B/R Recruiting: Ranking the Top 10 WR Prospects in the 2023 Class

If you're sick of seeing Ohio State running an assembly line of elite pass-catchers, you may want to skip this one.

During a recruiting cycle that is rich with star wide receiver talent, head coach Ryan Day's program has a trio on this list. They are among the highlights of the nation's best at their position, and there's essentially nobody tops the Buckeyes for the top class at the position.

That doesn't mean other rich programs aren't getting richer.

Two pass-catchers stand out above all the rest, but, even so, there are dozens of guys capable of being 5-star-type talent throughout the cycle. A bunch of them are college-ready and could make immediate impacts, too.

This list doesn't even include star tight ends like Duce Robinson and Ethan Davis, who easily could have made the list if that position was included.

While Ohio State has pledges from three wideouts, other programs are trying to flip them. Several guys are heading to the SEC, but the Pac-12 is getting its share of star power, too.

Let's take a look at the receivers who are going to be top-tier talents on the college level next year.

Alabama may have refound a little bit of its mojo in the passing game with star quarterback Bryce Young leading the way, but the Crimson Tide haven't been anywhere near as dynamic as they've been in the recent past at wide receiver.

A restocking of the pantry is in store for Nick Saban.

There already is a wealth of talent already on campus at the Capstone, but one great-looking receiver prospect committed to play for UA is 6'1", 185-pound Jalen Hale.

The Longview, Texas, resident is a bouncy, long-armed athlete who possesses top-end speed and is the complete package at the position. It's hard to believe he got out of the Lone Star State with Texas and Texas A&M in hot pursuit, but Hale could have gone anywhere in the nation and chose 'Bama.

The way the program has churned out receivers (and players in general) to the NFL has to be appealing to Hale, a three-sport star with a high ceiling who can develop into a smooth option who can play either inside or in the slot.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Hale rise in the rankings before this cycle is over.

Two players, two Jalens.

This one isn't heading to Tuscaloosa, though. Instead, if he stays true to his commitment, Jalen Brown will wind up at one of Alabama's biggest SEC West rivals, the LSU Tigers.

As the Bayou Bengals try to rebuild after a couple of down years, getting recruits like Brown is huge. He is a dynamic athlete who is 6'1", 170 pounds and can stretch the field with the best of them.

For Brian Kelly to go into Miami at a school like Gulliver Prep and win a national recruiting battle for a playmaker like Brown is a big deal. It not only shows the recruiting brand of LSU, but also this isn't Kelly's first recruiting rodeo.

Brown probably needs to develop in a college weight program because he is too thin and doesn't really have a lot of defined muscle. He could get pushed around early by defensive backs, but there's nothing wrong with him slotting in as a niche player right away.

If you send Brown deep, it's going to be tough for DBs to beat him in one-on-one coverage. The Tigers may not be getting a complete weapon in Brown like Ja'Marr Chase, but he is more than just a one-trick pony.

Once he develops, he's going to be a star.

Each year, the state of Texas produces enough terrific talent to outfit a bunch of top teams around the country. If the home-state Longhorns can keep their share of those prospects within state borders, they'll sign a highly ranked class.

Johntay Cook II certainly qualifies.

The 6'0", 175-pound DeSoto resident is a big-play machine in high school, and he can do it all. His 247Sports profile notes how terrific he is in short-area quickness, and those fluid hips and quick twitch are what sets him apart.

While he isn't overly big, he is a fierce competitor who attacks the ball while it's in the air and has a great catch radius. There is a lot to like about his game, and he looks like one of the most polished players at his position in the class.

With Quinn Ewers already in Austin and Arch Manning on his way in Cook's class, the pass-catcher has to be salivating about the future of the offense, especially under coach Steve Sarkisian.

It hasn't been a great couple of years for the Longhorns, but they aren't slowing down on the recruiting trail. Getting star talent on both sides of the ball will help rebuild a program that has been overrated for the past few years.

