NCAA

College Football WR Rankings 2024: Luther Burden III Tops Preseason List Of Best NCAA Wide Receivers

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Colin Lynch
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Colin Lynch Sports Editor

Colin Lynch covers the NFL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the New England Patriots. His sports coverage has been featured on Finixio's The Sports Daily and Basketball Insiders, as well as FanSided's Chowder & Champions. A New Hampshire native and former D1 baseball player at St. John's University, Colin was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2008 and enjoyed a four-year professional baseball career.

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Published02 Aug 2024

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Missouri Star WR Luther Burden III

As the 2024 college football season kickoff nears, we’ve already counted down our top 10 quarterbacks and top 10 running backs heading into the Fall football season. Now, we’re looking at the top pass catchers in the country, many of whom will be catching passes from quarterbacks on our top quarterback list.

Marvin Harris Jr., out of Ohio State, claimed the 2023 Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation’s top pass catcher.

Everyone on our list will be a Biletnikoff hopeful in 2024, and they’re all skilled enough to be sitting with the trophy come December.

Top 10 Wide Receivers of 2024

10 – Travis Hunter | Colorado | 2023 stats: 57 receptions, 721 yards, 12.6-yard average, 5 TDs

Some may have a problem with Travis Hunter making this list, and that’s ok. The reality is that Hunter is one of the best pass defenders in the nation, and his future may very well be on the defensive side of the ball. But his ability as a pass catcher can not be denied.

Catching 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns in just nine games, Hunter showcased his exceptional talent on the offensive side of the ball. To put that in perspective, the last Colorado receiver to hit all three marks as high as Hunter was Laviska Shenault back in 2018—and Hunter achieved this while also playing defense and missing three games.

One of the offseason’s most intriguing questions is how Hunter’s role will evolve in 2024. Whether he can endure the rigors of playing both ways for an entire season again remains uncertain. However, Hunter’s rare talent is unquestioned, making him a dangerous threat anywhere on the field.

9 – Isaiah Bond | Texas | 2023 stats: 48 receptions, 668 yards, 13.9-yard average, 4 touchdowns

Isaiah Bond was one of the biggest surprises in the 2024 transfer portal. He was coming off an excellent year for Alabama alongside Jalen Milroe. Now he’s headed to Texas, where he’ll catch passes from Quinn Ewers, another top-10 quarterback.

Texas has to replace No. 1 option Xavier Worth, who is now in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. They believe Bond can be that guy.

Bond, known for catching Jalen Milroe’s dramatic fourth-and-a-million pass to beat Auburn, had a solid season in 2023 despite not putting up astronomical numbers. Bond’s route-running and separation skills stood out in his first year as a starter. He finished the season with 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns at Alabama.

A former Georgia high school sprint champion in the 100 and 200 meters, Bond has exceptional speed. As he develops, he is poised to become a reliable deep threat for the Longhorns, using his speed and precise route-running to stretch defenses and create big plays.

8 – Ricky White | UNLV | 2023 stats: 88 receptions, 1,483 yards, 16.9-yard average, 8 TDs

Ricky White is set for an even more impressive 2024 season after a standout 2023 season. The UNLV Rebels wide receiver has been named a preseason All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation. White, a former Michigan State Spartan, enters 2024 as college football’s leading returning receiver, having set a school record with 1,483 yards last fall.

He also matched the UNLV single-season record with 88 receptions and became the first Rebel to achieve five consecutive games with at least 100 receiving yards. Despite offers from higher-profile schools and the potential for more money, White chose to remain in Las Vegas to complete what he started with the Rebels.

As the only G5 player on our list, White is a name to keep an eye on and will undoubtedly be a higher-round pick at the 2024 NFL Draft.

7 – Xavier Restrepo | Miami | 2023 stats: 85 receptions, 1,092 yards, 12.8-yard average, 6 TDs

On our list of top 10 quarterbacks, we discussed Miami quarterback Cam Ward being a big reason Miami fans believe they may enter the conversation of national relevance in 2024 by battling for a spot in the 12-team CFP. Another primary reason Miami may have a high-powered offense again is Xavier Restrepo.

Restrepo had a breakout year with the Miami Hurricanes in 2023, setting the program’s single-season receptions record with 85 catches and surpassing 1,000 receiving yards with a total of 1,092. After three relatively quiet seasons, Restrepo delivered one of the best performances by a receiver in school history.

The South Florida native became just the sixth Hurricanes receiver to break the 1,000-yard mark in a season. His stellar play earned him first-team All-ACC honors. Restrepo’s standout moment came in a loss to Louisville, where he caught eight passes for 193 yards and a touchdown late in the year.

Restrepo and Ward could be one of the nation’s top QB/WR duos in 2024.

6 – Caullin Lacy | Louisville | 2023 stats: 91 receptions, 1,316 yards, 14.5-yard average, 7 TDs

Many college football fans may not know the name Caullin Lacy. But by the end of 2024, they will. The do-it-all slot receiver who transferred from South Alabama to Louisville is one of the most dynamic receivers in the entire country.

Over the past four seasons, Lacy has grown tremendously, increasing his receptions from 11 in 2020 to 41 in 2021, 64 in 2022, and 91 in 2023. He emerged as one of the nation’s top return men in 2022. He’s taking the next logical step in his career: testing his skills at a Power 5 school.

