Greg McElroy ranks Top 10 wide receivers in college football heading into 2026 season

There’s already plenty of buzz about the amount of talent at wide receiver in college football in 2026. With spring ball in the books, Greg McElroy has released his Top 10 rankings at the position.

The top two aren’t much of a surprise, necessarily. Jeremiah Smith put together back-to-back decorated seasons at Ohio State to start his career while Malachi Toney burst onto the college football scene as a freshman at Miami in 2025.

Of course, there’s plenty of other big-name receivers who can make an impact this year. Here are McElroy’s full Top 10 wide receivers heading into the 2026 season, as he broke down on Always College Football.

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Through two years at Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith has lived up to the billing as the top recruit out of the 2024 cycle and enters 2026 with the most receiving yards in the country over the last two years. He became an All-American last year with 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. As Smith gets ready for his junior year, Greg McElroy said he’s the best receiver in the sport in 2026.

“He is arguably the best player in college football, regardless of position,” McElroy said. “He comes back his junior year. Had he gone out last year, he would’ve been a no-doubt, consensus Top-10 pick. Think about this for a second. The guy that was No. 2 on Ohio State last year in receiving, he went fourth overall. That just goes to show you how good Jeremiah Smith is.”

2. Malachi Toney, Miami

As Miami made its run to the national title game, Malachi Toney became a household name with 109 receptions for 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the ACC in all three categories. He’ll now have a new quarterback in Darian Mensah, and if that connection takes off, Greg McElroy thinks Toney could get even better.

“I love the connection that could be created there between Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney and Shannon Dawson, the offensive coordinator,” McElroy said. “They already sound like they have a really good relationship. You already listened to Malachi Toney rave about Mensah in the media throughout the spring. … If we’re going for pound-for-pound football players in college football, you would be hard-pressed to find a whole lot better than Malachi Toney.”

3. Duce Robinson, Florida State

After transferring from USC, Duce Robinson put up a huge year at Florida State with 1,081 yards and six touchdowns as a bright spot for the Seminoles. He then opted to run it back rather than enter the NFL Draft, and Greg McElroy pointed to a more stable quarterback situation with Ashton Daniels named the starter as a reason Robinson ranks as a Top-3 wide receiver in 2026.

“A lot of teams thought that he was going to be going to the NFL. … He said he did not want to leave after the season that Florida State had because the fans have given him so much and he wanted to give something back,” McElroy said. “Well now, for the first time since he arrived in Tallahassee, there’s actually some clarity at the quarterback spot.”

4. Isaiah Sategna, Oklahoma

In his first year at Oklahoma in 2025, Isaiah Sategna showed off his speed as a deep threat. He had 67 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns as a redshirt junior, but with a full year under his belt with John Mateer, Greg McElroy thinks Isaiah Satengna could be one of the best receivers in the sport this season.

“You look at the pieces that have been added by the Sooners … there could be a scenario this year where Sategna actually gets a little bit more 1-on-1 coverage,” McElroy said. “That you might see some more safeties that are pulled toward the box if Oklahoma can more consistently running the football. You also get John Mateer back at quarterback with a full year of experience throwing to Sategna and a deeper supporting cast to work with.”

5. Andrew Marsh, Michigan

As a freshman at Michigan last year, Andrew Marsh emerged as a top target for Bryce Underwood as he hauled in 45 catches for 651 yards and four touchdowns. But with a new offense and a new head coach in Kyle Whittingham, Greg McElroy said Marsh is in position to take a big leap forward as a sophomore in 2026.

“In a new coaching era under Kyle Whittingham and the most anticipated question in Ann Arbor this spring is what Andrew Marsh looks like with a full year of experience and a system that is designed to feature him with a quarterback that is going to advance, as well,” McElroy said. “Now, the [comparison] that Michigan keeps reaching for is Mario Manningham. … Michigan has not had a 1,000-yard receiver in over a decade. Marsh is the reason why that could change.”

6. KJ Duff, Rutgers

As a sophomore at Rutgers last year, KJ Duff broke out as he had 60 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns, and his 90.3 receiving yards per game ranked third in the conference. He flew a bit under the radar, according to Greg McElroy, but Duff sits squarely in the ESPN analyst’s Top 10 wide receivers heading into this season.

“This name is going to surprise some people,” McElroy said. “That’s good. Because if KJ Duff played at Ohio State or at Texas, we would’ve done an entire episode about him three weeks ago. Well, he plays at Rutgers, so a lot of the national media isn’t fully aware of what this young man is capable of. But the word is starting to get out.”

7. Ryan Wingo, Texas

The first of two Texas wide receivers in Greg McElroy’s Top 10, Ryan Wingo was a reliable target for Arch Manning in 2025 as he had 54 catches for 834 yards and seven touchdowns. Greg McElroy thinks the former highly touted recruit can continue his upward trajectory this season, even with the addition of Cam Coleman.

“Every defensive coordinator is going to be trying to apply extra resources to one, which is going to open up opportunities for the other. … That is a really intriguing opportunity for this offense to know they have guys that can balance out the formation,” McElroy said. “So if Steve Sarkisian’s right and the world really has forgotten about Ryan Wingo, we will find out and be reminded quickly and in a significant way starting in September. That’s why he comes in at No. 7.”

8. Cam Coleman, Texas

The biggest transfer portal addition for Texas this offseason, Cam Coleman showed his potential at Auburn despite the Tigers’ struggles on offense. He totaled 93 receptions for 1,306 yards and 13 touchdowns in his two years, and will now join Ryan Wingo as part of Texas’ wide receiver room. Coleman has built a connection with Arch Manning already, which could set him up to continue his improvement.

“He’s now going to play with Arch Manning,” Greg McElroy said. “He’s going to play in Steve Sarkisian’s system. And to think about this Manning-to-Coleman connection that’s kind of been building all spring even though Manning has not been fully available as he works back from a foot injury, you’ve got to be pretty impressed with what could happen for Cam Coleman now that he has a really capable quarterback that will be targeting him on every single opportunity, especially in the red zone.”

9. Charlie Becker, Indiana

Last year’s breakout star for Indiana during the Hoosiers’ national title run, Charlie Becker ranks as the No. 9 wide receiver in college football heading into 2026, according to Greg McElroy. He had 34 receptions for 679 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore, but his 20 yards per reception led the Big Ten. With other stars off to the NFL, Beckers could be primed for a huge leap in 2026.

“I think if you look at where he is now as a junior returning to a defending national champion with [Omar] Cooper gone, with [Elijah] Sarratt gone, his target share is going to go up tremendously,” McElroy said. “And I really like Josh Hoover and the connection that they might be able to create, knowing that Becker is a deep threat on every single snap. So I think his potential and his ceiling could go up tremendously this year in Bloomington.”

10. Jordan Faison, Notre Dame

Rounding out Greg McElroy’s Top 10 wide receivers in college football, Jordan Faison provides some continuity in Notre Dame’s revamped receiver room. He set career-highs with 49 receptions for 640 yards and four touchdowns last year, and now that he’s fully focused on football, McElroy sees Faison as the key to the Fighting Irish passing game with so many new faces.

“Here’s what makes 2026 different,” McElroy said. “One, he’s focusing exclusively on football in the offseason. And Notre Dame lost four of their top five pass-catchers. … That means the target share of a College Football Playoff program could potentially flow through Jordan Faison and a completely rebuilt cast.”

There’s sure to be plenty of wide receiver talent in college football this year with NFL interest growing. With spring practice in the rear-view mirror, it’s on to summer workouts before training camp begins.