Cook is a guy who can get on the field early.

One of the best (but maybe a bit under-the-radar) commitments in the entire 2023 recruiting cycle is Oklahoma 5-star quarterback Jackson Arnold. Yes, he has a high ranking, but he doesn't get the hype of some of the other signal-callers in the class.

He's going to have a huge career in Norman, and the Sooners would do very well to surround the centerpiece of their class with talent.

It's certainly going to help him to have playmakers around him like ice cream-smooth receiver Jaquaize Pettaway.

Like Arnold, Pettaway is a Lone Star State native, continuing the Sooners' success going into their neighboring state and plucking some big-time talent each year.

What the 5'11", 170-pound speed-burner lacks in size, he makes up for with big-play ability. Pettaway is one of the biggest difference-making recruits in the passing game nationally, and he was a major coup for offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

While there are no guarantees junior Dillon Gabriel will be back next year, the future of the quarterback position is in good hands. With Lebby running an uptempo Art Briles style of offense, it could lead to big offensive numbers.

Pettaway looks like he could be a poster child for the OU offensive future. He can get separation from defensive backs, stretch the field and make plays in space.

The Houston native is the type of offensive talent the Sooners are going to have a hard time keeping off the field.

The first of three Ohio State commitments on this list give passing-game coordinator Brian Hartline yet another outstanding weapon to play with following the expected departure of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

While guys like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka should still be on campus, there will be reps available to help out whoever quarterback replaces C.J. Stroud. Getting an unbelievable trio of recruits (if OSU signs them all) would be huge.

Noah Rogers has to see what the Buckeyes have been doing through the air and wants to be a part of it. That's what probably put the Rolesville, North Carolina, resident ahead of UNC, North Carolina State, Clemson and others.

At 6'2", 195 pounds, Rogers is long and nimble. He also is blazing fast, runs terrific routes and catches the ball extremely well. Not only is he big enough to go up into space, catch passes and take hits, but he can stretch the field, too.

Rogers is a big-play weapon waiting to happen, and he has the ability to play anywhere in the receiving corps.

This is the kind of quiet-but-confident receiver who thrives in competition, and he will have plenty of it in Columbus. Look for him to rise to the top and become a star relatively quickly, despite all the talent around him.

Throughout his recruiting process, IMG Academy star Carnell Tate seemed to have Notre Dame, Tennessee and Ohio State out front at various points.

Once he ultimately made his decision, he decided he would return to the Midwest for his college days to play closer to his Chicago-area home. The relationship he developed with Ohio State coach Ryan Day and passing-game coordinator Brian Hartline paid huge dividends.

Now, he's ready to light things up at the Shoe.

Tate is a pristine route-runner who has good size at 6'2", 185 pounds. Even though he plays for a powerhouse program at IMG, he isn't putting up great senior-year numbers because of the team's quarterback woes. Still, his resume is on tape, and his measurables are incredible.

That's huge news for the Big Ten powerhouse. Tate isn't the fastest receiver, but he is probably the most polished overall receiver in the class because of his route-running, catch radius and hands. He's going to be a terrific college player, and he's ready to step onto the field and produce.

He's going to be the next in line on a long list of great Ohio State receivers.

The first of consecutive Fort Lauderdale, Florida, residents on this list is rated by many services as being one of the three best receivers in the country. While he's a bit lower here, there's no doubt Brandon Inniss could be an instant-impact playmaker on the level.

The 6'0", 190-pound prospect from American Heritage High School in Plantation is more polished than the guy above him from the same city, and he plays for a better program. But he isn't quite as athletic.

That's not taking anything away from Inniss. He's the final Ohio State player in our reveal, and he may be the best of the bunch.

According to 247Sports' Andrew Ivins, the prospect has been on the national radar since he was in the eighth grade. He's continued to build upon that breakout and turned into one of the nation's elite players.

