College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Top 10 Wide Receivers

With wide receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones now in the NFL, the fight to be the best receiver in college football is an open race.

We have already taken a look at some of the best quarterbacks and running backs across the nation, so now it's time to turn our sights to wide receiver.

Here is a look at the ten best wide receivers in college football heading into the 2011 season.

10. Dwight Jones (North Carolina)

There is only one thing that is stopping Dwight Jones from becoming an elite receiver his senior season, and that's fear.

Jones has everything that you could ask for in a wide receiver.

He stands 6'4" and weighs 220 pounds. He has great hands and fantastic speed.

There are just times where he looks like he is afraid to get hit. If he can push that fear aside, Jones could very well be a dominant receiver this year.

He broke into the spotlight late last season. After only amounting 104 yards in the first five weeks, Jones finished the season strong, piling up 842 yards in UNC's final eight games.

9. Robert Woods (Southern California)

Thanks to the NCAA sanctions on USC, much of what the team has done recently has been ignored by the majority of the nation.

This includes the arrival of Robert Woods, who ESPN ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver recruit and No. 7 overall recruit in the 2010 class.

Woods arrived at USC and immediately made an impact on the field.

As a true freshman last year, Woods led the Trojans in receptions with 65 and receiving yards with 792.

Now, after a year in the program, it should be interesting to see how much he improves as a sophomore.

8. Juron Criner (Arizona)

The primary reason the Arizona Wildcats finished 2010 as the ninth ranked passing offense in the nation was because of wide receiver Juron Criner.

When Criner announced that he would be returning for his senior season, Arizona fans went nuts.

It's tough to really blame them.

Criner finished last season with 1,233 receiving yards, over double the amount of yards the second ranked wide receiver on the team accounted for.

He also finished the year with 11 receiving touchdowns, again over double the amount of the second ranked receiver on the team.

7. Jeff Fuller (Texas A&M)

After an injury riddled sophomore year, Jeff Fuller exploded out of the gates in the 2010 season.

Over the span of the first eight weeks, Fuller had four 100-yard games and caught 11 touchdowns.

Fuller then failed to get to the 40-yard mark in the final four games. He also only caught one more touchdown during this span.

However, in the team's loss to LSU in the Cotton Bowl, Fuller looked like he was back in form against the top defensive back in the nation.

He could continue on to become a top receiver his senior season, or continue to spiral downward like he did towards the end of the year.

6. Greg Childs (Arkansas)

Greg Childs battled through adversity prior to the 2010 season.

After getting his head on straight and focusing on the ultimate goal, he came out of the gates on fire in 2010.

However, Childs' season was cut short after he suffered a patella tendon injury.

Childs hopes to return and make a big impact his senior season. He and new Razorback quarterback Tyler Wilson should continue to dominate secondaries in the SEC.

5. Chris Owusu (Stanford)

Every receiver has a quarterback throwing him the ball, and in 2011 the guy throwing Chris Owusu the ball may be the best in the nation.

Owusu may be the the most explosive and dangerous receiver on this list.

The only thing from keeping him from reaching greatness are the injuries he has sustained consistently over the years.

Last season Owusu played in only half of Stanford's games.

He is hoping to come back strong in 2011, and he will likely be the top target for Andrew Luck all season long.

4. Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)

It's extremely early for 2012 NFL Mock Drafts, but every one that I have come across has Alshon Jeffery as the first wide receiver off the board.

Jeffery took the SEC by storm last year, quickly establishing himself as one of the biggest threats in the nation at receiver.

He caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards during his sophomore season last year.

Jeffery was one of the main reasons that South Carolina was so competitive in the SEC last year, and he will once again be a primary reason for the team making a run at the SEC Championship in 2011.

3. Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

There is no receiver in college football who has better control and a knack for going to get the football than Notre Dame's Michael Floyd.

Floyd passed on the opportunity to enter the NFL Draft this season, and will return to South Bend with hopes to continue the turnaround for Notre Dame.

Last season Floyd caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards.

Truthfully, the stats don't do justice. It's the way that Floyd catches the ball that makes him such a talent.

2. Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma)

Out of all the wide receivers on this list, Ryan Broyles is probably my favorite to watch.

At 5'11" and 183 pounds, he doesn't fit the typical mold of the other receivers at the top of this list.

Broyles is a threat to score every single time he touches the ball, whether it's at wide receiver or returning kicks.

Last season, Broyles had 133 receptions for 1,622 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. The season prior he had 1,120 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns.

He has established dominance at the position for multiple years now. Much of the reason that Oklahoma is considered a top team in the nation is thanks to his play.

1. Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)

Much of Justin Blackmon's success last year came due to the new passing attack brought by Dana Holgorsen to Oklahoma State.

Holgorsen won't be returning to Oklahoma State next season, so it should be interesting to see if the the statistics drop off for Blackmon.

Despite this change, you can't ignore what Blackmon accomplished his sophomore season.

His 1,782 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns was remarkable for any player in any system.

Statistically, his worst game last season came against Oklahoma. He caught the ball only eight times for 105 yards and one touchdown.

Yeah, that's pretty impressive.

Blackmon was awarded the Biletnikoff Award last season, which goes to the best receiver in the nation.