{"id":88206,"date":"2026-06-10T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=88206"},"modified":"2026-06-09T12:19:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T16:19:55","slug":"best-receivers-big-ten-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2026\/06\/10\/best-receivers-big-ten-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Receivers Returning to the Big Ten in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Big Ten has been home to some of the best receivers and pass catchers for quite some time. While Ohio State likes to take up the mantle of WRU (which is earned and fair, of course), the rest of the conference has plenty of talented playmakers. Returning this summer is Last Word<\/em>‘s top returning series, and we are leading off with the new Conference of Champions, the Big Ten. The Big Ten is looking to make its threepeat a fourpeat for the first time since its run from 1933 through 1936 (Michigan won in 1933 and Minnesota won the next three).<\/p>\n

Some call receivers the icing on the cake that is the offense, but in the Big Ten, there are some NFL-bound receivers both out wide and in-line. Let’s take a look at some of those talented playmakers.<\/p>\n

The Best Receivers Returning to the Big Ten in 2026<\/h2>\n

Honorable Mentions<\/h3>\n

The point of these articles is to highlight those returning to their schools in 2026. So players transferring into the Big Ten or within the Big Ten are excluded. We can mention them here as a lead-up, but they are not in contention for our esteemed top five.<\/p>\n

Indiana took in Nick Marsh<\/a> as a transfer from Michigan State this offseason. With the Spartans, Marsh put up 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns in his two seasons. He stood out on two bad Michigan State offenses and led the team in receiving both seasons. Speaking of transfers, Terrell Anderson<\/a> is joining USC from NC State. Last year, he amassed 629 yards and five touchdowns. We include tight ends in these rankings, so Penn State transfer Benjamin Brahmer<\/a> could be one to watch.<\/p>\n

In terms of pass catchers returning to their schools from 2025, there are a few more names to watch. Michigan’s Andrew Marsh<\/a> stood out on an anemic run-first offense as a true freshman with 651 yards and four touchdowns. If Michigan has a more modern offense (or semi-decent quarterback play), Marsh could have a monster season.<\/p>\n

In addition, will this be the year Evan Stewart<\/a> takes that step as a true WR1 for Oregon? He was the second-leading receiver in 2024 before missing all of last year with a brutal off-season injury. Another Duck who just missed this list who could make serious noise is Jeremiah McClellan<\/a>. In terms of players from 2025 returning to Oregon, McClellan leads the way. He and his fellow sophomore running mate are going to be fun to watch.<\/p>\n

Finally, let’s mention another tight end. Jamari Johnson<\/a> could have declared for the NFL Draft last year, but he’s returning to fill the void left by first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq. As the second option at tight end, Johnson managed 510 yards and three scores.<\/p>\n

5. Dorian Fleming, Maryland (TE)<\/h3>\n

Let’s kick this off with the top returning tight end, Dorian Fleming<\/a>. Maryland did not have the best offense last year. Only one player managed more than 600 yards receiving and five touchdowns, and he’s a member of the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> now. Last year, Fleming was the leading receiver among the Terp tight ends with 351 yards and three touchdowns. On the surface, those are not terribly exciting numbers.<\/p>\n

He transferred in from Georgia State prior to the 2025 season. With the Panthers, Fleming broke out in 2024 as the second-leading receiver (behind future third-round pick Ted Hurst) with 558 yards and six touchdowns on 49 receptions.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of solid tight ends in the Big Ten in 2026, but if Maryland’s offense can take a step, Fleming could emerge as a legitimate NFL Draft prospect.<\/p>\n

4. Dakorien Moore, Oregon<\/h3>\n

Choosing between either of Oregon’s superb sophomore receivers was a difficult venture. McClellan outperformed Dakorien Moore<\/a> in 2025, but Moore may have a higher ceiling once he gets going. The only drawback of including any single Duck receiver is that there is so much talent on that roster that any player could have a monster game on any given week.<\/p>\n