Inniss isn't the fastest, and his measurables don't pop, either. But the 5-star prospect just finds a way to make big things happen. He's a leader and a warrior. There's a reason why essentially everybody in the nation wanted him.

Ivins noted Inniss is "labeled as just a straight-up alpha as he’s someone that absolutely hates to lose and will do whatever it takes to win," and his big-time performances against teams like IMG Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas only further cemented his star status.

Being that kind of gamer may wind up rendering this ranking silly, but there are other players with higher ceilings.

Just two weeks ago, one of the biggest playmakers remaining in the 2023 recruiting class came off the board when Hykeem Williams decided he was going to stay in the Sunshine State.

The 6'3", 200-pound receiver chose Mike Norvell's Florida State Seminoles over his other finalists (Texas A&M, Miami, Alabama, Pitt and Georgia), and he gives the 'Noles someone who is college-ready.

In the end, relationships mattered for Williams and factored into his decision to chose FSU.

"The relationship I've built with them is crazy," Williams told Warchant's Charles Fishbein. "Coach (Ron) Dugans, I've built a great relationship with; he's like a big brother or uncle, a best friend during the recruiting process. He's from down here, he's been to the (NFL), he broke records, he played at Florida State. I don't think there's any other coach who could develop me like he could."

Williams gets the nod over seven others on this list because he looks like a junior in college with a chiseled frame and bouncy athleticism. He can go up and get passes other receivers can't, and there isn't anybody else in the class as physically ready as him right now.

The receiver almost looks like a tight end or linebacker, then when you see him run, all those thoughts go out the window.

It's a shame he hasn't had elite quarterbacks to get him the ball in high school because he's an explosive playmaker, but the nation's top programs noticed him. You don't see a lot of guys like him in high school.

There's no question that Dan Lanning is proving he can recruit at a high level as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. They haven't missed a beat with Mario Cristobal off to the Miami Hurricanes.

One of the biggest wins on the recruiting trail has been elite pass-catcher Jurrion Dickey, who may wind up being the top playmaker in the class. He's already one of them.

At 6'3", 210 pounds, the East Palo Alto, California, resident is a chiseled, complete prospect who already has a college-ready frame and is the type of player defensive backs are going to have a hard time bullying no matter where he lines up.

Not only does he have the size to go over the middle, but he also shows a good burst and can take defenders deep and take the lid off defenses. There's a reason he's one of the nation's top 15 prospects overall and a 5-star prospect.

There are no other pass-catchers with the combination of size, speed, agility and hands that Dickey possesses. He is a guy who should step right into any college offense and be a threat. With some playmakers already in Eugene, he'll fit right in.

Dickey will leave California without succumbing to the lure of Lincoln Riley at USC. Programs around the nation aren't going to stop their pursuit of Dickey, so if Lanning can secure his signature, it will be a big deal. Because Dickey has "instant impact" written all over him.

There aren't many developers of offensive talent in the nation better than first-year USC coach Lincoln Riley, who was responsible for some of the nation's most explosive offenses at Oklahoma.

Players everywhere take notice of his resume, which is why him heading to the talent-rich state of California was such a big deal. Riley has the reach to convince kids to play for the Trojans.

One of his biggest pulls so far is 5-star Las Vegas receiver Zachariah Branch, who has earned the nation's top receiver honors by most recruiting services for a reason. He can flat-out play and is a guy who can become a star right away.

At 5'10", 172 pounds, Branch isn't overly big, but he is big enough to make a major difference. He's done that at powerhouse program Bishop Gorman, which produces terrific talent each year.

Branch is a strong, compact guy who holds his weight well and is an explosive straight-line runner as well as boasts the fluid hips and the quick-in-space ability every team is looking for.

He is also a dynamic pass-catcher, displaying elite skills in the ability to pull in passes. His speed sets him apart, but the rest of the tools in his skill set make him the best player at his position in the country.

All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference. Player rankings courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.