Top wide receiver/tight end classes in the 2026 cycle

In the current era of college football, having dynamic receivers and tights ends is paramount, and that’s very much apparent on the recruiting trail. (And if you don’t believe that already, look at the success of a quarterback like Carson Beck early in his tenure at Miami versus his final year at Georgia, where the Bulldogs receivers struggled significantly.)

Top-tier pass-catchers are highly coveted, as evidenced by the rumor multi-million dollar NIL package that Ohio State had to pony up to keep Jeremiah Smith. While he might on the extreme end of the spectrum, accumulating talent at those positions is as important as its ever been. And doing so through the transfer portal is costly. Instead, teams look to do it through traditional recruiting and developing those players to make an impact early on.

More and more, teams are loading up at both the wide receiver and tight end positions. The latter is quickly becoming a premium position both at the college and pro levels. In the 2026 class, a few programs have amassed big receiver and tight end classes to build on over the next few years.

And these five in particular look to have set themselves up well for the future:

USC

As important as elite quarterbacks are in Lincoln Riley’s system, having talented pass-catchers is as well. And there are few better in this cycle — at receiver or tight end — than five-star Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei TE Mark Bowman. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder has drawn comparison to Oakland Raiders star Brock Bowers for a few years now, and he ranks as the No. 1 tight end in the Rivals Industry Rankings. Riley and his staff gave also surrounded quarterback commit Jonas Williams with four blue-chip receivers in Boobie Feaster, Trent Mosley, Luc Weaver, and Roderick Tezeno. Local standout Ja’Myron Baker rounds out one of the deepest receiving groups in the country.

Florida State

Coming of a 2-10 season a year ago where the Seminoles’ offense struggled mightily, you’d think they might have a tough time recruiting that side of the ball. But it’s largely been the opposite, with Mike Norvell and receivers coach Tim Harris Jr. reeling in five four-star receiver commits. The group is headlined by FSU legacy Devin Carter, who flipped his commitment earlier this summer from Auburn. But this group has talent across the board, with Efrem White, Brandon Bennett, Darryon Williams, and Jasen Lopez all checking in as blue-chippers in this year’s class. Another legacy, Jonah Winston, just gave his commitment over the weekend as he looks to continue what his older brother Jameis started in Tallahassee. And don’t forget about tight end Xavier Tiller, a one-time Texas A&M commit who ranks as a top-10 tight end nationally.

Texas A&M

Solidifying the offensive and defensive lines has been a top priority both in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail for Mike Elko. But he also knows that to win in the SEC, you need playmakers on the outside. He went out and got two of the best wide receivers in the portal this offseason and is now looking to build on that with a very talented group from the high school ranks. Four-star wideout Aaron Gregory is one of the most dynamic wideouts in the country, hailing from Georgia. As a junior, he hauled in 52 receptions for over 900 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s joined by Madden Williams, one of the top receivers in California. The Aggies are one of only two programs with three blue-chip tight ends commit though, as Caleb Tafua, Kaeden “KK” Johnson, Evan Jacobson will each bring their playmaking ability to College Station.

Georgia

More known for its defense, Georgia — like others in this cycle — is putting a ton of talent around its star quarterback recruit Jared Curtis. The five-star signal-caller is flanked by three of the nation’s top 12 tight end prospects in Kaiden Prothro, Brayden Fogle, and Lincoln Keyes. The 6’5 Prothro is one of the most athletic players at the position this cycle, and once he adds weight onto his 215-pound frame, he projects as another major weapon the ‘Dawgs TE-heavy system. UGA had to go into the portal for receivers this year, landing USC’s Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M’s Noah Thomas. They’re looking to build more internally with this class though, signing three Rivals300 WR prospects from their own state: Brady Marchese, Craig Dandridge, and Ryan Mosley.

Notre Dame

Coming off their national championship appearance last year, Notre Dame’s recruiting has been booming. The Fighting Irish hold the nation’s No. 4 class and look poised to finish inside the top-5 for the first time in more than a decade. What they’re building on the offensive side of the ball is a big part of that. Surrounding quarterback commit Noah Grubbs, they’ve landed the country’s No. 3 tight end, Ian Premer. As a junior, he caught 30 passes for 541 yards (18.0 YPC) and eight touchdowns, while double as one of the best high school basketball players in Kansas. In the receiver group, four-stars Kaydon Finley, Bubba Frazier, and Brayden Robinson give offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock some serious weapons to work with. And the group is exceptionally deep, as three-stars Preston Fryzel, Devin Fitzgerald, and Dylan Faison were all coveted by multiple other programs.