Subscribe
Follow Us
The college football season is right around the corner, and it is going to be an exciting one in the Big Ten. The conference is loaded with good teams, and there are high expectations after back-to-back national championships. Michigan won it all in 2023, and Ohio State captured the crown last season. There should be a good amount of teams that are still alive and contending for a national championship at the end of the 2025 season, and it will be exciting to see if another team from this conference can pull it off.
In terms of contenders in the Big Ten, Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon are the teams that you can essentially write in to make the College Football Playoff. All three teams made it last year, and they are all expected to be among the best teams in the country this year as well. Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and USC are all teams to watch, too. The Hoosiers and Wolverines both have CFP experience, and they are hoping to make it again. USC and Illinois are looking for their first appearance.
All in all, there is a lot of talent in the Big Ten. That talent is going to be spread out all over the field, and one of the most loaded position groups in the conference is the wide receiver position. Here are the top WRs in the Big Ten for the 2025 season:
5. Evan Stewart, Oregon
The first player that we are going to talk about is Oregon football's Evan Stewart. Stewart is as experienced as they come in college football, and he has spent his entire career at the Power Four level. Stewart started his college football journey back in 2022 at Texas A&M, and he spent two years with the Aggies before transferring to Oregon. He made a big impact during his first season at Texas A&M as he finished with just under 650 yards and two touchdowns. Stewart has three good years of experience under his belt.
Stewart has been very productive throughout his career as he has never finished with under 500 receiving yards in a season. He finished with over 600 during his first season at Oregon, and he also added five touchdowns. Stewart will be one of the Ducks' main weapons this season, and that should help him achieve a big year.
4. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
Last season was one of the best in Indiana football history, and Elijah Sarratt is a big reason why. He came to the program before the season with head coach Curt Cignetti, and he ended up being one of the best players on the team. Sarratt finished with over 1,100 receiving yards the year prior at James Madison, and he had a huge season with the Hoosiers as well. Sarratt hauled in 53 receptions for 957 yards and eight touchdowns.
Indiana made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff last year after going 11-1 in the regular season. Cignetti turned the program around in just one year, and there are big expectations for the Hoosiers this season as well. Sarratt is expected to have a big year.
3. Nick Marsh, Michigan State
In any other season, Nick Marsh would've been the best freshman WR in the Big Ten last year, but Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith easily held that honor. We'll talk about him later. Right now, we're focusing on Michigan State football's star youngster. Marsh had a magnificent freshman season, and he has a chance to take a major leap this year. Marsh hauled in 41 receptions for 649 yards and three touchdowns. He was a true freshman, and he was playing with an offense that struggled for much of the season. There is a chance for big improvements in 2025.
The play of quarterback Aidan Chiles will obviously have a big impact on Marsh's season. Chiles showed flashes of brilliance last year, but he lacked consistency. It's hard to imagine him not taking significant strides this offseason, and that will help out Marsh a ton.
2. Carnell Tate, Ohio State
There is one team that has been far and away the best at producing WR talent during the past decade, and it's the Ohio State football team. The Buckeyes are always churning out NFL talent at the position, and then they reload and do it again. In 2025, they will have the two best receivers in the conference. Let's talk about Carnell Tate first.
Obviously, Carnell Tate isn't going to be WR1 for the Buckeyes this season, and he wasn't WR1 last year either. Still, he managed to haul in 52 receptions for 733 yards and four touchdowns. On any other team, Tate is the top receiver and getting the bulk of the targets. Putting up numbers like that while competing for targets with the rest of the talent in that WR room is extremely impressive.
Tate took a big jump last season, and he is expected to do the same again this year. Jeremiah Smith will get most of the targets, but Tate is going to have a big season as well.
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
The best WR in the Big Ten is Jeremiah Smith, there's no doubt about it. He is also the best WR in the country, and he is probably going to be the best player in college football. Smith is as good as it gets, and players like him don't come around often. He was one of the best players in the country as a true freshman, and the fact that he will be at Ohio State for two more seasons is a scary thought for the rest of the conference. He is going to be a lot of fun to watch.
As a true freshman, Smith caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. Most teams that faced the Buckeyes had zero answer for Smith. There just isn't a lot that you can do to defend a player of his caliber. He is only going to get better throughout his career, and what we will see from him during the next two seasons could be historic. Get your popcorn ready.
There is a lot of good talent at the WR position in the Big Ten this season, and the Ohio State football team certainly has the best of it. Still, the conference as a whole has elite wideouts from top to bottom.