Moore was the top receiver in the 2025 recruiting class and picked the Ducks over Ohio State and Texas<\/a>. Would he have had the impact he did on either of those two teams? Honestly, it’s likely; he has that kind of talent. In his true freshman season, Moore totaled 497 yards and four touchdowns on just 34 receptions. On paper, those are not inspiring, but it was a taste of what’s to come.<\/p>\n

His 14.6 yards per catch are encouraging. Plus, despite being in a loaded room, he had his moments of being that guy. He did miss some time due to injury last year, so if the Ducks can get a full season from the former top recruit, watch out. Moore is a home run threat from anywhere on the field.<\/p>\n

3. Charlie Becker, Indiana<\/h3>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

It’s hard to stand out in a receiver room that ended up producing a first and fourth-round pick, but Charlie Becker<\/a> did it. The six-foot-four sophomore did all the dirty work as a receiver and stepped up in the biggest moments. It took him a while to get going, but once he did, he was as quality a third receiver as any in the country. Starting with the win over Penn State, Becker stacked up three 100-yard performances over the next four weeks.<\/p>\n

The third of those was in the Big Ten Championship over Ohio State<\/a>, in which he led the way with 126 yards on six receptions. Of those six, four resulted in conversions on third down, including the game-sealing 33-yard reception with two minutes to go.<\/p>\n

Becker had two NFL-bound receivers with him to give him advantageous matchups. This year, defenses know who he is. Will he have the same impact? With Marsh coming to town, Becker will have a harder time, but he has all of the tools to be one of the best receivers in the Big Ten and a potential first-round talent.<\/p>\n

2. KJ Duff, Rutgers<\/h3>\n

As one of two returning Big Ten receivers with a 1,000-yard season under his belt, KJ Duff<\/a> is already a star. Despite playing for Rutgers and being ignored by casual observers of the game, Duff was as good as it got for the Scarlet Knights in 2025.<\/p>\n

In his first season with real playing time, Duff led Rutgers with 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns on 60 receptions. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors for his efforts. As a true freshman in 2024, Duff gave a glimpse of what was to come with 425 yards and one touchdown.<\/p>\n

Duff led the Big Ten with 18.1 yards per catch and led the nation with 22 contested catches, according to Pro Football Focus.<\/p>\n

When Rutgers needed a big play, Duff was there to put the team on his back. In the narrow 27-24 win over Purdue, Duff went nuclear with 241 yards and a touchdown on six catches. The biggest catch of the day was his 72-yard touchdown in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

At six-foot-six, Duff is a matchup nightmare and already has NFL scouts vying for his services. Despite likely receiving tempting offers to enter the transfer portal, the Riverhead, New York native is sticking with the Scarlet Knights.<\/p>\n

1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State<\/h3>\n

Was there any doubt?<\/p>\n

Jeremiah Smith<\/a> has arguably been the top receiver in college football over the last two seasons, and he has one more season in the scarlet and gray ahead of him. In two seasons, he has rewritten Ohio State’s record books and is within striking distance of being the single-greatest receiver in program history. He\u2019s only 43 receptions, 311 yards, and nine touchdowns away from owning the career records for each stat at Ohio State.<\/p>\n

He’s always open, even if he’s not. Smith is a route-running technician and can turn 50\/50 balls into 90\/10 in his favor. The only reason he won’t go first overall in next year’s draft is that that team needs a quarterback.<\/p>\n

There is a lot of greatness fatigue when talking about Smith. Let’s not sugar-coat it: Smith is one of the best receivers we’ve seen in a long, long time.<\/p>\n

Main Image: Samantha Madar\/Columbus Dispatch \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some of the best receivers in all of college football call the Big Ten home. Heading into the 2026 season, Last Word ranks the best returning receivers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4051,"featured_media":88207,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,2,35605,35606,35609,35602,35611],"tags":[34503,36157],"class_list":["post-88206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bigten","category-featured","category-indiana-hoosiers","category-maryland-terrapins","category-ohio-state-buckeyes","category-oregon-ducks","category-rutgers-scarlet-knights","tag-kenyon-sadiq","tag-ted-hurst"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4051"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88208,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88206\/revisions\/88208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}