ESPN's Bill Connelly has ranked the 60 best college football receivers of the last 50 years, expanding a top-50 list first published in 2021. Barry Sanders remains the top college running back in his view, and Randy Moss has long been considered the best receiver. That status, however, is now under threat from Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith.
Smith was among the country's best players from the moment he arrived at Ohio State from Miami. As a freshman, he may have been the best player on a national championship team, despite the presence of many first-round NFL draft picks. His production has only grown since. After failing to win the Biletnikoff Award in 2025, he has elevated his play to a completely different level this fall. He is on pace for roughly 2,000 yards as a junior, or 2,500 yards if Ohio State makes a deep College Football Playoff run, and he could finish his college career with around 4,500 to 5,000 receiving yards and more than 50 touchdowns.
Connelly notes the list was difficult to build, requiring both elite talent and elite production. Julio Jones did not make the cut because Alabama did not ask him to do enough, while Percy Harvin and Rocket Ismail were excluded because they were primarily running backs, with more career rushes than receptions. Even some former Biletnikoff Award winners failed to make the list, a sign of how high the bar is.
The ranking begins at No. 60 with Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State, whose 2008 season, with 87 catches for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns, earned him All-American status. Ryan Yarborough of Wyoming, the first star of Joe Tiller's "basketball on grass" offense, and Henry Ellard of Fresno State, who averaged 24.4 yards per catch in a 1,510-yard season, also earn spots.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing