Introducing the CFB Saturdays College Football WR Rankings

Over the next few weeks we will be unveiling our College Football player rankings by position. Today we will take a look at our College Football WR rankings. A few notes before we discuss the rankings themselves.

• The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
• Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
• Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
• We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the College Football WR Rankings here.

Dynamic Duos

Ja’Marr Chase and Terrance Marshall Jr. (LSU) are ranked number 1 and 13 respectively. Chase is an absolute stud who does everything at such a high level. He is a great athlete, who runs good routes, catches the ball well and picks up yards after the catch. There is no real weakness in Chase’s game, he does everything you could ask a receiver to do. In 2019 Chase had a mind-blowing 1,780 yards and 20 TDs, all while playing in the SEC. He was the best receiver in college football in 2019 and even with a new QB in 2020 we expect Chase to continue to dominate. Marshall is no slouch either, he picked up 671 yards and 13 TDs as the 3rd receiver on a team that also involves its TE and RB in the passing game a lot. Marshall may not be the out of this world talent Chase is but he is a good player in his own right.

Ranked at 3rd and 14th are DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle of Alabama. The Tide have really had a great run of receivers in recent history (our WRU Rankings don’t lie) and for 2020 they have two more dangerous threats ready to go. Smith is an explosive receiver with great burst and long speed who creates easy seperation and can score from anywhere. He led the team in receiving yards and TDs in 2019, with 1st round picks Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs still on the team. Waddle is not as skilled as a wide receiver but is a twitched up athlete with sprinter speed who can create yards after the catch in bunches. He is a nightmare to tackle and has home-run potential every time he catches the ball. Whether it’s Mac Jones or Bryce Young throwing the ball to them, this duo is going to be a problem for opposing defenses.

Chris Olave (7) and Garrett Wilson (15) represent Ohio State in the WR rankings. Olave is a smooth route runner who tracks the deep ball as well as or better than anyone in the country. That smoothness to his game sometimes undersells his athleticism as he makes everything look so effortless on the football field. In 2019, Olave had 849 yards and 12 TDs while playing in a 5 man rotation at WR for Ohio State. He’s rather slender and needs to add weight but manages to create separation and wins contested balls despite his slender frame. Wilson is on this list because of his tools and the flashes he showed as a true freshman. He runs good routes and catches the ball as naturally as anyone in the country. He has good speed and change of direction which helps him create the separation he needs. Wilson’s greatest asset is his ability to catch the ball in contested situations (as you can see below). He was a true freshman in 2019 playing in the aforementioned rotation, but will be a leader for the Buckeye receiver corps in 2020.

Rondale Moore (4) and David Bell (17) of Purdue both had incredible true freshman seasons in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Moore became a household name as he was the Purdue offense in 2018, making big plays on long passes, short screens, jet sweeps and kick returns. Moore has short area quickness that’s hard to find and uses his quickness to separate from even the best of defenders. Once he catches the ball he is as elusive as any receiver in the country and turns simple plays into long gains. Moore was injured for most of the 2019 season but we expect him to be back at full speed this fall. Bell stepped up in Moore’s absence and became the go to threat for the Boilermakers offense in 2019. He is a bigger receiver than Moore and uses his physicality well to make plays. Bell has good speed and size and used both to accumulate over 1,000 yards and 7 TDs in 2019. With both guys on the field in 2020 the Purdue offense could really take off.

North Carolina’s Dyami Brown and Daz Newsome check in at number 12 and 19 on our list. Brown is a big play weapon. He has a good size/speed combination and puts it to use beating DBs down field for big plays. Brown is a deep threat who can get separation downfield but also use his size to win the ball when covered. He averaged over 20 yards per catch in 2019 and scored 12 TDs in 2019. Newsome is a quick precise route runner who has an excellent feel for the position. He is able to find space against man coverage and against the zone to pick up 1st downs and keep the drive alive. Newsome may not be as big of a downfield threat as Brown is but he is an excellent player in his own right and had 10 Tds and over 1,000 receiving yards last season. The pair compliment each other well and give QB Sam Howell an excellent pair of targets in the passing game.

