Top 25 wide receiver rankings entering Week 12 of college football
It was a big weekend in college football, though not an upset-heavy one. As the season wears on, most offenses have fully clicked into gear, so there’s plenty to evaluate and update in our weekly wide receiver rankings.
We had a minor shift near the top this week, though Ohio State‘s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU‘s Malik Nabers continue to own the top two spots.
But there was plenty of movement across the board in this week’s wide receiver rankings, with some new appearances in the top 10. Let’s dive into the week’s action to see how things shifted in the past week.
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
The Ohio State standout was back in business in a big way after being limited to just 25 yards a week prior against Rutgers. Harrison caught seven passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns. It was his third straight week catching at least two touchdown passes.
The Buckeyes star wasn’t done there, as he also added a touchdown on a 19-yard run. Harrison’s numbers this season have been dominant and his impact even moreso. On the season he has logged 59 catches for 1,063 yards and 12 touchdowns.
2. Malik Nabers, LSU
In a game where his quarterback went absolutely ham, Nabers managed to get his in the passing game. He turned in six catches for 132 yards in a win over Florida, though he didn’t manage to find the end zone, the first time in a month he’d been kept scoreless.
Nabers continues to put up the most ridiculous numbers of any receiver in the country. To this point he has 72 catches for 1,284 yards and 10 touchdowns. He leads the nation in receiving.
3. Rome Odunze, Washington
Not far behind in receiving is Odunze, who leaps Luther Burden III for the No. 3 spot in this week’s wide receiver rankings. Odunze didn’t have many catches against Utah but made them count, taking three snags for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Odunze is one of a handful of receivers nationally who has already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark receiving. He has logged 59 catches for 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns, all among the best marks for wide receivers so far this season.
4. Luther Burden III, Missouri
After averaging nine catches for 132 yards in the first six games of the season, Burden’s productivity has cooled considerably as he’s had to deal with injuries. He’s averaging just 3.5 catches per game for 47.8 yards per game in the last four outings.
He’s coming off an outing against Tennessee in which he recorded four catches for 26 yards and a touchdown. While his production has slowed, Burden has managed to find the end zone in each of the last three games. He’s got 984 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on the season.
5. Keon Coleman, Florida State
Coleman returned to action following a minor injury, and he managed to make a small impact in a win over Miami. The talented wideout who transferred in from Michigan State logged four catches for 24 yards and a touchdown in the game.
That Coleman remains this high on the wide receiver rankings is a testament to his sheer ability, because he doesn’t quite have the numbers of many others. So far this season he has caught 42 passes for 562 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s an elite scoring threat and can make the big play at any moment.
6. Troy Franklin, Oregon
How’s this for big-play ability? Franklin caught only two passes in a win over USC but managed to go for 147 yards and a touchdown. He averaged an eye-popping 73.5 yards per catch in the contest, scoring on an 84-yard touchdown pass.
Franklin has been the epitome of consistency all season, with Saturday his lowest catch total but one of his bigger yardage totals of the season. All that balances out to 60 catches for 1,093 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season, a terrific year’s work.
7. Malik Washington, Virginia
Washington had another huge game, albeit in a loss to Louisville. He finished the game just shy of double-digit catches for the first time in four games, hauling in nine passes for 155 yards and a score. Washington now ranks second in receiving nationally.
The Virginia star is a bit of a volume catcher in that he has already caught 88 passes on the season. His 13.6 yards per reception isn’t the highest in this group, but it’s plenty respectable. Washington stands at 1,199 yards and seven touchdowns on the year.
8. Xavier Legette, South Carolina
The one thing consistently going right for the South Carolina offense is Legette, who has been uncoverable despite there not being a whole lot of other options on the offense. He turned in a season-high-tying nine catches for the second straight week, hauling in nine passes for 120 yard against Vanderbilt.
Legette is over the 1,000-yard mark on the season and remains in the top half of the wide receiver rankings thanks to his ability to make plays. He has 59 catches for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns this season.
9. Xavier Worthy, Texas
Like Coleman, Worthy mostly gets by on this list thanks to his ability to make the spectacular play at any given moment. But he’s also coming off his best statistical outing of the season, hauling in 10 catches for 137 yards in a close win over TCU.
Worthy hasn’t lit the world on fire, but he’s been remarkably consistent despite having only two 100-yard games. He has caught 59 passes for 757 yards, while he’s gotten into the end zone four times.
10. Brian Thomas, LSU
One player who hasn’t gotten by on big-play ability alone is Thomas, who also has the production to match his ability. The veteran LSU player hauled in six catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns against Florida. It was his fifth game this season scoring multiple times.
Thomas now leads the country in touchdowns, with 13 on the season. He has also been responsible for 51 catches for 918 yards, providing excellent production alongside Nabers as a perfect one-two punch.
Top 25 Wide Receivers 11-25
11. Roman Wilson, Michigan
12. Tahj Washington, USC
13. Tre Harris, Ole Miss
14. Caullin Lacy, South Alabama
15. Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
16. Jamari Thrash, Louisville
17. Johnny Wilson, Florida State
18. Jacob Cowing, Arizona
19. Ricky Pearsall, Florida
20. Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
21. Evan Stewart, Texas A&M
22. AD Mitchell, Texas
23. Kris Mitchell, FIU
24. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
25. Tory Horton, Colorado State
It was an exceptionally quiet weekend for the players ranked 11 to 25 in the wide receiver rankings, with only two of them hauling in touchdown passes: Cowing and Mitchell. Florida’s Ricky Pearsall did manage to top the 100-yard mark, going for 103 yards on seven catches in the loss to LSU. In any case, it figures to be a busier weekend for the rest of the receiver list going forward.