As the 2025 college football season ramped up in August, draft scouts looked at the wide receiver crop and saw two things: Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson was the leader of the pack, and then there were a lot of receivers to like, but none to love.

But in a stellar weekend of action, several wideouts put games on tape that tickled the heartstrings. On the latest episode of “The Athletic Football Show’s Building The Beast,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler takes a look at a handful of pass catchers who have made the leap, how the wide receiver rankings are shaking out, and how many wideouts could crack the top 50 draft picks in 2026.

Tyson remains WR 1

The junior Sun Devils’ star has already put up 628 yards and eight scores, topping 100 receiving yards in four of his seven games. His best work yet came in ASU’s upset of then-No. 7 Texas Tech, where he put up 105 yards and a score on 10 catches.

“Arizona State knows who the guy is in that offense, and they feed him,” Brugler says. “And you could tell in that Texas Tech game, he was not healthy. He did not look 100 percent. And yet they still peppered the ball to him because he’s getting open and making plays.”

Tyson leads the country in catches that resulted in a first down or touchdown, and Brugler says the talent allows him to impact the game even if a play doesn’t show up in the box score.

“Even on that last drive, the fourth down that he was able to get open, and (Sam) Leavitt hit him for a big gain. And then they had the pass interference because Texas Tech tried to hold him to slow him down because he was going to get open in the corner of the end zone,” he says. “So the way that Jordyn Tyson impacts that game is why Arizona State won and why, or one of the reasons why, he’s wide receiver one in this class.”

Is Ohio State’s Carnell Tate rising past Louisville’s Chris Bell?

While Tyson has been as advertised and remains just outside the top 10 (Brugler has him as the 12th pick off the board), the next two receivers on the list may be trading places from where they were in preseason rankings.

“Chris Bell was wide receiver two for me at 25 overall. Bell has played really well this year, but I baked that into my ranking of having him 25 overall, so I’m still right there with Chris Bell,” Brugler says, reviewing his preseason rankings. “Now Carnell Tate was at 31. He’s played better than I expected. I mean, obviously, he was 31, so I knew he was talented and there’s a lot to like about him, but he’s even more detailed than I think I gave him credit for.”

Last season, as a sophomore, Tate had several drops and was credited with a receiver interception by Pro Football Focus. But he also did not get consistent work, since Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka drew much of the offensive focus. This year, his role has expanded following Egbuka’s departure to the NFL.

“Third year as a junior, becoming a full-time starter, you don’t see those mental mistakes. You don’t see a guy who’s making any type of miscues. He is buttoned up. He’s finishing. And he’s making some highlight plays that are just ridiculous,” Brugler says.

Tate is hauling in 90.9 percent of his contested catches this season (up from 60 percent last year), and has accounted for 23 first downs and six touchdowns on 34 catches.

“He is creating his own separation because of the detailed routes. He is winning down the field because he is better at attacking the football. So he is a guy who is moving up. I mean, he would probably be somewhere in the top 25, ahead of Chris Bell for me,” Brugler says.

Brugler also has Makai Lemon rising past Bell, as the USC Trojan has already matched last season’s yardage (758 so far), and doubled up last season’s TD total (six and counting).

But that doesn’t mean he’s out on the Louisville wideout. There’s just a question that needs answering.

Is Bell more Brown or more Burks?

“This happens every year, where coming into the year, Chris Bell was one of ‘my guys, ’ you know, like I’m betting on this guy. There’s talent here,” Brugler says. “It’s gonna get to the point where people pass me, pass my opinion of him, and that’s fine. If you really are hyped up enough on this guy that you want to take him top 15, top 20, that’s great. But trust what your eyes tell you. The trick with him is: on the spectrum of A.J. Brown to Treylon Burks, Brown obviously being best-case scenario, Burks being worst-case, where do you see Chris Bell?”

The Brown comparison comes from the fact that Bell, at 6-foot-2, 227 pounds, has the same kind of explosive acceleration as the NFL star, with a nearly identical frame. The senior has caught 31 passes over the last three games, scoring five touchdowns and putting up at least 135 yards in each of them. His showcase performance came last week when Louisville upset No. 2 Miami, and Bell erupted for nine catches, 136 yards and two scores.

“The way that he just tore through that defense, I mean, if it was two-hand touch, I’m not sure that they get him. That type of acceleration at that size is crazy,” Brugler says. “I don’t think he’s necessarily A.J. Brown, but he’s on that spectrum. And I think it’s up to evaluators to determine: how close is he to A.J. Brown?”

The episode breaks down the next tier of wideouts heading into the draft, and also some underclassmen who have already made waves among scouts for next year’s rankings. Click here to listen to the full conversation.