Breaking down the five best 2024 receiver classes
The 2024 recruiting class is all wrapped up so it’s time to see which teams won each position. Today we continue our position-by-position look at the top classes with the receivers.
NOTE: College transfers are not included in this list but transfers from within the 2024 class – a situation created by the late coaching changes – will be factored into this series.
CONFERENCE REPORT CARDS: SEC | ACC | Pac-12 | Big Ten | Big 12
POSITIONAL WINNERS: Quarterbacks | Running Backs
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MORE NSD: Gorney Awards | Recruiters of the Year | Dominic Raiola interview | Five-star David Sanders updates recruitment | Alabama signee Ryan Williams interview | UCF coach Gus Malzahn interview | Big day for the Huskers | Miami coach Mario Cristobal interview | Oregon coach Dan Lanning interview | USC coach Lincoln Riley interview | UGA wins recruiting title | Big Ten recruiting recap | ACC recruiting recap | Pac-12 recruiting recap | SEC recruiting recap | Big 12 recruiting recap | NSD Live – all the news, analysis and interviews | Bussey sticks with A&M | Complete guide to National Signing Day announcements | What to watch on NSD | Five biggest storylines for this week | Four programs in the spotlight | Rivals Roundtable looks toward NSD
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
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1. AUBURN
Auburn's receiver haul is headlined by five-star Cam Coleman. The 6-foot-3 standout is a phenomenal athlete who has blazing speed to go along with his frame. He can also consistently win 50-50 balls. He’s got a chance to play very early at Auburn and then be a high NFL Draft pick.
Four-star Perry Thompson is a physical wide receiver who uses his size and catch radius to consistently haul in passes. Just because he’s big, don’t mistake him for being slow. He’s got verified track speed that will make him a downfield threat.
Rounding out the class is four-star Bryce Cain who will bring nice versatility to the Tigers' receiver room. Cain is smaller but will be able to work the slot. Auburn is also planning to use four-star athlete Malcolm Simmons at wide receiver.
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2. ALABAMA
Ryan Williams backed off of his Alabama commitment in January following Nick Saban's retirement but ultimately chose to recommit to the Crimson Tide and new coach Kalen DeBoer. The five-star standout impressed with his speed and route-running ability during the Under Armour All-America Game, and keeping him in the fold was a massive win for the first-year Alabama coach.
Four-star Rico Scott committed to the Tide in April following a weekend in Tuscaloosa. His pledge was a viewed as a bit of a surprise at the time as he had just recently announced a top six. The 6-foot standout has a knack for getting open and could be a dangerous option in the slot.
Four-star Amari Jefferson, a converted quarterback and onetime Tennessee baseball commit, pledged to Alabama in August over Georgia and Tennessee.
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3. OHIO STATE
What the Buckeyes may lack in quantity at receiver, they more than made up for it with quality. Five-star Jeremiah Smith is the first receiver to be No. 1 in the Rivals250 since Dorial Green-Beckham in the 2012 class. Whether it was a Friday night football game, a 7-on-7 tournament or a camp, Smith dominated at every turn over the last year. He should quickly establish himself in Chip Kelly's offense at Ohio State.
Four-star Mylan Graham is a blue-chip talent in his own right and is the third-highest ranked receiver heading to the Big Ten this season. The 6-foot-2 standout is silky smooth and was under five-star consideration going into the Under Armour week but didn't really get the ball thrown his way much.
The Buckeyes could have finished even higher on this list had four-star Jeremiah McClellan not flipped to Oregon in December.
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4. OREGON
No receiver class changed more over the last six weeks of the 2024 recruiting cycle than Oregon's, as the Ducks flipped four-star Jeremiah McClellan from Ohio State, flipped four-star Ryan Pellum from USC and beat out Michigan for coveted speedster Gatlin Bair.
McClellan boasts some of the most impressive pound-for-pound power in the class while Pellum is one of the best finishers in high school football. Bair, meanwhile, has a legitimate claim as the fastest prospect in the country regardless of position.
Four-star Dillon Gresham, ranked No. 171 in the Rivals250, committed to Oregon in May and signed with the Ducks despite heavy late pressure from USC and Arizona.
Jack Ressler may be the lowest-ranked prospect in Oregon's entire 2024 class, but he should not be underestimated. The three-star receiver is a pure route-runner who gets in and out of his breaks with ease.
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5. TEXAS
Compared to the four other programs on this list, the Longhorns' receiver haul was relatively drama-free. The program didn't undergo a coaching transition, flip a high-profile receiver target or suffer any late defections. The closest Texas got to drama was winning out for four-star Aaron Butler in the Early Signing Period but, even then, he was two weeks removed from his Colorado decommitment when he chose the Longhorns.
Four-star Ryan Wingo, ranked No. 48 in the Rivals250, headlines the group heading to Austin. The St. Louis standout chose the Longhorns over home-state Missouri and never seemed to waver in his pledge despite the Tigers' continued flip efforts.
Parker Livingston gives Steve Sarkisian a long, big-play receiver that should be a threat all over the field for the Longhorns. The four-star receiver committed to Texas in July over a group of finalists that included Arkansas, LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
Four-star Freddie Debose Jr. was targeted and prioritized very early in the 2024 cycle by the Longhorns, and that attention paid off as the four-star was one of the first commitments in Texas' class.