Projecting Every Conference's Best WR Corps for the 2023 CFB Season
Most of the biggest names in college football play other positions, but wide receivers are often recognized thanks to their box-score production.
Last season, 74 teams across the Football Bowl Subdivision tossed at least 20 touchdowns—and 21 programs reached the 30-score mark. Beyond those nice, round numbers, a strong majority of FBS offenses primarily gain their yardage through the air.
Assembling a talented group of wideouts, clearly, is immensely valuable.
As we continue our offseason series projecting top position units, you may notice a trend: Most teams highlighted are commonly viewed as conference championship contenders. That is hardly a coincidence.
The choices are subjective but based on returning production, incoming transfers and overall depth.
AAC: UTSA Roadrunners
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Memphis and North Texas each deserve a mention thanks to some impactful transfers. Despite losing one standout player to the portal, though, UTSA remains atop the receiver chart in the American.
Joshua Cephus has turned in back-to-back seasons with at least 71 catches, 819 yards and six touchdowns, while De'Corian Clark has consecutive years of 51 receptions, 741 yards and eight scores.
Some programs even mentioned in this projection would be thrilled to have that level of returning production.
But the Roadrunners also brought in Willie McCoy, a junior college All-American who notched 600-plus yards in both seasons at Kilgore College. He can be a valuable complement with sixth-year receiver Tykee Ogle-Kellogg and potentially Chris Carpenter.
ACC: Florida State Seminoles
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Florida State just keeps finding spots in this series, huh?
Look, on paper, the Seminoles are quite impressive. The receiving corps is no exception, largely because of Johnny Wilson. A transfer from Arizona State, he capped an 897-yard debut season at FSU with 202 yards in the exciting bowl win over Oklahoma.
Wilson is the leader of the unit, but the 'Noles also snagged Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman. He collected team-high totals of 58 receptions, 798 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.
For good measure, Winston Wright Jr. paced West Virginia in all three categories two years ago. Although a leg injury resulting from a car accident kept him on the sideline last season, he is on track to return and give the Seminoles a trio of established targets for Jordan Travis.
Big-play backup Kentron Poitier and 5-star freshman Hykeem Williams are two more wideouts to know.
Big Ten: Ohio State Buckeyes
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With no disrespect meant to the rest of the Big Ten, the obvious choice in this category is Ohio State.
Marvin Harrison Jr., the best receiver in the country, made 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He's fully expected to enter the 2024 NFL draft and be an early first-round selection.
Alongside him, the Buckeyes have Emeka Egbuka. He reeled in 74 passes for 1,151 yards and 10 scores last year.
Julian Fleming tallied 34 catches for 533 yards and six scores in 2022 and rounds out a seasoned first string.
Jayden Ballard and Xavier Johnson tallied 150-plus yards last season, and OSU once again stockpiled its depth with 5-star signee Brandon Inniss and top-60 prospects Noah Rogers and Carnell Tate. If any of those five is a regular contributor, that's a happy bonus for an excellent unit.
Big 12: Texas Longhorns
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Win or lose, the Longhorns should be fun to watch.
Xavier Worthy has amassed 122 catches for 1,741 yards and 21 touchdowns through his first two seasons. Jordan Whittington put up career-high totals of 50 receptions and 652 yards last year.
This offseason, Texas landed Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell. He brings a relatively modest 38 career catches—although one gave UGA a national title—yet is a potentially dynamic option.
Mitchell bolsters a group that is ready for the UT debut of Isaiah Neyor, who transferred from Wyoming last offseason but missed the 2022 campaign due to a torn ACL. He nabbed 44 passes for an explosive 878 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season with the Cowboys.
Quinn Ewers will have no shortage of experienced targets as the Longhorns attempt to exit the Big 12 as a champion.
C-USA: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
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No offense accumulated more passing yards than Western Kentucky in 2022, and the Hilltoppers should challenge for that crown again.
Rather importantly, quarterback Austin Reed chose to return after spending a brief time in the transfer portal. However, the 'Toppers also have a superstar wideout. Malachi Corley finished fourth nationally in both catches (101) and yards (1,293) while catching 11 touchdowns.
