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Top Big Ten Receivers Through Week 8: Where Does Illinois' Pat Bryant Stand?

With a big stride forward in 2024, Bryant rates among the conference's top pass catchers – but where, exactly?

Jackson Langendorf

Sep 28, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) lines up during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) lines up during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images
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Before No. 20 Illinois (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) heads off to Eugene to take on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) on Saturday, Illinois coach Bret Bielema addressed the media. One of the subjects: The excellent season being put together by receiver Pat Bryant – and why Bryant’s success hasn’t come by chance.

“[He] gets in the building at 5:15, 5:30 every morning and catches 50 balls before practice," Bielema said of Bryant. "At the end, I said, 'Have you done this your whole career?' He says, 'No. I wish I had.'”

Bryant’s leap is appreciated mightily around Champaign – and his comments may speak to how much more room he has yet to grow. In any case, in the here and now, it's worth taking a look at where Bryant and his top conference counterparts rate among the now-18-team Big Ten, whose talent pool runs deeper than ever. Below, we rank the eight best Big Ten receiver’s through Week 8:

8. Giles Jackson, Washington

Stats: 47 receptions, 542 receiving yards, 2 TD

Jackson, a 5-foot-9, 187-pound speedster, thrives on short routes and squirting into shallow gaps in opponents' coverage. With the third-most catches in the Big Ten, he has served as Huskies quarterback Will Rogers' favorite target.

7. Pat Bryant, Illinois

Stats: 31 receptions , 484 yards, 7 TD

Bryant’s early-morning routine has been paying off, as his connection with quarterback Luke Altmyer has spearheaded the Illini offense. Big (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and physical, Bryant has made the most of his size to find the end zone in almost every game this season – including two game-deciding touchdowns in overtime.

6. Denzel Boston, Washington

Stats: 40 receptions, 540 yards, 9 TD

A perfect complement to the blazing speed of Jackson, Boston has been dominant in the red zone this year. With his immense size (6-foot-4, 209 pounds) and sticky-glue hands, he leads the Big Ten with nine touchdowns through seven games.

5. Elijah Sarratt, Indiana

Stats: 32 receptions, 578 yards, 3 TD

Playing for the – wait for it – undefeated Indiana Hoosiers, Sarratt has been quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s top target. A transfer from James Madison, Sarratt is a regular big-play threat (18.1 receiving yards per catch) despite being the focus of every opponent's secondary.

4. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Stats: 40 receptions, 526 yards, 6 TD

A slot receiver with tremendous speed (4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash), Egbuka is the Big Ten’s top NFL prospect at the receiver position. With Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith in Columbus, the Buckeyes have a compelling argument for the best 1-2 receiver punch in the country.

3. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Stats: 32 receptions, 553 yards, 7 TD

Speaking of ... as an 18-year-old true freshman, Smith has taken the college football world by storm and made a meteoric impact for the Buckeyes. In a passing offense that surprisingly ranks only seventh in the Big Ten, Smith and Egbuka have to make room for one another's highlight-reel catches.

2. Tai Felton, Maryland

Stats: 64 receptions, 803 yards, 6 TD

If this list were strictly based on production, Felton would move a spot higher with zero argument. His stat line – which includes Big Ten bests in receptions and receiving yards, both by pretty wide margins – is jaw-dropping. Unfortunately, Maryland's 1-3 Big Ten record and late-game stat-padding prevent Felton from claiming our No. 1.

1. Tez Johnson, Oregon

Stats: 57 receptions, 536 yards, 7 TD

The No. 1 receiver on the No. 1 team in the country, Johnson belongs at the top of this list. A live wire in the open field, Johnson has the potential to break loose on every reception with his elite run-after-the-catch ability. Oh, and it sure doesn't hurt to have a Heisman candidate on the other end of those throws in quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

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Jackson Langendorf
JACKSON LANGENDORF

Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Kansas basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features and recruiting. Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember. An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024. He can be followed and reached on X @jglangendorf.

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