The 2024 NFL draft encompasses a super assortment of gifted receivers, together with Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze, to not point out Georgia tight finish Brock Bowers, all of whom may very well be top-10 picks.
However that does not imply there will not be anybody left to catch the ball within the school sport. Our checklist of the highest 10 receivers in school soccer for the approaching season, as decided by a ballot of our reporters, consists of 5 gamers who broke the 1,000-yard threshold in 2023, plus two gamers who missed vital time attributable to damage and one who had as massive an influence at cornerback as he did as a receiver.
We requested our resident consultants to rank their high 10 broad receivers/tight ends getting into the 2024 season. Factors have been assigned based mostly on their votes: 10 factors for first place, 9 for second place and down to at least one level for tenth place.
Listed here are the outcomes.
Earlier high 10 lists: Working backs | Quarterbacks
2023 stats: 86 receptions, 1,212 yards, 14.1-yard common, 9 TDs
Factors: 92 (5 first-place votes)
Burden was a lump of clay in 2022 as a dynamic athlete and a terrifying determine with the ball in his arms. The blue-chip freshman scored speeding, receiving and punt return touchdowns, however wasn’t the place he wanted to be as an precise receiver. He averaged simply 8.3 yards per catch and completed his first yr at Missouri with 375 receiving yards.
The sunshine bulb got here on for Burden in 2023. He moved to the slot and topped 375 yards by the second quarter of his fourth sport. He gained 114 yards or extra in 5 straight video games, threw himself into blocking and soiled work late within the yr when operating again Cody Schrader started to catch hearth and nonetheless completed the season ranked ninth nationally in receiving yards. He dropped solely two passes all season and completed within the high 5 within the nation in yards after catch (711, third), pressured missed tackles (30, fourth) and yards after first contact (300, fifth). He caught a determined fourth-and-17 move to arrange a game-winning discipline aim in opposition to Florida and the game-clinching landing move within the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. Schrader acquired some Heisman votes for his late-season work, however Missouri does not go 11-2 in 2023 with out Burden. And now he enters his junior season as perhaps essentially the most confirmed receiver within the nation. His potato chips are fairly good too. — Invoice Connelly
2023 stats: 90 receptions, 1,402 yards, 15.6-yard common, 10 TDs
Factors: 78 (three first-place votes)
After a powerful freshman yr in 2022, the place he caught 39 passes for 702 yards, McMillan broke out as a sophomore, hauling in 90 passes for 1,402 yards with 10 touchdowns as Arizona received 10 video games for simply the second time in additional than twenty years. No returning energy convention receiver had extra receiving yards than he did final yr, catching passes from each Noah Fifita and Jayden de Laura.
The offseason noticed a serious change in Tucson with head coach Jedd Fisch departing for Washington, which led to some preliminary hypothesis that McMillan may transfer with him to the Large Ten. Nonetheless, each McMillan and Fifita introduced they might keep at Arizona to play for brand new head coach Brent Brennan, who arrived from San Jose State. Will probably be arduous for McMillan to high his statistical output from a yr in the past, however the Wildcats will not have Jacob Cowing — who caught 90 passes as a senior — which may make them extra depending on McMillan. — Kyle Bonagura
2023 stats: 41 receptions, 515 yards, 12.6-yard common, 4 TDs
Factors: 59
Prime-three nationwide broad receivers usually do not have a ton to show, however Egbuka is seeking to ship extra for an Ohio State offense with the very best of expectations. After a breakout season in 2022 — he had 1,151 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on 74 receptions, whereas including two speeding touchdowns and 75 yards on punt returns — the Steilacoom, Washington, native appeared poised to make the leap to the NFL in 2024. However final season did not go as deliberate, as Egbuka was slowed by a midseason ankle sprain that sidelined him for 3 video games. He completed with solely 41 receptions for 515 yards and 4 touchdowns, by no means reaching the 100-yard mark and eclipsing 40 yards simply as soon as in Large Ten play.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s departure places Egbuka within the highlight as Ohio State’s No. 1 receiver and a Biletnikoff Award candidate. He had displayed top-end pace and route-running and averaged 15.7 yards per reception in 2022 whereas contributing to the return sport his first two seasons. Egbuka might be instrumental in easing the transition for Kansas State switch Will Howard and main a receiver group as soon as once more pegged to be among the many nation’s finest. — Adam Rittenberg
2023 stats: 86 receptions, 1,182 yards, 13.7-yard common, 10 TDs
Factors: 41 (one first-place vote)
Johnson racked up 86 catches for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns, taking part in as Oregon’s No. 2 receiving goal final season. These are hardly No. 2 numbers as solely 5 different receivers within the nation — together with his 2023 teammate Troy Franklin — posted an 80-1,100-10 line. The one two gamers from that group returning for 2024 are Johnson and Arizona’s McMillan.
Johnson was a wizard each earlier than and after the catch. He hauled in additional than half his contested catches, averaged greater than 3 yards per catch after first contact (with 17 missed tackles) and racked up 727 yards after the catch, most amongst all Energy 5 receivers final yr. In the meantime, he was as dependable an possibility as there was in school soccer, hauling in 78.9% of his targets, third-most amongst all FBS receivers with not less than 100 targets and tops within the Energy 5. — David Hale
2023 stats: 54 receptions, 985 yards, 18.2-yard common, 8 TDs
Factors: 30
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
One of many many transfers Ole Miss has cashed in on in current seasons, Harris returns as one of many high pass-catchers within the nation. He began his profession at Louisiana Tech and had a breakout season there in 2022 with 10 landing catches. He missed one sport at Ole Miss final season with an damage however nonetheless completed with 54 catches for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. He is 6-foot-2, 205 kilos and has the athleticism and dimension to win most one-on-one matchups.
