Seen 'em all – 133 FBS teams in action. Three new members to be added the next two years. All divisions: 712 games attended since 1979! Get my new book now available on Amazon.com in Kindle and in Paperback: Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly! Follow our 31-game schedule in 2024.
Lebanon, TN – We attended games played by top wide receivers Matthew Golden of Texas, Luther Burden of Missouri and Emeke Egbuka of Ohio State the past three collegiate seasons, but we did not capture quality photos to share. However, we caught some other top talents you will see on Sunday and present them here. In particular, we did see some of the top Tight Ends entering the 2025 draft and recorded them here. We envision several becoming mainstays for year to come at the next level.
WR Jayden Higgins of Iowa State closed out his junior season with 214 yards against Memphis in the 2022 Liberty Bowl. He concluded his senior season with 87 receptions for, 1,183 yards and nine TDs. Look for him to go no later than Round 2. WR Jaylin Noel also complemented Harris at Iowa State as top receivers for ISU. In 2024, he added 80 catches for 1,194 yards and 8 TDs to help propel the Cyclones to a record of 11-3. Look for him to follow Higgins soon after in the draft.In 2022, PSU WR KeAndre Lambert -Smith (1) blocks against Auburn in the Lions 41-12 victory. A season later, after over 100 catches for PSU, he transferred to play for these same Auburn Tigers. In his final season at AU, he caught 50 passes for 981 yards and 8 scores. Expect him to go in the middle rounds of the 2025 draft.
Top receivers witnessed at TE for the 2025 draft
Penn State First-team All-American TE Tyler Warren tallied 22 scores during his college career. His 67 catches for 808 yards plus six rushing touchdowns his senior season have pro scouts drooling. Look for him to go first among Tight Ends drafted in 2025.Also among top receivers expected to go early, Harold Fannin, Jr. (44) of Bowling Green should be right there. We saw him in 2023 make this one-handed TD catch against archrival Toledo in a 32-31 loss. However, that season, Fannin became the first FBS TE to lead the nation with 117 grabs and 1,555 receiving yards. He will be a great addition to a receiving corps at the next level.Michigan TE Colson Loveland (center) tries to clear way for Michigan at Penn State in 2023. May need improvement in regards to blocking, but he showed continuous improvement in Ann Arbor since Big Ten Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022. First team Big Ten in 2023 before setting all-time receiving records for Michigan TEs with 56 this past season. He’ll go in one of the first two rounds.
More top receivers among TEs of interest
Texas TE Gunnar Helm scores here in OT against Arizona State in the Peach Bowl to put Longhorns in the lead for good in their CFP quarterfinal win. Second team SEC this past season with 58 catches for 744 yards and seven scores. Should go in mid to late rounds for a team looking for an immediate impact.Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson (3) battles to get free from a Wisconsin Badger in this season’s 16-13 Duck win in Madison. For the Ducks, he finished his career with 91 catches and 13 TDS. Some mock drafts project him as a second day selection. Iowa TE Luke Lachey (85) performed in 2022 Music City Bowl in a 21-0 win over Kentucky. Son of former NFL all-pro Jim Lachey showed improvement but fell to injury in 2023. In 2022, his 28 receptions resulted in 398 yards and four TDs. His return in 2024 also resulted with 28 grabs, but only 231 yards. Pros see many other positives in his style of play. We see him as a late round selection.
Edited by Steve Koreivo- member of Football Writers Association of America and Author of Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun and the Ugly. Please buy your copy from Amazon by clicking on the title. Submit a review after reading it and tell your college football friends all about it. We think you’ll enjoy it just like Dick Vitale did!
