make every NFL team hope to land him early in the 2026 NFL Draft.” – Travis May, A to Z Sports College Football Managing Editor

4. Makai Lemon, USC

“Most college football fans and analysts expected 2024 to be the breakout season for shifty sophomore Zachariah Branch at USC, but instead Makai Lemon stole the show for the Trojans. Branch was still used heavily on underneath routes and gadget plays, but Lemon showed more consistent ability to force his way hope via more conventional route running methods. By the end of the year Lemon had ascended as the clear WR1 for the Trojans, grabbing over 50 receptions and nearly 800 yards as a true sophomore. This former top 50 overall recruit in the nation has the pedigree, route running, and twitchy athleticism to be an early selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.” – Travis May, A to Z Sports College Football Managing Editor

5. Carnell Tate, Ohio State

“Yes, believe it or not, an Ohio State wide receiver is expected to be ranked highly in another NFL Draft. Surprise, surprise. Through two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes Tate has been quite impressive already, but he’s not been given his proper shine because of the potentially generational talents around him. As a true freshman in 2023 he forced his way onto the field quite often, asserting himself as the team’s WR3 by year’s end behind only first round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Then last year he stepped up into a much larger role snagging over 50 catches for 700+ yards, but again two future first round picks in Jeremiah Smith (on GOAT trajectory) and Egbuka overshadowed his development.

This year is Tate’s time to shine. Defenses will all be focused on slowing down the best WR prospect since Julio Jones (Jeremiah Smith) opposite him. Tate should post well over a 1000 yards and double-digit touchdowns, forcing his way up the 2026 NFL Draft board as a potential top 50 or first round pick.” – Travis May, A to Z Sports College Football Managing Editor

6. Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn

“Auburn was the big winner in the Eric Singleton Sweepstakes last winter in the transfer portal. And if Jackson Arnold can be a guy and build some chemistry with the 5’10”, 180 pounder, Singleton could really rise up draft boards. Some NFL scouts are already calling him a “top five” wide receiver due to his propensity for route running and separation.

In two years at Georgia Tech, he had 1,468 receiving yards (2nd among returning Power 4 wideouts) and nine touchdowns. Now, on an SEC campus with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, he could see a jump in production. His track speed is essential to creating separation and losing defenders in phase.

He reminds me a little of former Alabama first round pick and current Tennessee Titan Calvin Ridley. Not sure if he will be taken as early as Ridley was in 2018, but if he has a big year for a desperate Hugh Freeze, he has a real shot at being taken early in the 2nd round.” – Zach Berry, A to Z Sports Texas Longhorns

7. Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

“The 2026 NFL Draft doesn’t feature a ton of special perimeter wide receivers with massive frames, but Malachi Fields looks like one of the exceptions. He’s 6’4″, 220+ pounds, and has now posted two straight seasons that prove he can win at every level of the field. Fields is coming off back to back years with over 800 yards for Virginia and now likely finds himself as perhaps the most important wide receiver weapon for Notre Dame. Yes, Jaden Greathouse will likely continue to break out opposite him this year, but Fields could immediately assert himself as the go-to weapon for whoever the new starting quarterback is for the Fighting Irish (CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey). He should put up production numbers again, test well at the NFL Combine, and potentially find himself in that mid day two sweet spot where many freak athletes with size typically rise up to throughout the draft process.” – Travis May, A to Z Sports College Football Managing Editor

8. Ja’Kobi Lane, USC

“If you only watched the highlights of Ja’Kobi Lane, you’d think he is the best receiver in the country, especially if you watched all of the practice plays he’s made. He certainly has the potential to be just that given his propensity to find the end zone (12 touchdowns on 43 catches last year), but he has to be put in the right situation. 2025 will be a huge season for him, and the team USC puts out on the field could determine if Lane is recognized as a big-time receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft. For him, it’s all about consistency. If he can consistently have good games and not disappear from time to time, he could be a top three guy in the country, and even perhaps find himself as a second or third round. However, the QB situation at USC could be something that keeps him from having an insane season.” – Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Oklahoma Sooners

9. Nic Anderson, LSU

“Nic Anderson is very much an uncut gem. There is a ton of raw talent to work with him. He’s a prototypical boundary WR given his frame and skill set. At 6’4” and close to 220 pounds, with the ability to win vertically, he’s an offensive coordinator’s dream. The problem has been durability. Thanks to his injuries and certain limitations in his physical profile (he’s a little stiff through his routes), he’s slotted in as an early day three pick before the season starts. However, he could explode in a system that churns out talented wide receivers every year at LSU with a QB that many around the league love in Garrett Nussmeier. It’s now or never for Anderson. If he can remain healthy and add to his route tree, he will provide himself with a big boost in draft stock before April.” – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Alabama Crimson Tide

10. Nyck Harbor, South Carolina

Nyck Harbor is still a bit raw, but he’s also the most freaky athlete at wide receiver in the entire country. Harbor runs a 10.11-second 100 meter dash at 6’5″, 230+ pounds. For those unfamiliar, that’s near Olympic qualifying speed, but doing so at the size of many NFL tight ends. One might think, “With that athleticism, he should be higher than 10th on this list”, but the problem is that there’s much more to playing wide receiver than raw athleticism (despite what the CFB 26 video game might have some believe).

Harbor split his time between edge rusher and pass catcher as a top recruit, and didn’t truly go all in on the position until this last season as he grew into more of an every down starter, so he’s still developing. As a freshman it took him six weeks to catch two passes. Last year he started slow again as well. However, he showed great promise down the stretch, accounting for over 25% of South Carolina’s receiving yards and scoring multiple touchdowns in the final five games of the season. If he takes another leap forward in 2025 NFL teams will be scrambling to select this freak of an athlete early in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Hopefully you enjoyed this early look at the best returning college football wide receivers eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft. We’ll be back with more NFL Draft and College Football coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!