Phil Steele: Top 25 Wide Receiver Unit Rankings ahead of 2024 college football season

The college football season grows closer by the day, which means it’s prediction season for college football magazine mogul Phil Steele.

He’s always an authority on the sport, especially when it comes to his preseason predictions. As is typically the case, for the 2024 issue, Steele extensively broke down his preseason rankings of each position group among Division I teams. So below, you can see Phil Steele’s full ranking of the top-25 receiving units across the sport.

Take a look:

1. Oregon

Steele notes that returning an 1,100-yard receiver in Tez Johnson gives the Ducks star power. But it’s their depth beyond him that makes them the top receiver corps in the country.

Evan Stewart comes over from Texas A&M, a former blue-chip recruit and rising junior who put up 1,100 combined yards as a true freshman and sophomore for a couple of dysfunctional A&M squads. Plus, there’s Traeshon Holden and Gary Bryant returning to give Oregon three of their top four back plus an elite transfer. Dillon Gabriel has all he needs.

2. Missouri

For the Tigers, it all starts with former five-star talent Luther Burden. Steele notes “Burden excelled in the slot last year and is one of the nation’s best.” His 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns are pretty good evidence of that assertion.

Meanwhile, Mookie Cooper and Theo Wease are back in the fold as well. Those two combined for more than 1,000 yards in 2023 and that makes it all three of Mizzou’s top three pass catchers coming back in 2024.

3. Ohio State

“OSU is always at the top,” says Phil Steele, and he’s not making any changes this season, placing the Buckeyes top-three yet again. They could be No. 1 but Steele doesn’t like that there’s “no dominant tight end” in the group.

But when it comes to the wide receivers, there’s plenty to like. Emeka Egbuka finally gets his turn to be the star of the room, while Jeremiah Smith is as exciting a freshman WR prospect as we’ve had in years. Plus, as per usual, there’s more future stars waiting in the wings.

4. Ole Miss

Where Ohio State faltered at TE in Steele’s eyes, he says of Ole Miss: “The top 4 receivers are back, including second-team All-SEC tight end Caden Prieskorn.” At receiver, one returner and one transfer make this Rebel group elite.

Obviously, there’s Tre Harris, an All-SEC third-teamer in 2023 who came just shy of 1,000 yards for the season. Meanwhile, Antwane “Juice” Wells gets added to the bunch as a tremendous athletic specimen from South Carolina.

5. USC

Famously, USC just didn’t have the level of experience and talent at wideout that they had in Caleb Williams‘ first season. However, that did provide opportunity for younger talent to develop, setting up a very promising group in 2024.

“Zachariah Branch, Makai Lemon, Kyron Hudson and Duce Robinson make up a solid and dangerous starting unit,” says Phil Steele. “Plus, Riley added three experienced transfers to help out the depth.”

6. Oklahoma

“The Sooners may not have an All-American WR but return five of their top six receivers and add Purdue’s No. 1 WR,” says Steele. That would be Deion Burks, who joins an already-loaded room with plenty of options for first-year QB Jackson Arnold.

Overall, Steele just likes the room from top to bottom. He says they “have plenty of experience with a deep group of good-sized tight ends.”

7. Colorado

“Travis Hunter is the headliner,” says Steele. “But he’s joined by FAU’s top receiver Lajohntay Webster, Vandy’s top receiver Will Sheppard and Jimmy Horn, who has over 1,500 yards the last three years.”

Like in 2023, raw talent is the last issue for Colorado in the receiver room. Hunter can be special when he does play receiver, but if he’d like to focus more on defense in 2024, there’s plenty of depth behind him.

8. SMU

The Mustangs may look a little out of place as the only Group of Five team from last year’s conferences to make the top 10 in the wide receiver rankings. However, Phil Steele has a pretty obvious reason why they rank so high.

“Wide receiver was a team strength last year and the top seven receivers are all back,” he says. Plus, there are future pros in the room, says Steele: Jordan Hudson and Romello Brinson are both NFL caliber WRs.” Meanwhile, “RJ Maryland was first-team All-AAC and is also NFL-caliber.

9. Louisville

Phil Steele is really taking a gamble at No. 9 and going against the grain, noting that the Cardinals only return one of their top six receivers. But with Jeff Brohm, it’s all about that transfer portal.

“Brohm hit the portal hard,” says Steele. “(They) brought in Caullin Lacy from South Alabama, Ja’Corey Brooks from Alabama and second-team All-Mountain West tight end Mark Redman and Jaleel Skinner from Miami.”

10. Notre Dame

Attrition didn’t take too much of a toll on the Notre Dame receiver corps this offseason, as Phil Steele likes that the Irish get four of their top six receivers back. Although, none of their pass catchers even topped 500 yards last season.

So why the optimism for 2024 after a tough year from the group in 2023? Well, having a lot of returners all one year older certainly helps and so does Kris Mitchell, a 1,100-yard receiver from Florida International.

WR rankings 11-25

11. Miami
12. LSU
13. TCU
14. North Carolina
15. Tennessee
16. Georgia
17. Utah
18. UCF
19. Texas
20. Arizona
21. Florida
22. Kentucky
23. Florida State
24. Texas A&M
25. Memphis