Stars who will be Leaned on

The college football wide receiver rankings number 2 receiver is Rashod Bateman from Minnesota. Bateman has excelled in his first two seasons in Minneapolis using his size and speed to make big plays game in and game out. He can do everything well and make physical plays where he overpowers the defenders but also show off his speed and acceleration as he runs past them. Bateman is excellent at high pointing the ball and makes highlight reel catches with regularity. He tallied over 1,000 receiving yards and 11 TDs in 2019 playing opposite Tyler Johnson in 2019. Johnson has since departed and QB Tanner Morgan will lean on Bateman even more to be his go-to option in the Gophers offense. The opportunity is there for Bateman to have a tremendous junior season in 2020.

Tylan Wallace (5) has been a star for Oklahoma State since the start of the 2018 season. His 2019 season was shortened to eight games but he still had over 900 yards and 8 TDs. Receivers in the Big 12 have been putting up big stats for years but Wallace is truly special. He has great feet and gets open regularly despite being the number one option in the passing game for his offense. He tracks the deep ball well and plays bigger than his 6’0″ 185 pound frame would lead you to believe. While he is coming off an injury the track record of performance and his abilities speak for themselves, expect big things from Wallace in 2020.

Last year Justyn Ross (6) of Clemson and Tee Higgins would have paired up to make a dynamic duo, but this year Ross will lead the receiver room while others grow into their roles around him. Luckily for Clemson, Ross is a fantastic talent who has a tremendous 6’4″ frame and plenty of speed to burn. He has a huge catch radius making a dream target for Quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Ross has produced his 1st two years on the college gridiron and was a standout in the 2018 playoffs. The only time we saw Ross struggle was when he faced Ohio State and LSU in the 2019 playoffs, but those were two historically good secondaries. Ross will be the focal point of defenses now with Higgins gone, but we expect him to continue to excel facing this new challenge.

Ranked 8th is George Pickens of the Georgia Bulldogs a rising sophomore who has limitless potential. Pickens is a big, fast and fluid athlete who made plays as a true freshman for the Bulldogs. It’s really not fair for one player to have all the physical tools that Pickens possesses. He has the size and explosiveness to be un-guardable once he learns the nuances of the game. He is still a bit raw and needs to do better in contested catch situations, but these are things you would expect from a true freshman. Pickens was the leading receiver for the Bulldogs in 2019 when he was just relying on his physical tools. He will now excel as the go to guy with a year of seasoning under his belt.

Tamorrion Terry (9) gives new Florida State head coach Mike Norvell a big play threat to help ease the transition to his offense. The 6’4″ Terry is one of the faster players on the field every time he plays. He breaks big plays with his speed and elusiveness causing match-up problems for the defense. He is a bit thin and needs to add more weight to his frame and he tends to body catch the ball at times, but these are minor issues and can be corrected. His production is difficult to ignore as he racked up 1,188 receiving yards and 9 Tds in 2019. Terry is going to have every opportunity to dominate in Norvell’s offense and we expect him to capitalize on those opportunities.

Don’t Sleep on us

Louisville’s Chatarius Atwell (10) is an explosive play-maker in the Cardinal’s offense. He is a smaller player at 5’9″ 153 lbs but makes up for it with his excellent speed and quickness. He makes long runs after the catch and is difficult to square up in the open field. He can use his speed to get open down field and take the top off the defense. Atwell tore up the ACC in 2019 recording over 1,200 receiving yards and 12 TDs. His big play ability is exciting every time he steps on the field and he is a keep you on the edge of your seat player that fans love to watch.

At number 11 we ranked Amon-Ra St. Brown of USC , a physical player who understands how to play the position well beyond his years. He catches the ball really well and was able to make a major impact as a true freshman in 2019. His excellent hands and physical nature help him to make plays in traffic. St. Brown plays with a chip on his shoulder and is a fierce competitor, he will work to be the best he can be. As a true sophomore he compiled over 1,000 yards and 6 Tds this past season. With consistency at the QB position and another year of experience watch out for Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2020.

Marquez Stevenson from Houston ranks 21st in the wide receiver rankings. He has one really loud tool, his game breaking speed. Stevenson is not a one trick pony, he catches the ball well and is 6′ and 190 pounds. He needs to work on his route running, and in contested catch situations, but that speed is something else. Once Stevenson hits his stride there is very few if any players in the country that can catch him. In 2019, Stevenson had over 900 yards and 9 Tds averaging over 17 yards per catch. His speed is electric and if he develops the other areas of his game he could be one of the best receivers in the country.

For the complete Top 25 WR rankings click here.

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