The Rebels might be deep at receiver with slot Jordan Watkins and tight finish Caden Prieskorn returning and South Carolina switch Antwane “Juice” Wells coming in, which can make it tough for opponents to double-team Harris. Not solely will Harris be a goal for Jaxson Dart in key third-down conditions, however he is among the extra harmful big-play receivers in school soccer. He averaged 18.2 yards per catch final season, and his 21 catches of 20 yards or longer rank third nationally amongst returning FBS gamers. — Chris Low
2023 stats: 85 receptions, 1,092 yards, 12.8-yard common, 6 TDs
Factors: 28
Restrepo had three comparatively quiet seasons at Miami earlier than 2023, when he turned in top-of-the-line years by a receiver at school historical past. The South Florida native set a faculty report with 85 catches, changing into simply the sixth Hurricanes receiver ever to interrupt the 1,000-yard mark in a season (1,092). A primary-team All-ACC choice, Restrepo was at his finest in a loss to Louisville, when he caught eight passes for 193 yards with a landing late within the yr.
He had a powerful reference to quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, however will now be catching passes from former Washington State QB Cam Ward, who briefly introduced he would enter the NFL draft earlier than reversing course and transferring to Miami. — Bonagura
2023 stats (at South Alabama): 91 receptions, 1,316 yards, 14.5-yard common, 7 TDs
Factors: 27
Discover you a slot receiver who can do all of it. At South Alabama in 2023, Lacy was first within the nation in receiving yards from screens, shallow and hook routes (606 from 60 catches), first in yards after catch and first in yards after first contact. He was additionally an A+ deep menace, rating 18th in receiving yards on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield and averaging 14.5 yards per reception on the season regardless of all of the brief routes. He was the No.1 within the Jaguars’ passing assault — he was focused on 30% of his routes and accounted for 38% of his crew’s receiving yards — and nonetheless, nobody may cease him. He topped 100 yards in eight of his 12 video games.
For every of 4 seasons, Lacy confirmed huge growth, leaping from 11 catches in 2020 to 41 in 2021, 64 in 2022 and 91 in 2023. He was one of many nation’s finest return males in 2022 as effectively. And now he takes the logical subsequent step in his profession: seeing what he can do at a Energy 5 college. He’ll function essentially the most confirmed pass-catcher in a drastically reworked Louisville receiving corps as Jeff Brohm makes an attempt to make his second ACC championship sport look in two seasons. — Connelly
2023 stats: 45 receptions, 649 yards, 14.4-yard common, 4 TDs
Factors: 23
Michigan has misplaced a variety of star energy from its nationwide championship offense, however Loveland, together with operating again Donovan Edwards, will enter the highlight in 2024. Loveland emerged as an elite-level tight finish throughout his first two seasons in school and ought to be one of many high prospects at his place within the 2025 NFL draft. Michigan does not have many recruits from Idaho, however Loveland made the lengthy journey from Gooding, within the southern portion of the state, and arrived as a three-star recruit in 2022. He broke out late in his freshman season, beginning 5 video games, recording 16 receptions for 235 yards, whereas excelling on particular groups.
Loveland took on an even bigger position final fall in Michigan’s passing sport, ending third on the crew in receptions (45) and second in each receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (4). He had a number of receptions in every of the Wolverines’ remaining 9 video games, together with three for 64 yards within the nationwide championship win over Washington. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Loveland earned first-team All-Large Ten honors and was named Michigan’s offensive participant of the week 5 instances. Because the Wolverines reload at quarterback and broad receiver, Loveland can have much more duty on his very succesful shoulders this fall. — Rittenberg
2023 stats: 57 receptions, 721 yards, 12.6-yard common, 5 TDs
Factors: 21 (one first-place vote)
Hunter’s place right here is form of like if Michael Jordan had ranked as one of many White Sox’s high prospects in 1994. He actually has no enterprise being this good at what’s, basically, his part-time gig. Whereas Hunter excelled as one of many elite cowl corners in school soccer final yr, his influence on offense was almost as vital, catching 57 balls for 721 yards and 5 touchdowns in 9 video games. To place that in perspective, the final time a Colorado receiver hit all three of these marks was Laviska Shenault again in 2018 — and Hunter did it whereas additionally taking part in protection and lacking three video games.
How Hunter’s position evolves in 2024 is among the extra intriguing questions of this offseason, and whether or not he is as much as the pains of taking part in each methods over the course of a full season for a second yr in a row is anybody’s guess. However what’s unquestioned is Hunter’s uncommon expertise, which makes him harmful wherever on the sphere — and maybe at receiver most of all. — Hale
2023 stats (at Alabama): 48 receptions, 668 yards, 13.9-yard common, 4 touchdowns
Factors: 19
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is hoping Bond can do what Georgia switch Adonai Mitchell did for the Longhorns’ offense in 2023. Bond had 48 catches for 668 yards with 4 touchdowns at Alabama final season. Most famously, he hauled within the profitable landing on fourth-and-31 with 32 seconds left in a 27-24 victory at Auburn, which put the Crimson Tide within the SEC championship sport.
A former Georgia highschool dash champion within the 100 and 200 meters, Bond has blazing pace and will develop right into a dependable deep menace for the Longhorns. — Mark Schlabach
Additionally receiving votes: Brant Kuithe, Utah (17); Kevin Concepcion, NC State (16); Ricky White, UNLV (14); Juice Wells, Ole Miss (12); Zachariah Department, USC (11); Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State (11); Tory Horton, Colorado State (10); Evan Stewart, Oregon (10); Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (8), Deion Burks, Oklahoma (6); Kris Mitchell, Notre Dame (6); Oscar Delp, Georgia (5); Moose Muhammad, Texas A&M (5); Benjamin Yurosek, Georgia (1)