Ranking the Top 10 Wide Receivers in the Power 5

Kingston, RI (PSF) - With the modern state of football being more pass-focused than ever, we are seeing a tremendous amount of young and talented receivers coming into the college football spotlight every year, and right now there is an unbelievable amount of talent at the position. As seemingly almost every power 5 school has at least 1-2 big-time receivers that have become household names in their respective states, it can be tough to differentiate who’s the best. So we’re going to rank and break down the top 10 receivers in FBS football so far this season.

These rankings will ONLY take into account their performance this season, not over their whole collegiate career.

Picture from Scott Clause, USA Today

1. Malik Nabers-LSU Tigers: With LSU being one of the most polarizing teams in the country so far this season, Nabers has been in the spotlight since week 1. LSU’s offense has been one of the most potent and explosive groups in the country, largely thanks to Nabers exceptional play for the Tigers. Nabers really threw his hat in the ring for the title of best receiver in the country in week 4 against Mississippi State where he exploded for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 receptions. Despite this ridiculous performance that boosts his stats, Nabers has been very consistent, with three other games over 100 yards receiving as well. So far Nabers has racked up a national leading mark of 860 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns through 7 games, and has looked absolutely unstoppable for the Tigers.

Picture from Scott Eklund, Red Box Pictures

2. Rome Odunze-Washington Huskies: The talent on offense for Washington has been one of the biggest stories in college football this year, and outside of star quarterback Michael Penix Jr, Odunze has been the best playmaker. Having played only 6 games so far, unlike a lot of the players on this list, Odunze has already racked up some amazing numbers. One factor that plays into his name being so high on this list is that Washington has multiple other extremely talented receivers who have put up big games as well, but Odunze’s ability to outshine them has been evident. Odunze has racked up 736 yards and 6 touchdowns so far on 40 receptions, and is averaging over 120 yards per game. If Odunze and the Washington offense can keep up this pace, they could end up as one of the best college offenses of all time.

3. Luther Burden III-Missouri Tigers: One of the biggest breakout players so far this season, sophomore Luther Burden III has been electric for a Missouri team that has surprised many with their early success. In Burden’s freshman year he had a respectable showing, hauling in 45 catches for 375 yards and 6 touchdowns catches; however, thus far in 2023, Burden has been a whole different player on the field. Through 7 games Burden has put up 808 yards along with 5 touchdown catches as well. Burden has put himself in the clear number 1 receiver spot at Missouri, and the only reason he doesn’t rank higher on this list is due to the fact that he doesn’t have the same level of talent around him, leading him to getting the ball a large portion of the time.

Picture from Jonathan Mailhes, Tigerrag.com

4. Brian Thomas Jr.-LSU Tigers: Despite being the second LSU receiver to appear on this list, Thomas has certainly been no afterthought in the Tigers offense. Another big breakout player this year, Thomas has already eclipsed his numbers from last season, especially in the red zone. Currently, Thomas is tied for the national lead for touchdown receptions with 9, showing off his premium ability to make contested catches in the end zone. Being able to put up such stellar stats while playing alongside Malik Nabers not only speaks to how amazing this LSU offense is, but how exceptional of a player Thomas is as well.

5. Troy Franklin-Oregon Ducks: Another Pac-12 receiver graces this list here at number 5 due to the immense effect he’s had on the dominant Oregon offense so far. Playing in one of the most explosive offenses in the country, Franklin manages to stand out as an elite talent for the Ducks with exceptional prowess in the red zone, when Oregon quarterback Bo Nix throws up a contested ball for Franklin, odds are he’s gonna come down with it. Franklin has racked up 689 yards and 8 touchdowns through 6 games, averaging an impressive 114.8 yards per game. As Oregon continues into the second half of the season, they look unstoppable when they throw Franklin the ball.

6. Brenden Rice-USC Trojans: Son of legendary NFL receiver Jerry Rice, Brenden is starting to look more and more like his dad on the field. While obviously these are nearly impossible shoes to fill, Rice is making his own name for himself on the field this season for USC. Being the number 1 target for the best quarterback in the country, Caleb Williams certainly helps out Rice’s performance, which is taken into consideration in relation to his spot on this list; but make no mistake, Rice has rightfully earned his spot here. So far this season Rice has racked up 453 yards and 8 touchdowns, and with the amount that the USC offense spreads the ball around, these numbers are quite impressive. Before we know it there could be another receiver from the Rice family dominating the league.

7. Keon Coleman-FSU Seminoles: So far this season, Keon Coleman has been quite simply one of the most exciting players in the country to watch, regardless of the position. Excelling both as a receiver and punt returner, Coleman has played a major role in the success of FSU this season, with the combination of him and Johnny Wilson making up one of the best receiving duos in the country. Having missed the majority of one of FSU’s games, Coleman has still put up 418 receiving yards and 7 touchdown catches, with multiple of them being crucial scores for the Seminoles in ACC games. Coleman possesses a rare type of athleticism for his 6 '4, 235 lb frame and will without a doubt be making his way to the NFL after this season.

Picture from Jeff Blake, USA Today Sports

8. Xavier Legette-South Carolina Gamecocks: One of the biggest breakout players this season, Xavier Legette has been electric for South Carolina. A home run threat every time he catches the ball, Legette combines blistering speed with exceptional contested catch ability, this combination has helped him break off long touchdown runs after the catch and make contested catches in the end zone as well. Through 6 games Legette has caught 37 passes for 716 yards and 3 touchdowns, making his presence felt big time for the Gamecocks this season as well as putting himself on the map as one of the nation’s top receiver talents.

9. Marvin Harrison Jr.-Ohio State Buckeyes: I imagine that many of you are shocked to see the superstar receiver so low on this list, but as mentioned in the beginning of the article, we are only taking this season’s performance into account, not their whole career. While Harrison has still been quite good this season, his production is not what it was last year thus far. Ohio State’s offense has had some struggles in general this year, not looking like the dominant passing attack that they have over the past few seasons, and Harrison’s numbers have suffered for it. However, on a per catch basis, Harrison is still one of the best in the country. Hauling in only 31 catches for 604 yards and 5 touchdowns is extremely impressive, giving Harrison an average of 20 yards per catch, which is good for 5th in the country among qualified receivers with 20 or more catches.

10. Roman Wilson-Michigan Wolverines: Despite his relatively low yardage total compared to others on this list, Wilson has been one of the nations premier red zone threats for the dominant Wolverines offense. 396 yards and 9 Touchdown catches through 6 games is no small feat, and Wilson has set himself up as a household name in Michigan this season. While Wilson won’t light up the stat sheet with a bunch of 100+ yard games, he is an extremely consistent and reliable target for the run-heavy Wolverines, especially where it counts the most.

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