2023 Receiver Unit Rankings: Ohio State takes the top spot, but Texas and LSU are loaded too
With spring practice in the books and the second transfer portal window closing, it’s the perfect time to evaluate some pre-summer 2023 positional unit rankings.
We kickstarted the series with quarterbacks, examining the Top 10 QB rooms in the country in the fall. Yesterday, the 2023 running back unit rankings were released.
Today, we look at receivers. Which programs have the best set of wideouts? Plural.
These rankings are about depth charts, not singular individual talents.
With that, the Top 10 tailback units in 2023…
1. Ohio State
For the third straight year, the Buckeyes have the most loaded receiver room in the country. Led by All-American Marvin Harrison, who would’ve been a Top 5 pick in this year’s draft were he eligible, Brian Hartline has assembled a factory of former blue-chip recruits.
While Harrison is the unequivocal No. 1 wideout in the country, Ohio State also has Emeka Egbuka, another likely 1st Round pick, Julian Fleming, and 5-star freshman Carnell Tate, among others.
2. Texas
If not for Ohio State, the Longhorns would have the best receiver corps in 2023, with a dynamic trio in Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell and Jordan Whittington.
Worthy is a future 1st Round pick, while Mitchell, who transferred from Georgia this offseason, has similar upside and has been a key playmaker for the Bulldogs in multiple College Football Playoff games. Whittington isn’t flashy but the veteran is a reliable target who can play multiple spots.
Texas also has the luxury of backups like Isaiah Neyor, who was a big-time transfer addition last year but tore his ACL in fall camp, and 5-star freshman Johntay Cook II — both of whom would start for most schools.
3. LSU
One of the reasons folks are high on the Tigers in 2023 is their stacked set of playmakers at receiver.
Malik Nabers led the SEC in receiving last season, and could be even better this fall with the growth of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Other headliners in LSU’s wideout room include Brian Thomas, Kyren Lacy, a spring standout, Chris Hilton and Alabama transfer Aaron Anderson.
The Tigers also have a pair of Top-100 freshmen signees pushing for playing time in Jalen Brown and Shelton Sampson.
4. Washington
The Huskies return a pair of 1,000-yard wideouts in Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan — perhaps the best duo in the country not at Ohio State or Texas. They also have Ja’Lynn Polk and Michigan State transfer Germie Bernard, plus a couple of 4-star freshmen hoping to vie for snaps.
Some Huskies insiders are calling this the best collection of wideout talent in school history.
5. USC
The Trojans ushered Jordan Addison off to the NFL, but Lincoln Riley is the pied piper for quarterbacks and receivers.
USC returns Mario Williams, Brenden Rice and Tahj Washington, a trio of 600+ yard options, while adding Arizona transfer Dorian Singer — the No. 1 receiver in the transfer portal who led the Pac-12 in receiving in 2022.
As for insurance, the Trojans also signed 5-star freshmen Zachariah Branch and top-50 recruit Makai Lemon.
6. Georgia
The back-to-back reigning national champs look to have their best receiving group of the Kirby Smart era at Georgia.
The Bulldogs return the underrated duo of Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, plus should have a healthy game-breaker in Arian Smith to start the season. Georgia added the leading receiver in the SEC last season in Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett. The Bulldogs also poached Mississippi State’s No. 1 wideout in Rara Thomas.
7. Tennessee
The Vols lost their best two wideouts from the best passing attack in the country last season, but their receiver room remains quite talented with second-year system guys like Bru McCoy , a former 5-star transfer from USC, and sophomore speedster Squirrel White.
The offseason addition of Oregon’s Dont’e Thornton could be one of the home run additions from the transfer portal. The Vols have nice depth options too in senior Ramel Keyton and a couple redshirt freshmen like Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb.
8. Texas A&M
We’ll see what changes Bobby Petrino implements with Texas A&M’s offense, but it isn’t as if the Aggies lack receiving talent in 2023. Despite the transfer of former 5-star Chris Marshall, Texas A&M returns Evan Stewart, a fellow 5-star recruit who led the SEC in receptions as a freshman last year, Moose Muhammad and, quite notably, Ainas Smith, who opted to return to school after suffering a season-ending injury early in the 2022 season.
9. Arizona
Jedd Fisch saw Dorian Singer transfer to a conference rival, and yet, Arizona still returns one of the better duos in the country in Tetairoa McMillan and Jacob Cowing. The two playmakers combined for 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022, and with no Singer, will only see more targets this fall.
The Wildcats also signed four freshman receivers in the 2023 class, including Jalin Hyatt’s little brother Devin Hyatt.
10. Alabama
In terms of yards per game, the Tide didn’t have a Top 15 wideout in the SEC last season for the first time in well over a decade, but they do return a more seasoned group with a nice combination of length, speed and playmaking ability. Jermaine Burton, Ja’Corey Brooks, Isaiah Bond and Kobe Prentice will all vie for targets, while 5-star transfer Malik Benson could be a one-and-done guy in Tuscaloosa if he lives up to his potential.
Honorable Mention: Oregon, Kentucky, BYU, Missouri, Ole Miss