College football is frequently highlighted by players who play the biggest position in the sport: quarterback. It’s understandable. They’re frequently the biggest names and stars, so it’s easy to see how they draw attention. But the quarterbacks wouldn’t be who they are without receivers.

Every good quarterback needs a good pass catcher. The jelly to their peanut butter. And in 2026, there are some wide receivers in college football who are special.

You know some of the bigger names by now, but do you know more than a handful? ESPN has stepped in to help, if not by ranking the top 10 wide receivers in college football. Below is the list, starting at No. 10.

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After bursting onto the scene as a freshman, Coleman-Williams took a bit of a step back in 2025. He went from 865 yards to 689 yards and from eight touchdowns to four touchdowns. But the potential for greatness is there; no one would argue that. We could see a huge third season for the Crimson Tide star once a quarterback is decided.

ESPN says: The 6-foot, 182-pound wideout finished with just one 100-yard performance on the season, a 165-yard day against Wisconsin, and he had two games (Missouri and Auburn) with zero catches. The most glaring issue to those surveyed were his drops. Coleman-Williams led all Power 4 receivers with 10 drops according to ESPN Research, including five or third or fourth downs.

Wingo made a massive leap in his second season at Texas. He nearly doubled his yardage, going from 472 as a freshman to 834 as a sophomore, and went from just two touchdowns to seven last year. Clearly, Wingo has found his role with the Longhorns and Arch Manning. With Cam Coleman now at Texas too, it could be a lethal 1-2 punch.

ESPN says: The former No. 33 overall recruit established himself as Arch Manning’s top receiver with a team-high 97 targets last season. He’s one of the fastest players in college football, leading all Power 4 players with 23 plays of 20-plus mph last season, according to data powered by Teamworks, which is quite a feat for his size (6-2, 211).

A transfer from USC to Florida State did Robinson well. He caught 56 passes for 1,081 yards and six touchdowns last season, both of which are career-highs. While Florida State as a whole might be down right now, Robinson could be a key piece in helping Mike Norvell’s crew turn things around in 2026.

ESPN says: The former top-50 recruit might not have lived up to the hype during his two seasons at USC. But Robinson broke out in a big way during his debut season with the Seminoles last fall, and despite the questions hovering over Florida State in 2026, there’s little question among personnel staffers that the 6-6, 230-pound pass catcher belongs in this conversation.

One of the biggest budding stars in the sport, Moore caught 34 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns last season. While the numbers might not pop off compared to some others on this list, we have seen Moore’s potential in just one season. With Dante Moore back at quarterback, Dakorien Moore could be one of the best pass catchers this year.

ESPN says: Moore, the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2025 recruiting class, flashed his five-star potential right away with the Ducks and should keep ascending this list as a sophomore. In fact, one SEC staffer said they would already rank Moore at No. 3, ahead of Coleman.

While Rutgers might not be one of the best teams in the Big Ten, Duff is no doubt one of the best receivers in the league. In 2025, Duff caught 60 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns. He more than doubled his production as a freshman. This could be a turnaround season for Rutgers with Duff emerging.

ESPN says: Duff is a favorite among personnel staffers and would have been highly coveted had he entered the transfer portal in January, but Rutgers succeeded in getting him re-signed after his 1,000-yard sophomore campaign. “KJ’s a dude dude,” an SEC staffer said.

Coming in from Michigan State, all eyes are on Nick Marsh at Indiana. He already had over 1,300 yards and had nine touchdowns over his two seasons at Michigan State. Now with the defending national champions and an upgrade at quarterback, Marsh could have an even bigger breakout season with the Hoosiers.

ESPN says: The third-year Michigan State transfer will be a focal point of Indiana’s title defense this fall. Front office staffers across the country already view him as one of the sport’s top pass catchers. “I think he’s top-10 worthy,” one Group of 5 GM said of Marsh.

With Marsh in the fold, things get easier for Charlie Becker in the Hoosier offense as well. Coming off a season where he had 679 yards and four touchdowns for the national champions, Becker now has some extra load taken off his plate. This could be one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in the sport.

ESPN says: There are a few reasons why Becker is already generating first round buzz for next year’s draft. Though he ranked only fourth in targets for Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers last season, Becker ended up making a major impact for the national champs.

We saw just how good of a receiver Cam Coleman could be during his two years at Auburn. he totaled 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns during his time with the Tigers, but needed a change of scenery. Now he joins an offense quarterbacked by Arch Manning and plays alongside Ryan Wingo. Look out for Coleman to be one of the best receivers in the country this year and possibly the best.

ESPN says: Multiple GMs and scouting staffers offered identical assessments when asked about Texas’ new star receiver: “Cam Coleman is a freak show.” The 6-3, 200-pound junior arrived at Auburn as a top-five recruit in the 2024 class and displayed undeniable first-round potential over his two seasons on the Plains.

One of the most impressive breakout seasons in quite some time, Malachi Toney took the country by storm as a freshman. He had 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns to help carry the Hurricanes to the national title game. Miami is changing quarterbacks with Carson Beck graduating, but the talent that Darian Mensah brings in should help Toney stay at the top of the sport.

ESPN says: Toney unsurprisingly received a ton of support among college scouting staffers surveyed by ESPN based on his rare skill set and the game-changing ability he displayed as a true freshman. After digging into Toney’s tape, one Big Ten staffer texted back his one-word evaluation: “Whew.”

There was little to no question who would top this list. Many believe Jeremiah Smith could have been the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft had he been eligible. But now, after totaling 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns in two seasons, Smith looks to take the country by storm. It could be an incredibly special year for the Buckeye star.

ESPN says: We entered this exercise with open minds. But the consensus among personnel staffers across the country is clear. As one ACC GM put it simply: “Obviously, Jeremiah Smith is No. 1, right?”