Lacy was a standout deep threat, ranking 18th in receiving yards on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield and averaging 14.5 yards per reception despite many short routes. As the No. 1 target in the Jaguars’ passing attack, he was targeted on 30% of his routes and accounted for 38% of his team’s receiving yards. Opponents struggled to contain him, as he surpassed 100 yards in eight of his 12 games.

Lacy will be a menace in the ACC, as the Cardinals will get super creative in getting the ball into his hands.

5 – Tez Johnson | Oregon | 2023 stats: 86 receptions, 1,182 yards, 13.7-yard average, 10 TDs

Johnson will go from Bo Nix to Dillon Gabriel, who made our list of top 10 quarterbacks. Johnson is coming off an excellent season in which he was the No.2 pass-catching option.

In 2023, Johnson had a record-breaking season for Oregon, setting a new single-season mark with 86 receptions. His 1,182 receiving yards were the third-highest in the school’s history, and his ten touchdowns tied for fourth place.

Highlighting his consistency, Johnson set a career-best with 12 catches in a game against California, tying for the third-most in a single game at Oregon. He also delivered an impressive performance in the 2024 VRBO Fiesta Bowl, recording 11 receptions for 172 yards, the second-most in Oregon’s bowl game history.

Johnson’s prowess extended beyond just catching the ball. He was exceptional in contested situations, securing over half of such catches. After the catch, he averaged over 3 yards per reception, forced 17 missed tackles, and amassed 727 yards—more than any other Power Five receiver last year. His reliability was also noteworthy, as he caught 78.9% of his targets, ranking third among all FBS receivers with at least 100 targets and first in the Power Five.

4 – Tre Harris | Ole Miss | 2023 stats: 54 receptions, 985 yards, 18.2-yard average, 8 TDs

Having Harris outside of the top three on this list feels like a crime, but it’s a loaded WR class. That doesn’t take away from just how explosive and dynamic Harris is on the football field. He jumps off the screen on tape.

Harris, who led Ole Miss in receiving yardage with 985 yards and touchdowns with eight, returns as one of the top pass-catchers in the country despite undergoing midseason knee surgery. Harris began his career at Louisiana Tech, where he had a breakout season in 2022 with ten touchdown catches.

Last season, he only missed one game due to the injury but still managed to haul in 54 catches. At 6 feet 2 inches and 205 pounds, Harris combines athleticism and size, making him a formidable presence in one-on-one matchups.

3 – Emeka Egbuka | Ohio State | 2023 stats: 41 receptions, 515 yards, 12.6-yard average, 4 TDs

It feels like Egbuka has been at Ohio State forever. Although Ohio State enters 2024 with the most dynamic backfield in college football, Egbuka could be used in a role similar to Deebo Samuel in San Francisco for the 49ers.

He can play multiple positions as a pass catcher, carry the ball, and excel in the return game. As a freshman in 2021, Egbuka was limited to just eight games on offense, playing behind future NFL first-round picks Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This resulted in only eight receptions for 191 yards in his debut season.

Egbuka was expected to take on a more significant role for Ohio State after his relatively quiet first year. In 2022, he started the season as one of Ohio State’s three starting receivers alongside Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. Despite dealing with an injury in the latter half of the year, Egbuka posted impressive stats, catching 74 passes for 1,151 yards and ten touchdowns, ranking second on the team behind Harrison. Additionally, he had 11 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns, returned one kick for 25 yards, and 11 punts for 75 yards.

Now, Egbuka is finally the Buckeyes’ No. 1 option, and he is due for a massive year under Ryan Day and new OC Chip Kelly.

2 – Tetairoa McMillan | Arizona | 2023 stats: 90 receptions, 1,402 yards, 15.6-yard average, 10 TDs

Sophomore McMillan had a stellar season, tallying 90 receptions for 1,402 yards and ten touchdowns. He also held his own against Colorado’s star cornerback, Travis Hunter. In his first year, McMillan made an impact with 39 catches for 702 yards and eight touchdowns.

The offseason brought major changes to Tucson, with head coach Jedd Fisch moving to Washington. This sparked rumors that McMillan might join him in the Big Ten. However, both McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita decided to stay at Arizona under new head coach Brent Brennan from San Jose State.

Surpassing last season’s impressive stats will be a challenge for McMillan, especially with the departure of Jacob Cowing, who had 90 receptions as a senior. This shift could lead to McMillan taking on an even more pivotal role in the Wildcats’ offense this year.

1 – Luther Burden III | Missouri | 2023 stats: 86 receptions, 1,212 yards, 14.1-yard average, 9 TDs

While I believe Nos. 2 and 3 on our list are probably interchangeable, Luther Burden is the clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver in the nation. There is nothing he can’t do, and he is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands.

Buredn showed up in Missouri as one of the top WR recruits in the country. In 2022, Burden emerged as a dynamic athlete and a formidable presence with the ball in his hands, but wasn’t earth-shattering as a pass catcher. The blue-chip freshman scored touchdowns rushing, receiving, and on punt returns, though he still had room to grow as a receiver, averaging just 8.3 yards per catch and finishing the year with 375 receiving yards.

In 2023, Burden significantly improved, catching 86 passes for over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns while only dropping four passes. He gained 114 yards or more in five consecutive games and dropped just two passes all season. Burden finished in the top five nationally in several key metrics: third in yards after catch (711), fourth in forced missed tackles (30), and fifth in yards after first contact (300).

Now Burden returns to a Tiger team that finished 11-2 in 2023 and is looking to compete for an SEC title in 2024.