All-American WR named No. 1 wide receiver in 2026 NFL draft

Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ohio State completed a 12–2 campaign in 2025, went unbeaten in Big Ten regular-season play, and reached the College Football Playoff before being eliminated in the quarterfinals, falling 24–14 to Miami.

While the Buckeyes fell short of repeating as national champions, they once again produced multiple high-end NFL Draft prospects and finished the year among the nation’s elite programs.

One of the most notable Ohio State players set to enter the 2026 NFL Draft is wide receiver Carnell Tate, who closed the 2025 season with 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 17.2 yards per catch, one of the highest marks in the country.

Over the course of his three-year Buckeyes career, Tate has totaled 121 catches for 1,872 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, all while competing for targets alongside elite talents such as Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith.

As a result, Tate is widely viewed as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 draft class.

However, ESPN draft analyst Field Yates recently stirred debate by ranking another college wideout, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, ahead of Tate on his early 2026 NFL Draft board.

"A healthy debate will take place about who the best wide receiver is in this class, largely focusing on Tyson and Ohio State's Carnell Tate. Right now, I'm giving Tyson the edge despite his tape being better in 2024 than 2025," Yates wrote.

"Tyson is a natural separator who is very comfortable picking up extra yards after the catch. He has handled punt return duties in the past, has excellent ball skills, and has the speed to rattle off big plays."

"A hamstring injury limited his play this past season, but his full college body of work is terrific. He had just one drop on 100 targets in 2025, racking up 711 yards and eight TDs."

Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Tyson posted 61 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in just nine appearances during the 2025 season after missing three games due to a hamstring injury.

Over his four-year college career, one season at Colorado followed by three at Arizona State, he has totaled 158 catches for 2,282 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024.

In 2025, he secured another first-team All-Big 12 selection and was named to the Associated Press All-America team.

Beyond the box score, Tyson has played a central role in Arizona State’s evolution under head coach Kenny Dillingham, emerging as the Sun Devils’ leading receiver (75 catches, 1,101 yards, 10 touchdowns) during the program’s 2024 breakout season, when ASU went 11–3 and earned a CFP berth.

Whether Tyson has done enough to position himself as the first wide receiver selected in the 2026 NFL Draft remains to be seen, but early evaluations suggest the race at the top of the class is shaping up as a two-man battle between Tyson and Tate.

The NFL Scouting Combine is scheduled for Feb. 23–March 2, where teams will conduct player interviews, medical evaluations, and on-field testing, with the 2026 NFL Draft set for April 23–25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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