• Luther Burden III is the highest-graded receiver: There is a case to be made that Burden has been the best receiver in college football this season. He knows how to get open and escape defenders as well as anybody, with his 16 forced missed tackles ranking second in the FBS through six weeks.
• Malik Nabers is a weapon in the passing game: Through six weeks, Nabers has 38 combined first downs and touchdowns, eight more than the next closest receiver.
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
1. Luther Burden III, Missouri Tigers
PFF receiving grade: 93.1
Targets: 69
There is a case to be made that Burden has been the best receiver in college football this season. He knows how to get open and escape defenders as well as anybody, with his 16 forced missed tackles ranking second in the FBS through six weeks. He’s leading the nation in yards (790) and sits second in yards per route run (4.36).
2. Malik Nabers, LSU Tigers
PFF receiving grade: 91.2
Targets: 63
The LSU receiver room is again stacked with NFL talent, and Nabers is right at the top. His 771 receiving yards ranks second to only Burden, and he offers positional versatility, as he has split time between the slot (48.9% of snaps) and out wide (51.1%). He has 38 combined first downs and touchdowns through six weeks, eight more than the next closest receiver.
Malik Nabers is a special talent folks
pic.twitter.com/rqNGktuVAN— Joe O’Leary (@TheHQNerd) October 7, 2023
3. Xavier Restrepo, Miami Hurricanes
PFF receiving grade: 91.1
Targets: 43
Restrepo is one of the most reliable slot receivers in the country. His connection with QB Tyler Van Dyke has been excellent all season, having dropped just one of his 38 catchable targets. He has already recorded three 120-plus-yard games, and his 4.26 yards per route run from the slot ranks first in the nation.
Xavier Restrepo stats through 4 games ????????
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???? 14.8 yards per catch #GoCanes #TheU ???????????? pic.twitter.com/UUeRiVNxhQ— Chalupa Batman (@CoreyCarmona) October 2, 2023
4. Chrishon McCray, Kent State Golden Flashes
PFF receiving grade: 89.9
Targets: 43
McCray has not dropped a single pass all season and has come down with four of his five contested targets. He spends most of his time out wide (60.5% of snaps) but can also play in the slot (39.5%). He has forced five missed tackles and produced 17 combined first downs and touchdowns.
College Football’s Fastest 5 of the Week:
3️⃣ Kent St. WR Chrishon McCray (@chrishon2022)
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— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) September 5, 2023
5. Roman Wilson, Michigan Wolverines
PFF receiving grade: 88.5
Targets: 29
Wilson has been a touchdown machine for the Wolverines, as eight of his 22 receptions have resulted in a score. He's hauled in three of his four contested targets on the year and produced a 142.6 passer rating when targeted. On top of that, he is also the highest-graded receiver (95.7) against single coverage.
ROMAN WILSON, HOW?!
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 30, 2023
6. Tre Harris, Ole Miss Rebels
PFF receiving grade: 88.2
Targets: 30
Harris is elite after the catch. His 10.6 yards after the catch per reception ranks eighth among qualifying FBS receivers, and he's forced seven missed tackles with the ball in his hands. The Rebels receiver has averaged 4.08 yards per route run this season, fifth at the position, with 14 of his 17 receptions resulting in either a first down or touchdown.
7. Tory Horton, Colorado State Rams
PFF receiving grade: 87.0
Targets: 57
Back in Week 5, Horton put on arguably the best game by a wide receiver all season when he exploded for 227 receiving yards and three touchdowns, good for a 91.2 PFF grade. He hasn’t been too bad in his other four games, either, as he's not dropped a single one of his 48 catchable targets, and 30 of his catches have gone for either a first down or touchdown.
8. Malik Washington, Virginia Cavaliers
PFF receiving grade: 86.2
Targets: 61
Washington has hauled in 44 of his 61 targets for 668 yards, five touchdowns and 21 first downs. He's one of the shiftiest receivers in the country, having already forced 15 missed tackles with the ball in his hands.
9. Troy Franklin, Oregon Ducks
PFF receiving grade: 85.6
Targets: 42
Franklin has been QB Bo Nix’s favorite target this season, with Nix producing a 147.3 passer rating when targeting Franklin this season. The Oregon receiver has gone over 100 yards in all but one game and has three multi-touchdown games on the year.
Another week of Troy Franklin dominating
6 catches for 112 yards and a touchdown so far against Stanford
pic.twitter.com/qOktQcoi6H— Matt Hicks (@TheFF_Educator) October 1, 2023
10. Ja'Lynn Polk, Washington Huskies
PFF receiving grade: 84.0
Targets: 32
Polk has been a hugely effective weapon between 10 and 19 yards downfield, hauling in 16 of his 21 intermediate targets for 401 yards and four scores. He has generated a 145.3 passer rating when targeted and has either scored or moved the chains on 19 of his 26 catches.
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