As much attention is rightfully paid to quarterbacks, a signal-caller’s job is less complicated when he’s throwing to a star receiver.
And it can be pretty complicated without one.
Heading into 2025, several top championship contenders have a question mark on the outside. Sure, there may be plenty of highly recruited potential, but some receiving corps lack a proven No. 1 option at the college level.
While having an elite wideout is not a prerequisite for title contention, boasting that go-to target in clutch situations can be a critical edge.
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia’s top pair of receivers from last season, Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett, are now chasing their NFL dreams.
It’s not a rebuild, but there’s a clear void in Athens.
The bright side, as you’d expect for a powerhouse program like UGA, is the Dawgs have options. Dillon Bell (466 yards) is the main returning player, although Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas (574) and USC transfer Zachariah Branch (503) both bring notable production.
Colbie Young, who previously notched a 500-yard campaign at Miami, has also been reinstated to the team after a nine-game suspension in 2024.
In short? Georgia likely has an answer to this uncertainty.
To best navigate the SEC grind and College Football Playoff, though, it needs more than a deep group of complementary players.
Miami Hurricanes
Miami, meanwhile, has a trickier outlook.
Record-setting receiver Xavier Restrepo, star tight end Elijah Arroyo and wideouts Jacolby George and Sam Brown Jr. used up their eligibility or declared for the NFL draft. Plus, expected top target Isaiah Horton transferred to Alabama.
In this rebuilt unit set to catch passes from Georgia transfer Carson Beck, the ‘Canes are banking on a mix of transfers and unproven young players.
CJ Daniels had a 1,000-yard season with Liberty in 2023 but posted 480 yards and zero touchdowns at LSU last year. BYU transfer Keelan Marion (346) and Cincinnati transfer Tony Johnson (449) offer experience with modest contributions, and Miami’s returning youth—such as JoJo Trader and Ray Ray Joseph—had less than 100 yards apiece in understandably limited usage last season.
Talent? For sure. Opportunity? No question.
The challenge, as always, is turning potential into genuine production.
Michigan Wolverines
Amid the quarterback disaster that plagued Michigan last year, now-NFL tight end Colston Loveland paced the Wolverines with 582 yards. Tyler Morris finished second on the team at 248 yards, and he transferred to Indiana.
Perhaps that school is also the source of a much-needed solution.
Donaven McCulley, who notched 644 yards two years ago, played four games at IU in 2024 before electing to redshirt and transfer. He joins a receiving corps that otherwise brings back Semaj Morgan (139) and Frederik Moore (128).
The wild card is UMass transfer Anthony Simpson, who tallied 792 yards in 2023 but—like McCulley—only made a couple of appearances last year.
While the preseason hype around U-M isn’t necessarily perplexing, the Wolverines have a ton to prove in 2025. Receiver is no exception.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Late in the 2024 season, Jaden Greathouse started to become this answer. He caught a combined 13 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns during the CFP victory over Penn State and championship loss to Ohio State.
So, if you’re confident in him, I understand.
However, that timely explosion also followed a four-game streak of having a single reception—and 29 total in ND’s other 13 games. He has flashed excellence but must be more consistent in 2025.
Virginia transfer Malachi Fields is also an exciting target after he collected 808 yards last season. Enough of that production came against lower-tier competition or during garbage time to create some pause, though.
Inevitably, that could be taken as a slight or a desperate attempt to discount Fields. That’s not the intention, by any stretch.
Expectations are high at Notre Dame, and the pressure being placed on Greathouse and Fields alike can be a real factor once the season actually begins.
Oregon Ducks
Two months ago, Oregon had an undisputed answer: Evan Stewart would be the stabilizing force of a retooled offensive attack.
Unfortunately, a knee injury has clouded his availability for 2025.
While the Ducks hope to see Stewart return late in the season, they’re turning to a cast of veterans with a couple young players to watch.
Gary Bryant Jr. tallied 442 yards in 2023 but dealt with injuries last season. Florida State transfer Malik Benson managed 311 yards in 2024, while Justius Lowe (203 yards) made a minor impact for Oregon.
Other players to know are Kyler Kasper, Jeremiah McClellan, recent top signee Jurrion Dickey and highly recruited freshman Dakorien Moore.
So, again, talent is not a concern.
But between Stewart’s injury and the departures of Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden and tight end Terrance Ferguson, there’s a huge production void to fill.
South Carolina Gamecocks
LaNorris Sellers put together a breakout year at South Carolina despite the receiving corps not threatening much regular danger.
Tight end Joshua Simon led the Gamecocks with 519 yards in 2024 but exhausted his eligibility. The offense’s second-best target, Nyck Harbor, collected 376 yards with Mazeo Bennett Jr. (337) not terribly far behind.
Still, those are not massive numbers.
Beyond them, it’s worth mentioning Jared Brown. He posted a pair of 700-yard seasons at Coastal Carolina in 2022 and 2023 but finished with 244 yards in his South Carolina debut last year.
Considering how difficult the schedule looks, it’s essential for the Gamecocks to have an improved group of options around Sellers.