But he doesn't need to completely carry the unit.
Michael Mathison posted 52 receptions for 615 yards, and Dalvin Smith added 35 catches for 443 yards. They combined for seven touchdowns in 2022, and Smith had five scores in 2021.
In an overhauled Conference USA, Reed and this receiving corps are good enough to lead WKU to a league title.
MAC: Ohio Bobcats
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In the 26-year history of the MAC Championship Game, Ohio has reached that stage in five seasons. But the Bobcats have never managed to take home the trophy, most recently falling to Toledo last season.
Can this receiving corps lead the charge to title No. 1?
Sam Wiglusz broke out with 73 receptions, 877 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season after transferring from Ohio State. Jacoby Jones added 45 catches for 776 yards and six scores, while Miles Cross pulled in 47 passes for 560 yards and three touchdowns.
Tyler Walton also returns after logging four appearances last year, but he provided 32 receptions for 380 yards in 2021.
Provided Kurtis Rourke is fully recovered from his ACL injury by September, the passing game should be a strength for Ohio.
MWC: Colorado State Rams
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Heading into the 2023 season, the Mountain West isn't exactly full of established stars at receiver. Last season, only 14 players surpassed 500 yards—and just five cracked 650.
Colorado State, though, is set to feature the conference's top wideout. Tory Horton paced the MWC with 1,131 yards last year.
Justus Ross-Simmons posted 26 catches for 424 yards as a freshman in 2022, and transfer Dylan Goffney gathered 18 catches for 369 yards at SMU last season. Louis Brown is expected to move from a rotational spot into a starting job (or close to it) as well.
Whether a sturdy receiving corps can propel the program to its first bowl appearance since 2017 is a fair question, but CSU at least has a good bit of quality at the position.
Pac-12: Washington Huskies
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As you can imagine, USC deserves a nod with Arizona transfer Dorian Singer and a nice list of returning players. Arizona and Oregon aren't terribly far behind in the conversation, either.
Right now, though, no offense can match the high-end production and depth of Washington.
While quarterback Michael Penix Jr. keyed the Huskies' surge last season, he developed a stellar connection with Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. Both wideouts caught at least 75 passes and crossed the 1,000-yard plateau, combining for 16 touchdowns.
Ja'Lynn Polk added 41 receptions for nearly 700 yards, and Giles Jackson chipped in 28 catches with 328 yards.
Michigan State transfer Germie Bernard may also carve out a role in a receiving corps that should be rather difficult to cover.
SEC: Ole Miss Rebels
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Perhaps the biggest head-turner on the list, Ole Miss jumped atop the SEC because of UTSA transfer Zakhari Franklin.
The two-time All-Conference USA pick had at least 81 receptions, 1,027 yards and 12 scores in each of the last two seasons. He shared 2022 first-team All-C-USA honors with Tre Harris, who left Louisiana Tech for Ole Miss after totaling 65 catches for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns last year.
Yes, both receivers must transition to a tougher league, but they don't necessarily need to carry the Rebels.
Ole Miss returns Jordan Watkins and Dayton Wade, who finished the 2022 season with 449 and 309 yards, respectively. Jalen Knox is a wild card but previously topped 1,000 career yards at Missouri.
Prior to Franklin's arrival—or maybe still, in your mind—any of LSU, Georgia and Tennessee were worth considering, too.
Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
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You could choose Coastal Carolina or South Alabama in the Sun Belt, and neither one would be controversial.
South Alabama returns 800-yard wideouts Devin Voisin and Caullin Lacy, along with newcomer Javon Ivory. A transfer from Memphis, he collected more than 1,300 yards over the last three seasons.
On the other hand, Coastal Carolina brings back Sam Pinckney, Jared Brown and Tyson Mobley.
Pinckney put up 71 receptions and 996 yards last season after transferring from Georgia State. Brown notched 49 catches for 789 yards, and Mobley rounded out the group with 40 grabs for 490 yards.
It's a tight race, but CCU takes the Fun Belt's top spot.
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