Now that the 2023 college football season is over, let’s focus on 2024 by evaluating the best players that will be returning to each position.
Wide receiver is next in line. Even if there are three expected top-10 picks at the position in the 2024 NFL Draft, there are still a ton of excellent pass-catchers returning to college.
The best ten returning wide receivers in college football according to PFF are listed below, along with a nominee for honorable mention. Please be aware that these rankings did not account for NFL projection.
10. Xavier Restrepo – Miami Hurricanes
Miami’s new quarterback Cam Ward will love throwing to slot receiver Xavier Restrepo. The returning wideout has a Pro Football Focus grade of 87.5, seventh-best among returning Power Five receivers, and is a proven weapon when it comes to moving the chains. Restrepo is not an explosive wide receiver, averaging only 12.8 yards per reception. However, he did record 85 catches, 53 of which went for a first down or touchdown. If the Hurricanes can find more explosive weapons on the outside, Restrepo gives them a sure thing in the slot.
2024 Miami Win Total: 9.5
9. Elic Ayomanor – Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor missed the 2022 season due to a serious injury, but is back in action in 2023. did. Ayomanor stands at 6′ 2″ and overcame some terrible quarterback play but made the most of it with a strong redshirt freshman campaign. In a thrilling overtime game in Week 7, , had 14 catches for 1,022 yards, trailing star Travis Hunter with 13 catches and 294 yards. Stanford has moved to the ACC and has a tough schedule, but Ayomanoru will have a chance to play if he can stay healthy.
2024 Stanford Win Total: 3.5
8. Ricky White – UNLV Rebels
Perhaps the best Group of Five wideout in the country is UNLV Rebels star Ricky White. The former Michigan State receiver ranks third in the nation with 1,487 rushing yards (behind Malik Nabors and Roma Odunze) and leads the nation with a target rate of 34.8% (per Pro Football Focus). The Georgia native gained 85 or more yards in 10 games in 2023, including 169 yards against Air Force, 152 yards against Fresno State and 165 yards against Vanderbilt. White is 6-foot-1 and while not a true burner, he could probably be a star at any level. UNLV must be excited to have him back for another season.
7. Kevin Concepcion – NC State Wolfpack
The NC State Wolfpack went 9-4, including an surprising 6-2 in the ACC, and much of that success was attributed to ACC freshman Kevin Concepcion. This can be attributed to Concepcion. He was versatile and led the Wolf Pack in rushing yards without a quarterback, gaining 320 yards on the ground (7.8 yards per carry) and had 839 yards receiving and 10 receiving touchdowns. 71 receptions were held in Concepcion. His second highest total at North Carolina State was his 28 points from Keyon Lesane. Concepcion is versatile and dynamic, and his rise has North Carolina State considered by many to be a favorite to win the ACC championship in 2024.
2024 NC State Win Total: 8.5
6. Tre Harris – Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss Receiver Tre Harris stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs over 200 pounds and is one of the best big play receivers in the country. Harris transferred to Ole Miss from Louisiana Tech prior to the 2023 campaign and had 54 receptions for nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Jackson Dart is a good quarterback in college, and Lane Kiffin’s offense will give Harris plenty of opportunities to show off his skills. Harris averaged 18.2 yards per reception, including 134 yards against Penn State, 213 yards against Texas A&M, 102 yards against Auburn and 153 yards in the win over LSU.
2024 Oregon Miss Wins Total: 9.5
5. Evan Stewart – Oregon Ducks
Second Oregon Duck to finish in the top five, former Texas A&M Aggie Evan Stewart will finish in fifth place. Stewart, a former five-star player with untapped potential, transferred from College Station after two disappointing seasons. Part of that can be attributed to Jimbo Fisher’s scheme and the quarterback’s poor play, and part of it can be attributed to the injury that limited him in 2023. Stewart is a very talented wide receiver who should shine in Oregon’s offense alongside quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Will Stein is an outstanding play-caller, and Stewart will be one of the most talented wide receivers to play in Eugene in a long time.
2024 Oregon State Wins Total: 10.5
4. Emeka Egbuka – Ohio State Buckeyes
Emeka Egbuka was limited to injury during his junior season, but it’s not hard to predict that he’ll be back to form in 2022 if he stays healthy. The Ohio State Buckeye wideout had 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, but limped into his junior season. He has the physical ability to be one of the best wide receivers in the country. There are enough weapons around him that the defense can’t just focus on Egbuka, even if Marvin Harrison Jr. leaves for the NFL. Wideouts coming out of Columbus usually end up being first-round NFL Draft picks, but Egbuka should be the next in line.
Ohio State Buckeyes 2024 Win Totals: 10.5
3. Tez Johnson – Oregon Ducks
Troy Franklin was great at Oregon, but in 2024 Returns Year 2023 Oregon’s Best Receiver What if I told you that, as good as Franklin was, Tez Johnson was statistically better in some ways? The former Trojan has had a smooth transition to the PAC-12, leading the Ducks in receptions last season despite weighing just 160 pounds. The slot receiver is as dangerous as any player in the country once he gets the ball, pacing all Power Five receivers for yards after the catch. Johnson gained 172, 137, 126 and 180 receiving yards and reached the end zone 10 times. The dynamic slot receivers in Oregon’s offense are a key component to success, and new quarterback Dillon Gabriel should help Johnson repeat his 2023 performance.
2. Tetairoa McMillan – Arizona Wildcats
Tetairoa McMillan, better known as Tet, did not fit in at 6’5″ and chose to remain in Arizona despite the departure of Jed Fisch. McMillan Not only is he a great target, he has amazing hands. His 2.1% drop rate is the best in the nation for a player with 100 or more targets, and he had 90 catches for 1,402 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore. 10. New head coach Brent Brennan ran a pass-happy offense and retained McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita, which should be a big win for Tucson.
Arizona 2024 Win Total: 8.5
1. Luther Burden – Missouri Tigers
The best wide receiver in the country plays in the SEC, but not at Alabama, Georgia or LSU. Missouri’s Luther Burden, a returning junior who dropped just four of 94 targets in his sophomore season, is at his best after the catch in 2023 with 725 yards rushing after the catch. be. Burden had 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns last season, with quarterback Brady Cook returning to throw in front of him. Burden had at least one catch of 25 yards or more in 10 games. The former high school star from St. Louis lived up to the hype surrounding his recruitment.
Missouri 2024 Overall: 9.5