Ranking the Big Ten: Wide Receiver
As the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, it’s time to look at the top players at each position in the Big Ten.
We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the wide receivers. Ohio State continues to set the standard but a bevy of talented pass catchers return around the conference.
Previous Ranking the Big Tens: QB | RB
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1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
No surprises here. The former No. 1 overall recruit shattered even lofty expectations in 2024, becoming a national sensation overnight. A record-breaking freshman campaign and National Championship victory earned Smith a spot on the EA Sports College Football 26 cover.
At 6-foot-3, he burst onto the scene last year with a touchdown in the first seven games of his collegiate career. Smith shattered Cris Carter’s Ohio State’s single-season freshman records for receptions (76), receiving yards (1,315) and touchdowns (15) while averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He led the country with six receptions of 50 yards or more and finished top-four nationally for both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Smith will be on the watch list for countless awards and is the only non-quarterback with legitimate Heisman Trophy-contender status ahead of the season. He continues a storied lineage of Buckeye pass catchers and may very well be the best NFL prospect of the bunch. Smith will have a new QB targeting him, but should Alabama transfer Julian Sayin earn the starting job, the superstar wide receiver will help ensure a seamless transition.
2. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
The former James Madison transfer helped lead Indiana’s offense to a historic season in 2024, becoming a favorite target of QB Kurtis Rourke. He finished the year just shy of 1,000 yards (957) with eight touchdowns in just 53 grabs.
Of returning Power Four wideouts, only Smith and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson had more receiving yards last season. Sarratt has a 90.3 PFF overall grade and 2,156 receiving yards since 2023 which is most among all returning FBS receivers.
The senior will look to improve on a Third-Team All-Big Ten campaign, boosting his NFL draft stock further. At 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, Sarratt is one of the best contested catchers in the country with 16 last season. He has great body control — particularly near the sidelines — and hauled in numerous back-shoulder throws. Sarratt will also catch passes from a new signal caller, as Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza takes over the starting gig.
3. Makai Lemon, USC
In a WR room chalked full of talent, Lemon came on strong down the stretch in 2024. He finished the season with a team-high 764 receiving yards and turned heads in the final two games of the year against Texas A&M and Notre Dame. Lemon earned All-Big Ten Offensive Honorable Mention honors for his efforts.
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Some early mock drafts have the Trojan junior as a first-round pick after he showed tremendous development in his first full season. Despite only hauling in three touchdowns, Lemon tallied a 30+ yard catch in six games and averaged 14.7 yards per reception. He is also an excellent kick returner, racking up 19 kickoff returns for 514 yards — a 27.1-yard average — and was named to the All-Big Ten Return Specialist Third Team.
Lemon is only 5-foot-11, but has excellent speed and burst after the catch. He will team up with fellow junior WR Ja’Kobi Lane as the Trojans look to replace a bevy of WRs who they lost in the portal. According to PFF, Lemon trails only Smith in wins above average among returning receivers.
4. Carnell Tate, Ohio State
The Buckeyes will sport a two-headed monster this season in Tate and Smith. With Emeka Egbuka off to the NFL, Ohio State turns to its former top-50 recruit to help replace over 1,000 yards of production.
Tate didn’t garner the headlines last season but put together an impressive 733-yard season on 52 catches. He enjoyed the most productive game of his young career against Nebraska, racking up 102 receiving yards and a touchdown. In the CFP Semifinal against Texas, the Buckeyes relied on Tate. He led the team with seven receptions for 87 crucial yards as Smith was completely silenced.
Even at 6-foot-3, Tate finished in the 93rd percentile of separation rate in 2024 (86.6%).
5. Denzel Boston, Washington
Boston made up a one-two punch with Giles Jackson in 2024 but will return as the Huskies’ No. 1 option this season. He is the longest-tenured Washington receiver and one of just three upperclassmen in the room.
The junior earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors last year thanks to 834 yards and nine touchdowns on 63 receptions. He came out firing over the first month of the season but cooled down down the stretch, only recording three catches and 27 yards in the Sun Bowl.
At 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Boston has drawn comparisons to Tetairoa McMillan and has first-round potential in next year’s draft. Even with a large frame, Boston is a great route runner and can get out of his breaks with ease. According to PFF’s player tracking data, he reached nearly 22 mph in 2024. Boston has great hands and is a threat in contested-catch scenarios, hauling in 12 of 22 contested targets in 2-24.
