College Football Player Rankings: On3 Impact Top 10 WRs get shakeup after Week 9

It’s been an excellent year for wide receivers and Week 9 was no exception. This past weekend, college football fans across the country enjoyed a surplus of wide receivers showing off their skills. Accordingly, On3 adjusted its Impact Top 10 Wide Receiver Rankings.

Once again, youth stole the show in this week’s rankings, with the top two wide receivers both being freshmen. Nonetheless, there was no shortage of veteran talent, either, with several upperclassmen carving out a spot in the weekly rankings.

As the college football season enters its final stretch, wide receivers will be more hungry than ever to contribute to their teams’ success. Here are the On3 Impact Top 10 WRs after Week 9.

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Jeremiah Smith retained his No. 1 spot in the rankings this week after Ohio State defeated Nebraska 21-17. In the win, the freshman standout only hauled in three receptions but amassed 70 yards and a touchdown.

Smith has scored at least one touchdown in every game this season. On Saturday, Smith’s score came on a 60-yard connection from OSU quarterback Will Howard in the second quarter. Smith ran a simple seam route on the play, leaving his competition in the rearview mirror.

2. Ryan Williams, Alabama

Following a lackluster performance in a loss against Tennessee in Week 8, Alabama bounced back on Saturday with a convincing 34-0 victory over Missouri. In the win, Ryan Williams notched three receptions for 53 yards.

With 702 receiving yards this season, Williams boasts the 19th-most receiving yards in the country. The former five-star prospect has lived up to his billing. He’s been quarterback Jalen Milroe‘s top target this season, with five more catches than junior wideout Germie Bernard.

3. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan jumped two spots in the rankings this week after erupting for 202 yards and a touchdown on just 10 catches on Saturday. Despite McMillan’s heroic performance, the Wildcats were unable to escape with the win, falling 31-26 to West Virginia.

McMillan is averaging 122.8 receiving yards per game this season, the third-most in the nation. It was a bounce-back game on Saturday for McMillan, who only collected five catches for 38 yards in Arizona’s loss to Colorado in Week 8.

4. Tre Harris, Ole Miss

Tre Harris fell one spot in this week’s rankings after not playing in Ole Miss’ 26-14 win over Oklahoma due to a groin injury. Nonetheless, it’s not easy to forget about Harris’ talent.

The standout WR has already amassed more receptions and receiving yards than he did in the entire 2023 campaign. Thanks to such a strong start, Harris is a frontrunner for the Biletnikoff Award this season, an honor annually presented to the best wide receiver in college football.

5. Travis Hunter, Colorado

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter also saw significant movement in the Week 9 On3 Impact Rankings, leaping forward three spots. Hunter didn’t make the move by accident, notching a season-high 153 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries Saturday.

Hunter’s standout showing was enough to boost the Buffaloes to a 34-23 triumph over Cincinnati. For his efforts, Hunter was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named the conference Defensive Player of the Week, becoming the first player to ever reel in both honors in the same week.

6. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Ohio State is the only team that has two wide receivers on the On3 Impact Top 10 WR Rankings. Alas, it’d be impossible to exclude Emeka Egbuka from the prestigious list. In Ohio State’s win over Nebraska on Saturday, Egbuka had a quiet showing, only recording three catches for 20 yards.

It was an uncharacteristic performance for Egbuka, who leads the Buckeyes in receptions this season despite splitting targets with Jeremiah Smith. The senior wideout also leads the team in receiving touchdowns.

7. Tai Felton, Maryland

Tai Felton may not always receive the same attention as some of the others on this list, but he deserves every nod he gets. Through eight games, Felton has 907 receiving yards this season, the fifth-most in the FBS.

As usual, Felton was spectacular on Saturday, totaling nine catches for 104 receiving yards. Unfortunately for Felton, his efforts weren’t enough to propel the Terrapins to a win, ultimately falling 48-23 to Minnesota.

8. Xavier Restrepo, Miami

Following back-to-back 100-yard receiving efforts, Miami wide receiver Xavier Restrepo came back to earth this past weekend in the Hurricanes’ 36-14 over Florida State. Restrepo finished the game with four catches for 24 yards.

With the performance, Restrepo is within striking distance of history. The fifth-year star is eight receptions behind Mike Harley and 119 receiving yards behind Santana Moss for the all-time Miami receiving records.

9. Tez Johnson, Oregon

Oregon burst into the On3 Impact Top 10 WR Rankings this week after snagging six catches for 102 yards and a score in the Ducks’ 38-9 blowout win over Illinois. Johnson now has three 100-yard receiving performances this season.

As excellent as Johnson has been this season, he’s still over 500 receiving yards away from surpassing his total last season. With any luck, Oregon may see Johnson reach a new level in the final stretch of the 2024 campaign.

10. Kyren Lacy, LSU

LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy wasn’t on the list last week but had to be included following LSU’s 38-23 loss to Texas A&M. Though his team came up short, Lacy exploded for catches and 106 yards — his third time in the last four games exceeding 100 receiving yards.

Lacy will be hard-pressed to add another triple-digit outing to his résumé next week as the Tigers square off against No. 14 Alabama. The Crimson Tide shut out Missouri last week and held Mizzou WR Luther Burden III to just three receiving yards.