Summary
College Football 25is a return to form for college football video games, and there’s a lot of new stuff going on in this iteration of the franchise. One thing that’s remained the same? Speed kills. That’s particularly true on offense, where being faster than the other team means putting easy points on the board.
One of thosekey positions for speedis wide receiver. A fast WR means the other team needs at least one cornerback that can keep up with them, or scheme a brilliant zone strategy. This position gets the ball in open space with regularity, and great speed and a lot of room means bad things for a defense.
AWR: 71
OVR: 71 5'10" 180lbs (Pittsburgh)
A sophomore, Che Nwabuko hasincredible physical attributes, with his speed, acceleration, agility, and change of direction all off the charts. He’s got good moves once he’s got the ball in his hands, making for a dangerous receiver, even on short routes like drags and slants.
Where he’s lacking a bit is in the catching department. He’s got the second-worst hands on the team at 73 catching, and his route running is not particularly crisp either. If you have time in the pocket to let him outrun a corner as opposed to losing the corner on a cut, Che could be a consistent weapon.
AWR: 65
OVR: 72 5'10" 160lbs (LSU)
One of a few freshman in the WR room at LSU, Watkins has some things going for him. Namely, speed and quickness that puts him in a class of his own on the roster. He’s lacking in strength, meaning he might struggle against press coverage, but he’s a freshman, with time to get some work in on it.
Something else you might want to focus on if you’re developing Watkins is his awareness and catching. He’s a freshman, so his awareness is bound to go up, but you’ll need to get his catch rating up a bit before he can be a receiver that you can rely on.
AWR: 67
OVR: 73 5'11" 165lbs (Georgia)
One of the younger members of the Georgia WR room, Anthony Evans III is very quick, and has some weapons at his disposal when it comes to moves after he has the ball in his hands, too. His catching and route running are all around average, and he has time to grow in that area, as a sophomore.
His awareness is where Evans might hurt you the most at first. Once that rating goes up, those mistakes on the field might start to disappear. With his speed, age, and potential for growth, Evans could make a good slot receiver and develop into a valuable starter over the next couple of years.
AWR: 74
OVR: 75 5'10" 162 lbs (Arkansas)
The fastest in an Arkansas WR room that has an incredible amount of speed all around, Jordan Anthony is a sophomore that has some probably slightly-above-average ratings for this point in his career. Besides his speed, he’s got solid awareness for a sophomore and fairly consistent hands.
Keep him developing with consistency, and you might have a very special WR by the time he reaches his senior year. He’s already tied for the third-highest overall rating in the WR room, making him primed to take that number-one spot in a short time.
AWR: 75
OVR: 76 6'3" 190lbs (Purdue)
Another sophomore that’s already grown into a valuable member of the team, CJ Smith has remarkable speed and acceleration, especially for a receiver that stands 6'3", taller than most other receiver around with that kind of speed.
He’s also already one of the best receivers on the roster, making it easy to ensure he gets consistent playing time and development. Keep his catching and route running going up, and he could become a very lethal threat on every down.
AWR: 78
OVR: 77 6'0" 185 lbs (Georgia)
The second WR from Georgia on this list, Arian Smith, is a senior, meaning he’s probably close to his peak in terms of collegiate development. That said, he’s developed into a receiver who can turn any play where he gets the ball into a score, with his speed and finesse moves being what they are.
While there are quite a few other WR that outrank him overall on the depth chart, Arian Smith provides very solid depth. He could also be a weapon as a return man, with his speed and ability to stay on his feet making for some scores that don’t require the offense to hit the field at all.
AWR: 82
OVR: 83 5'9" 170lbs (Baylor)
Monaray Baldwin is the highest-rated overall WR on the Baylor roster and is a senior. He’s got that lethal speed every receiver on this list has, but he’s also got fairly great stats all around, with good catching, route running, and the ability to evade defenders after the catch.
Baldwin probably isn’t going to be competing for a Heisman in your league, but he’s one of those all around consistent players that your team hinges around. You’ll have a regular force to rely on with him, and over the course of a season, his statline is going to reflect that.
AWR: 85
OVR: 85 6'1" 174lbs (Kentucky)
A little bit bigger than many other receivers with this kind of speed, Barion Brown is a standout junior at Kentucky. Aside from his speed, he has very good awareness, finesse moves, catching, and route running, making him one of the more lethal threats in the entire league.
As a junior, Brown might also have one more year to grow, too. Plan some of your plays around involving him, and he could end up with a couple of truly impressive seasons, making for not only one of the more valuable players on your roster, but one of the more valuable players in the league.
AWR: 86
OVR: 88 5'11" 180lbs (Texas)
Isaiah Bond is the best receiver in a stacked Texas WR room, with the best speed, tied-best catching, and route running. He’s really got it all, and as a junior, could turn into a senior competing for best WRin the entire league.
Considering how skilled the Texas WR room is overall, defenses can’t necessarily afford to put a heavy emphasis on Bond either, meaning he could be in single coverage much of the game. If the defense doesn’t have a generational talent at CB, Bond is going to have consistent success.
OVR: 82 6'5" 242lbs (South Carolina)
Nyck Harbor’s stats and size almost look like they have to be a mistake. Not only the fastest WR on this list, Harbor is tied for the fastest player in the entire league with Roderick Pleasant, a CB for Oregon. But what’s especially jaw-dropping about Nyck Harbor is the fact that someone can be this fast, with maxed-out acceleration to boot, and be 6'5", 242lbs.
Nyck is the second-rated WR on South Carolina’s roster, and he’s only a sophomore. His awareness is on pace for his age, he has great finesse moves, acceptable hands, and average route running. With his size and speed, Nyck Harbor is a one-of-a-kind receiver, and worth building South Carolina into a powerhouse to see how he develops.
