The 2025 Shrine Bowl is shaping up to be the most exciting yet, featuring a roster filled with top college football talent. This year, a particularly impressive group of pass catchers stands out. Here are the top five wide receivers to keep an eye on at the 2025 Shrine Bowl.
Top WRs To Watch in the 2025 Shrine Bowl
5) Nick Nash, San Jose State
Nick Nash was one of the top-performing receivers in college football in 2024, leading the FBS with 16 receiving touchdowns. CFN’s Wide Receiver of the Year was named a CFN First-Team All-American but was pipped to the Biletnikoff Award by Travis Hunter, finishing the season with 104 receptions for 1,382 yards.
Despite being one of college football’s top receiving threats, Nash has received little draft buzz. A converted WR, Nash was a two-star dual-threat quarterback recruit who even started for the San Jose State Spartans in six games in 2021. He switched to receiver in 2022 and has found a home, ascending into college football’s most utilized weapons.
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Primarily a slot receiver, the San Jose State product is a thriving athlete with indelible speed. Nash’s instant acceleration, sticky hands, and ball tracking should be evident in one-on-ones, where his 6’3” and 195-pound frame will allow him to highpoint the ball.
Projecting as a Day 3 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Nash will be looking to showcase his experience, length, and athleticism at the Shrine Bowl.
4) Kaden Prather, Maryland
A CFN Third-Team All-Big Ten member, Kaden Prather, heads to the 2025 Shrine Bowl as an under-the-radar prospect who could receive more national attention.
Prather hasn’t been the post-productive weapon, with only 56 receptions for 624 yards and 4 TDs receiver. However, his enticing 6’3” and 210-pound frame could work him into early Day 3 contention.
More: Check out our latest 2025 Mock Draft
The Maryland Terrapins WR glides through space and has the anticipation and awareness to make timely breaks. Prather also offers physicality to contest catches in traffic while displaying body control to adjust in the air.
3) Ja’Corey Brooks, Louisville
Ja’Corey Brooks was the Louisville Cardinals’ leading receiver in 2024, registering 61 catches for 1,013 yards and nine TDs. The Alabama transfer put his best year together, showcasing the game-breaking speed and explosive movement that made him a four-star recruit.
With outstanding athleticism, violent change of direction, and twitchy movement, Brooks has the potential to be a rider after his week at the 2025 Shrine Bowl, with his unique speed and special teams versatility intriguing teams. With the ability to create highlight plays, don’t be surprised if the Cardinals receiver’s draft stock rockets.
2) Antwane Wells Jr., Ole Miss
Antwane Wells is an exciting receiver who will likely be better utilized in the NFL than in college. However, the South Carolina Gamecocks and Ole Miss Rebels have successively not used the wide receiver to his full potential, and a foot injury in 2023 has caused his draft stock to slide.
Nicknamed ‘Juice,’ Wells has the elusive, twitchy, and flexible body control that emulates a running back. At 5’11” and 215 pounds, the Rebels’ WR can make defenders miss in a phone box and is an outstanding YAC weapon. If he can find his way to a more creative scheme, Wells could be a steal in the 2025 NFL Draft as a Day 3 option.
1) Tre Harris, Ole Miss
Tre Harris is the most successful of the pair of Ole Miss receivers heading to Dallas for the 2025 Shrine Bowl and will likely be the highest-drafted receiver at the event.
An exceptional red-zone threat, the 6’2” and 212-pound receiver is sudden off the line of scrimmage, and his physicality and size overwhelm defenders at the catch point. While Harris won’t dominate athletically, he has the prototypical frame, detailed route running, and body control to be a successful possession receiver at the next level.
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