In the days following the 2025 NFL Draft, early looks at the 2026 class had many excited about the potential options at quarterback. At this point of the year, though, many of the arms expected to have earned first-round buzz have made teams doubt whether they’re ready to come out of college altogether. According to Nick Baumgardner and Dane Brugler of The Athletic, another position has seen more success in emerging talented depth for next April.
While QBs haven’t fared well as a group thus far in the college football season, pass catchers have impressed. More notably, the position’s underclassmen have elevated what looked to be a lesser senior class of wide receivers. Asked to identify the prototypical X receivers in this year’s class, Baumgardner pointed immediately to the crop’s highest-rated WRs, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate.
At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Tyson has the frame of a pro wideout, and he’s logged monster production for the Sun Devils over the last two years. Last season, he put up an impressive 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. A hamstring injury has slightly reduced Tyson’s output this year, but he has still managed a line of 59-689-8 in eight games. There’s little lacking in his game as he excels in getting open and making tough, contested catches.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Tate is a bit longer and leaner than Tyson, but he doesn’t sacrifice any quickness or control with that length. Tate has established himself as a deep threat this season with crisp route-running and an ability to adjust his pace to find the ball or get open. It’s hard to shine in an offense that features sophomore star Jeremiah Smith (not yet draft-eligible), but Tate has found a way by establishing himself as one of the more sure-handed receivers in the country. He seems set to continue the parade of NFL-ready receivers out of Columbus, following in the footsteps of recent Buckeye success stories like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egbuka, Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, and Marvin Harrison Jr.
Other receivers generating buzz for later on in the first round include USC’s Makai Lemon, Washington’s Denzel Boston, Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, and Louisville’s Chris Bell. At 5-11, 195 pounds, Lemon doesn’t possess great size, but he’s fast and can excel in roles outside of the slot when given the opportunity. Boston is the complete opposite, with a sizeable 6-foot-4 frame and the abilities to play both on the outside or as a big slot. Concepcion is a danger to score any time he gets his hands on the ball, and the Aggies have made sure to feed him as much as NC State did before he transferred.
Bell is the first senior mentioned and the only one sneaking into late-first projections. Fellow senior Germie Bernard, who plays for Alabama, is seemingly on the fringe at this point in the process. Bell shows impressive traits while still needing to polish several aspects of his game, but he possesses some uncoachable strength and explosive speed that should really benefit him at the next level. Bernard doesn’t impress much as an athlete, lacking ideal size/speed/strength attributes, but he does a lot of things right with a good all-around game.
The underclassmen are truly the gems of the group, according to Brugler, who placed Tyson, Tate, and Lemon among his top 20 prospects entering the season. All of those players have matched or exceeded the hype since then, Brugler notes. At this point, there’s little question about if they’ll get drafted high or whether they can play at the next level. The more important question will be whether or not they’re ready to declare this year.
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