Ryan Williams challenged preconceptions about what 17-year-old pass catchers could accomplish in the SEC as he took the college football world by storm with an eye-popping display that saw him lead all freshman wide receivers in the conference with 865 yards and eight touchdowns.
Not only does Jared Brown rank among the top 25 college football wide receivers returning in 2025, but he’s also in the top 100 since 2020 after averaging 2.55 yards per route run. He did most of that damage playing for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers from 2021 to 2023, where he racked up 1,534 receiving yards and 11 TDs while averaging 14.2 YPR.
LSU already placed one standout playmaking threat on this list of college football wide receivers, but they added another from the transfer portal this offseason to ensure Garrett Nussmeier has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal.
If you’re looking for a true breakout receiver in the 2025 college football campaign, you likely don’t need to look too far beyond Baton Rouge and fifty-year pass catcher Chris Hilton Jr.
The Auburn Tigers already had a talented receiver room from the 2024 campaign. Still, they doubled down on weaponry for new quarterback Jackson Arnold by acquiring former Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton Jr. from the portal. A genuine speedster with eye-popping explosion, the new Tiger has tallied over 700 yards in each of his two college campaigns.
