Top 25 wide receiver rankings entering Week 9 of college football

Every now and then you get a dominant individual performance that proves a player is at the absolute upper echelon at his position, and Saturday was the day at receiver. Our wide receiver rankings have already reflected that dominance, but on Saturday it became impossible to ignore.

Ohio State‘s Marvin Harrison Jr. was absolutely dominant in a win over Penn State, flashing his route-running ability and overall playmaking skill.

Needless to say, he leads the way in this week’s wide receiver rankings. But let’s dive into the rest of the action to see who’s challenging him for the top spot.

1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Not only was it his best game against the toughest opponent so far this year, it was also statistically Harrison’s best outing of the season. He recorded a season-high 11 catches for 162 yards (one yard shy of a season high) and a touchdown.

Harrison has proven now that he can turn it on when the stage is the biggest, no small feat for a receiver. His ability gives the Buckeyes an automatic out in the passing game, a rare luxury for quarterback Kyle McCord.

2. Malik Nabers, LSU

Nabers continues to put up ridiculous numbers, and that carried over once again in a win over Army. The talented Tigers pass-catcher caught four passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, averaging more than 30 yards per catch.

That brought Nabers’ season-long totals to 56 catches for 981 yards and nine touchdowns. Nabers leads the nation in receiving yards per game, averaging 122.6 yards per contest.

3. Luther Burden III, Missouri

Burden bounced back from his quietest game of the season with a very respectable output against South Carolina. He finished with five catches for 97 yards and a touchdown.

One thing that’s interesting is Burden is beginning to get more touches out of the backfield. He’s seen four rushes in the last three weeks, and while he hasn’t busted anything big yet it’s clear Missouri wants him more involved in any way possible.

4. Rome Odunze, Washington

The Washington offense struggled to really get going in a win over Arizona State, but it really was no fault of Odunze’s. The skilled Huskies wideout still managed to catch five passes for 82 yards, even on an off day for the offense.

That’s the kind of presence Odunze has proven to be, though. He’s remarkably consistent. On the season he now has 45 catches for 818 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks fourth nationally in receiving yards.

5. Keon Coleman, Florida State

One player who hasn’t had near the consistency of Odunze but still dazzles with his top-end ability is Coleman. The Florida State standout had a quieter game in a win over Duke, catching just two passes for 54 yards.

That was Coleman’s fourth game with three or fewer catches in his seven outings this season. That said, the outliers have been monster performances (in wins over LSU, Clemson and Syracuse). Coleman has 311 catches for 472 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

6. Troy Franklin, Oregon

Franklin had only his second game all season with less than 100 receiving yards, underscoring just how productive he has been all year long. In a win over Washington State he accounted for four catches for 79 yards.

The Oregon standout has numbers that compare favorably to most of the top players in these wide receiver rankings. Through seven games he has 44 catches for 768 yards and eight touchdowns.

7. Xavier Legette, South Carolina

South Carolina’s standout at receiver was injured in the first quarter of a game against Missouri on Saturday. He is questionable for this week going forward, and he tallied just one catch for 20 yards in the loss to the Tigers.

When healthy, Legette is one of the most dangerous receiving threats in the SEC. He’s twice had games topping 175 yards receiving this season. On the year he’s got 38 catches for 736 yards and three touchdowns.

8. Xavier Worthy, Texas

Another week, another productive outing for the Texas star. Worthy had one of his better days of the season on Saturday in a win over Houston, tallying six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. Over the last three games, Worthy is averaging seven catches for 98 yards.

The Texas star will be needed now more than ever with starting quarterback Quinn Ewers sidelined by a sprained AC joint. So far this year Worthy has contributed 40 catches for 545 yards and four touchdowns.

9. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU

The second of the LSU receivers in the top 10 of the wide receiver rankings, Thomas has steadily emerged as a major option behind Nabers. He contributed an 86-yard touchdown catch against Army and finished the game with three catches for 122 yards and a score.

That was Thomas’ fourth 100-yard game of the season, and he’s had several other productive weeks. He’s also a touchdown machine. Thomas now has 11 receiving touchdowns, which leads the nation. He’s caught 42 passes for 732 yards.

10. Jacob Cowing, Arizona

Arizona and Cowing had a bye week this week, and Cowing is coming off one of his least statistically impressive performances. He had eight catches in a win over Washington State, but those eight catches went for only 29 total yards.

On the season Cowing is a high-volume target player. He has caught 55 passes for 425 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s been a pretty key piece to an Arizona passing game that is coming along under new quarterback Noah Fifita.

Top 25 Wide Receivers 11-25

11. Roman Wilson, Michigan
12. Evan Stewart, Texas A&M
13. Malik Washington, Virginia
14. Johnny Wilson, Florida State
15. Jamari Thrash, Louisville
16. Tory Horton, Colorado State
17. Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
18. Tre Harris, Ole Miss
19. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
20. Tahj Washington, USC
21. Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
22. Xavier Restrepo, Miami
23. Jalen McMillan, Washington
24. Kris Mitchell, FIU
25. Xavier Weaver, Colorado

There were a handful of impressive performances among the group just outside the top 10 of the wide receiver rankings, starting with Virginia’s Malik Washington. He helped orchestrate an upset of North Carolina by catching 12 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Others who impressed this week were Wilson, Lacy, Washington and Mitchell.