The post Top 5 wide receivers in the SEC for 2025 season appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The SEC has some of the best quarterbacks in the country, but those elite signal callers will also have plenty of talented SEC wide receivers to throw the ball to when the season gets going at the end of August.
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There are plenty of great returning players on the outside, headlined by Alabama star Ryan Williams. Williams was a revelation in college football last season as a 17-year-old true freshman, and now he is ready to continue terrorizing defenses in his second season in 2025.
In addition to the young, rising stars in the SEC riding it out with their original squads, there are also a whole handful of elite transfer portal imports that will have a major impact on the conference race this season. Auburn, LSU, Georgia and many others have all added high-profile weapons to inject some explosiveness into their offenses.
However, there are only five spots at the very top of the wide receiver rankings coming into the season, and a surprise team occupies two of the spots. Here are the top weapons on the outside coming into 2025.
5. Ryan Wingo, Texas
There’s some projecting that goes in to this ranking, as Wingo’s relatively disappointing freshman season at Texas doesn’t warrant a spot anywhere close to the No. 5 spot on this list. Players like Nic Anderson of LSU, K.C. Concepcion of Texas A&M, and many more could have taken this spot, but my money is on Wingo to explode as a sophomore.
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First, he gets a significant upgrade at quarterback. Quinn Ewers was mostly a one-read player last season and ran a ton of RPO-based stuff in 2024, which didn’t allow Wingo to use his tools on the outside to be effective. Now, with Arch Manning throwing him the ball, Texas should be able to use much more pure drop back schemes which will open up the field for the former five-star recruit.
Secondly, the rest of the Texas pass catchers that got more looks than Wingo did last season are all gone. Star wideout Matthew Golden is in the NFL and Isaiah Bond has also departed Austin. Tight end Gunnar Helm, who ate up a lot of targets last season, is also off to the pros.
That leaves Wingo and DeAndre Moore Jr. as the top targets for Manning coming into 2025. Wingo should be the No. 1 guy and has a chance to explode onto the scene this fall.
4. Zachariah Branch, Georgia
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The first transfer on this list is one of the most explosive players in college football. Zachariah Branch is down in Georgia with his brother in 2025 after spending a few seasons at USC, and he will be hungry to rebound from a disappointing 2024.
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Georgia desperately needed some more juice on its offense last season, but it shouldn’t have any such problems as long as Branch is on the field. The former 5-star recruit is one of the most dangerous players in college football and gives offensive coordinator Mike Bobo a big-play threat that can put points on the board at any time.
Branch became a household name as a freshman in 2023 as the best return man in the country, taking both a punt and a kickoff back for a touchdown. His role on special teams decreased in 2024, and so did his effectiveness on offense while USC dealt with quarterback problems.
The Georgia native should be used in all kinds of different ways this season with the Bulldogs, and that makes him one of the top wideouts in the conference coming into the campaign.
3. Cam Coleman, Auburn
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Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams got all the hype among freshman wide receivers last season, but don’t sleep on what Cam Coleman did in a putrid situation at Auburn. Despite quarterback turmoil all season long and some injury issues throughout the campaign, Coleman still racked up eight touchdowns for the Tigers.
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Now, Jackson Arnold provides Coleman with an upgrade at quarterback, and he should be ready to explode in year two. Listed at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, Coleman is a prototypical big body wideout that can create big plays down the field and also move the chains underneath.
While Williams and Smith will get the bulk of the attention from the 2024 recruiting class, watch out for Coleman to have a big year.
2. Eric Singleton, Auburn
Auburn also added an explosive weapon next to Coleman in Eric Singleton from Georgia Tech. Singleton was one of the most highly sought-after receivers in the transfer portal, and he surprised some when he chose Auburn over some more well-established programs.
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Singleton is one of the fastest players in the country and should be the go-to man underneath for Arnold and this Auburn offense under Hugh Freeze. Over the last two seasons with Georgia Tech, the Atlanta native has racked up over 1,400 yards receiving and 10 total touchdowns.
Singleton’s explosiveness combined with his polish and ability to separate as a route runner earn him the No. 2 spot on this list. While he may not match that in production due to some quarterback questions at Auburn and the task of sharing targets with Coleman, he is still capable of taking over a game at any time.
1. Ryan Williams, Alabama
In truth, there is a large gap between Williams and the rest of this list and he belongs in his own tier in the SEC coming into 2025. Williams can simply do it all. He has great hands, separates from defenders seamlessly, wins contested catches down the field and makes explosive plays out of nothing after the catch.
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That all showed up in the stats last season, where Williams finished his true freshman campaign with 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns despite dealing with some inconsistent play from Jalen Milroe at quarterback. His game-winning touchdown against Georgia will forever be remembered as one of the best plays in all of the sport last season.
Alabama’s quarterback situation is still unresolved, as Ty Simpson and Keelon Russell will battle it out for the starting job in fall camp. Whoever ends up getting that spot will have one of the best players in the nation at any position to throw to week in and week out.
Related: Texas football QB Arch Manning earns Trevor Lawrence comparison from insider
