Ranking the Big Ten: Wide Receiver
As the 2022 college football season quickly approaches, it is time to look at the top players in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series by ranking the top five returning wide receivers in the conference, a group of experienced, dangerous athletes.
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the top wide receivers in the country. Lindy’s named him the 2022 Nation’s No. 1 WR and a First-Team All-American. The Ohio State receiver is also the No. 1 receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft Bible sneak peek.
The 6-foot-0, 200-pound receiver led the Big Ten with a 90.2 overall offense grade and 90.2 reception grade in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Smith-Njigba’s offense and reception grades ranked No. 3 among the Power Five wide receivers. He tied Coastal Carolina WR Jaivon Heiligh for fifth and sixth in all of college football for the top offense and reception PFF scores.
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In 2021, Smith-Njigba had seven games with over 100 receiving yards, including a 347-yard, 15-reception effort against Utah in the Rose Bowl to help the Buckeyes win 48-45. He had three more games will 90-99 yards.
Smith-Njigba’s dominance will continue in the Big Ten and if Ohio State’s season goes as they plan, into the College Football Playoffs.
2. Jayden Reed, Michigan State
Wide receiver Jayden Reed is one of the best returning players to the Spartans. The First-Team All-Big Ten selection by Lindy’s and Athlon Sports helped lead Michigan State to its best finish since 2012.
Reed has the best fumble grade (84.5) of all the returning Big Ten receivers and had the eighth-best grade in the Power Five in 2021. Last season, his fumble grade was second only to Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson, who was a first-round draft pick by the Washington Commanders.
The 2021 AFCA First-Team All-American All-Purpose Player averaged 17.4 yards per catch in 2021, the fifth-highest in the Big Ten. He had 59 receptions for 1,026 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns with six receptions from 25-35 yards plus a 46-yard and 85-yard reception.
3. Parker Washington, Penn State
With Jahan Dotson leaving Penn State as one of the all-time best receivers in program history, Parker Washington has huge shoes to fill but also had two seasons to learn from Dotson. However, Washington has done a good job of paving his own path.
The 2022 Second-Team Big Ten selection by Lindy’s improved drastically from his true freshman season to 2021. His PFF grades in overall offense, reception and drops all jumped roughly 15 points. In 2021, his offense and reception grades ranked eighth in the Big Ten and his drop grade was fifth.
The sophomore was named Lindy’s 2022 Nation’s No. 16 wide receiver, on Athlon Sport’s All-Big Ten third-team and is the 2023 No. 8 WR in the NFL Draft Bible sneak peek.
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He had 820 receiving yards last season with four touchdowns in the 13 games he played. With Dotson in the NFL, Washington will get the majority of quarterback Payton Thorne‘s targets and will have his chance to shine.
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4. Rakim Jarrett, Maryland
Maryland wide receiver Rakim Jarrett is sladed to have a breakout junior season. The 6-foot-0, 190-pound receiver is a 2022 Second-Team All-Big Ten selection by Lindy’s and Athlon Sports.
Jarrett made a huge jump from his freshman season in 2020 to 2021 according to his stats and PFF grades. He had 829 receiving yards last season, 570 more than in 2020.
As for his PFF grades, Jarrett’s grades jumped five points acrossed the board, helping him become a 2021 Big Ten Honorable Mention by the league’s coaches and media. His offense (72.4) and reception (73.2) grades ranked sixteenth in the Big Ten.
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While Jarrett had the eighth most receiving yards in the Big Ten, he had the fifth more yards after carry with 410 yards, averaging 7.3 yards after catching the ball.
5. Ronnie Bell, Michigan
Ronnie Bell is back. After tearing his ACL in the 2021 season-opener, the graduate student is healthy and back for his final season.
The Michigan wide receiver was selected by Lindy’s and Athlon Sports on the 2022 Third-Team All-Big Ten team.
He caught one pass in 2021, a 76-yard touchdown from quarterback Cade McNamara against Western Michigan. That is probably a sign of the season Bell was going to have if he wasn’t injured.
With Bell back, the reigning Big Ten champions have another big-time weapon.
