College football has begun which means it’s time to look at some way too early 2025 rookie rankings. When doing the research for this article, this was the first time I’ve heard of most of these names so you can expect things to switch up a bit going forward. That said, I’ve done the research and dove into these 2025 players so you don’t have too.
Tier 1
1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
The debate between Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden will rage on all summer but at the end of the day they’re both tier one wide receivers. I’m on the more unpopular side of this comparison but I just see McMillan as a player that has been a little better in college and has a little more upside in the NFL based on his 6’5” 210 lb frame. Lastly, according to Pahowdy's College Database, McMillan has had a better fantasy career, 18.1 PPG.
2. Luther Burden, Missouri
While Luther Burden doesn’t quite have the crazy size profile as McMillan, he’s a bit more of a safer projection. Burden played 81.7% of his snaps in the slot last year leading to a 25.2% target share which was above Burden. Among all the top prospects mentioned, Burden was also 2nd in fantasy points per game (15.5). As long as Burden gets top 10 NFL draft capital, I’ll feel comfortable with him as my WR2 and number two overall player in this class even in Superflex.
Tier 2
3. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Emeka Egbuka was a prospect that I was super high on last year, but he ended up coming back to school due to injury concerns. Egbuka was a borderline first round pick but with Marvin Harrison Jr gone, he has the chance to cement himself as a dominant wide receiver. What speaks volumes however is the fact that even when Harrison was there in 2022, Egbuka posted a 74-1,151-10 season. Being able to produce next to elite talent is one of the most impressive things you can do.
Tier 4
4. Evan Stewart, Oregon
I’m going to drop down a tier for Evan Stewart simply because of the risk and uncertainty he has. While Egbuka is almost locked in as at least a late round one pick, there’s a lot up in the air with Stewart. Stewart only played in eight games as a sophomore but looked promising posting a 2.14 YRR mark. We haven’t seen a ton of production yet from Stewart which is scary because he needs to be an outlier at 6’0” 175 lbs.
5. Isaiah Bond, Texas
Isaiah Bond had a promising campaign as a sophomore, posting 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns. Bond didn’t have an amazing YRR mark (1.99) but his ADOT (13.5) shows his ability to make chunk plays. Bond is 5’11” 180 lbs so while he’s a little smaller, you’re hoping he can put on some weight. 2024 is going to be a year where Bond will try and prove himself as a target earner rather than just a field stretcher.
Tier 5
6. Antwane Wells Jr, Ole Miss
The common theme with these later wide receivers is they all have some red flags. Antwane Wells is a little bit older of a prospect but he’s had a promising road. Wells actually broke out at James Maddison posting a 70-1,085-12 stat line before transferring to Ole Miss for his Junior year.
As a junior, Wells had a 68-928-6 season with a 2.76 YRR mark. Sadly Wells want down after three games last year so he’s using his second senior season to prove himself. The age and injury is a little worrisome but he’s a fantastic talent.
7. Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
Elic Ayomanor is one of my favorite prospects, I’ve research so far. Outside of the fact that he plays at Stanford, there’s nothing I don’t like about his profile. Ayomanor is 6’2” 210, broke out as a sophomore with a 62-1,013-6 season and just had a 2.33 YRR mark with a 14.1 ADOT. If I can see a larger sample size of Ayomanor winning against good competition, he’ll fly up my rankings.
8. Tre Harris, Ole Miss
One could argue that Tre Harris is the Ole Miss receiver to draft and I wouldn’t be that upset about it. Harris started at Louisiana Tech and broke out there but his first year in the SEC was last year as a senior. Harris has an unbelievable 3.18 YRR mark but I have some questions about his age and prior level of competition.
9. Tory Horton, Colorado State
Tory Horton is a player I’ve briefly watched tape on and he passes the eye test so far. Playing at Colorado State limits his level of competition, but it’s impressive to have back to back 1,000 yard seasons at any level. Especially last season when Horton had 96 catches for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns. Horton is going to be a case of the eye test but I feel good about him as a prospect overall.
10. Xavier Restrepo, Miami
Xavier Restrepo broke out as a senior posting an 85-1,092-6 season. The problem is that before that, he never went over 40 catches or 400 yards. Now part of that could have to do with the fact that he only played in seven games in 2022 because he had a 24-372-2 season as a freshman. At the same time though the ACC isn’t the best competition so these two red flags are troubling.
Tier 6
11. Tez Johnson, Oregon
Tez Johnson is a player that will end up being much better for the NFL than fantasy football. At 5’10” 165 lbs, Johnson is very explosive but also very tiny. While he’s been very good at the college level, I’m not sure he has the skills to translate to the NFL. That said, posting a 86-1,182-10 season with a 3.29 YPR mark is going to make it hard to keep him this low.
12. Squirrel White, Tennessee
The 12 spot was very tough so I put the discount version of Tez Johnson on this list. Squirrel White is 5’10” 167 lbs but put up a 67-803-2 season as a sophomore. White had a good 2.27 YPR and 9.4 ADOT last season but the same concerns I have with Johnson apply here.
