Troy Franklin one of 7 returning Pac-12 WRs ranked among top 25

As a freshman last fall, McMillan managed 702 yards receiving and eight touchdowns as a second-level option for the Wildcats. He averaged 18 yards per reception, too.

Franklin scored nine touchdowns as a sophomore last season with the Ducks and looks to receive more target sin 2023 after wideout teammate Dont’e Thornton bolted for Tennessee.

As USC’s No. 2 last season behind Jordan Addison, Williams averaged 15.8 yards per catch and scored five touchdowns on 40 catches. With Williams paired alongside Arizona transfer Dorian Singer, USC’s passing game with reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams will be electric.

With Dorian Singer off to USC, this talented wide receiver room out West belongs to Cowing after a marvelous season at Arizona. After three seasons at UTEP, Cowing broke out in 2022 with a team-leading 85 receptions for the Wildcats. That should continue as a senior. Most NFL types assumed he’d leave for the draft as a probable Day 2 pick later this year, but Cowing decided to return. That’s great news for a program in transition, trying to fight and claw its way up the Pac-12 standings.

Washington and Ohio State hold four of the nation’s top 5 receivers ahead of the 2023 season, part of the reason we’re expecting the Huskies and Buckeyes to both be among the contenders to reach the College Football Playoff next fall. McMillan does the dirty work for the Huskies, no matter if you need him to go across the middle on a pivotal third down or stretch the field for a chunk play down the sideline. No team in the country last season threw it beyond the second level more often than Washington. That is Kalen DeBoer’s specialty thanks to targets like McMillan.

Arizona had several 1,000-yard wideouts last season and Pac-12 defenses essentially had to pick their poison each and every weekend against the pass-happy Wildcats. Now, Singer transitions to WR1 for USC and coach Lincoln Riley. This marks the second consecutive years the Trojans have tapped the transfer portal for one of the nation’s best wide receivers. Singer averaged 16.7 yards per season last fall and gets an opportunity in the SoCal spotlight to make a name for himself nationally as a junior for a playoff contender.

No wonder Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is one of 2023’s Heisman frontrunners in the preseason. He’s got two wide receivers ranked inside our top 5 ready to desecrate opposing defenses. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Odunze never wastes a stride and once he breaks a tackle, Washington’s top playmaker is off to the races. He’s not as thick as some of the higher-rated wideouts, but he’s equally potent when the ball’s in the air and there’s a fight for the football. Few players nationally can track them down as well as Odunze.