Has a college football program ever produced the top two wide receivers selected in back-to-back drafts? Alabama's Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy fit that description this past April, and the Crimson Tide's DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are easily two of the best wide receivers in the 2021 draft class.

It might just be a question of whether they can edge out LSU's Ja'Marr Chase atop the draft boards. But since Chase has opted out of the 2020 season, Nick Saban's dynamic duo is well-positioned at the top of the list of wide receivers actually playing this fall. (Although the order is open to debate.)

Because some guys have played multiple games and others won't even take the field for another month, rankings are based more on preseason projections than on stats that have been accumulated in 2020.

That said, for those who did play in September, we're not just going to ignore those early performances. In fact, the SEC's debut weekend had an impact on the No. 1 slot and also produced several rock-solid candidates who likely wouldn't have even been considered before their first game.

Honorable Mentions

George Pickens, Georgia

Georgia's quarterback situation is a bit of an unknown, but Pickens is going to be the main guy once that gets sorted out. If and when JT Daniels is healthy enough to take over, it'll be fun to watch him throwing deep balls to Pickens.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC

Speaking of Daniels, his former favorite target will be back at USC after a 1,042-yard sophomore season. The switch to Kedon Slovis at quarterback certainly didn't hamper St. Brown's production, and he looks like the best wide receiver in the Pac-12, which is set to get going in November. As the Trojans figure out how to replace Michael Pittman Jr.'s production (101 receptions, 1,275 yards last season), St. Brown's per-game numbers should climb even higher.

Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU

Marshall was "that other receiver" for LSU last season, getting basically no attention behind Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. But 671 yards and 13 touchdowns is no joke, and he is already thriving as the Tigers' main receiving threat. Marshall made eight catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Mississippi State.

Osirus Mitchell, Mississippi State

Mitchell was Mississippi State's top wide receiver in 2019 when its quarterback situation was a hot mess. He led the Bulldogs in both yards (430) and touchdowns (six). But as K.J. Costello's favorite target in the Air Raid offense, he might triple both of those numbers. He had 183 yards and two touchdowns in the opening win over LSU.

Elijah Moore, Ole Miss

Like Mitchell, Moore was the best target for a bad passing game last year. He was the only Rebel to reach 200 receiving yards or multiple receiving touchdowns. But he was a great go-to guy with 850 and six, respectively. And he is already benefiting greatly from Lane Kiffin's innovation, racking up 227 yards in last Saturday's loss to Florida. 

Damonte Coxie, Memphis

Coxie had 859 receiving yards and six touchdowns just in the final seven games of last season. His decision to return for one more year was a huge win for Memphis, which also got veteran quarterback Brady White back. Coxie had eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown in the opening win over Arkansas State, which is about what you should expect from him every weekend.

Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama

In the final two games of last season, Tolbert made seven catches for 218 yards and five touchdowns. Three games into this year, he's at 15 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns. Hard to get much attention on a team that hasn't even posted a .500 record since 2013, but Tolbert should have a future in the NFL.

Dyami Brown, Beau Corrales and Dazz Newsome, North Carolina

Tre Nixon, Jaylon Robinson and Marlon Williams, UCF

Brown and Newsome both had 1,000 yards for the Tar Heels last year, and Corrales was a strong third fiddle with 575 yards and six touchdowns. And for the Knights, both Robinson and Williams have eclipsed 100 yards in both games this season, while a healthy Nixon could give Coxie a run for his money as the AAC's best wideout.

For both of these AP Top 15 teams, any member of that trio could be the star on any given night. Hard to pinpoint any of them as one of the best receivers in the nation, but they all play for one of the best passing attacks.

The Most Honorable Mention: Kyle Pitts, Florida

Call me an idiot for including a tight end on a list of the top wide receivers if it helps you sleep at night, but it doesn't change the fact that Kyle Pitts is one of the most lethal pass-catching threats in the country.

In Florida's season opener against Ole Miss, Pitts made eight receptions for 170 yards and four touchdowns. Here's the full list of Power Five players who have put up at least 170 yards and four scores in a single game since the beginning of 2017: Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, DeVonta Smith and Pitts.

Regardless of where he lines up or how often he's tasked with blocking edge-rushers, this 6'6" receiver is special.

The numbers are eye-popping, but the tape was even more so.

Tight ends aren't supposed to be able to adjust on the fly to passes thrown low and to the shoulder they weren't expecting by spinning and grabbing the ball right before it hits the turf. And then leave a defender in the dust with a subtle stutter step before a go route for 71 yards. And then make a leaping grab in the back of the end zone between two defenders.

Expectations for Pitts were already through the roof. After he had a true sophomore season with 649 yards and five touchdowns, Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner graded Pitts as the top tight end in the 2021 NFL draft class, saying he could be a top-10 pick.

Another game or two like that first one and, who knows, Pitts might be the first tight end taken in the first five picks of an NFL draft since Riley Odoms in 1972.

7. Chris Olave, Ohio State

Chris Olave was a last-minute breakout star in 2018. After making just five catches in the first 11 games of the season, he scored two touchdowns and blocked a punt in Ohio State's regular-season finale against Michigan. Olave then made five receptions for 79 yards and a score in the Big Ten championship against Northwestern.

Then, after Parris Campbell, Johnnie Dixon and Terry McLaurin took their 2018 combined total of 167 receptions, 2,433 yards and 31 touchdowns to the NFL, Olave stepped into that vacuum, racking up 48 receptions for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns.

And now with K.J. Hill, Binjimen Victor and Austin Mack out of the picture, even more responsibility is going to fall onto Olave's shoulders.

Given the way he has answered the call thus far in his career, we have to believe he's ready to become Justin Fields' undisputed primary target.

He probably still won't average 100 yards per game, though, because that's just not the Ohio State way. Even 80 yards per game would be a minor miracle in an offense where a commitment to establishing the run and spreading the ball around even kept guys like Santonio Holmes, Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. from getting 1,000 yards in a season.

Still, he's a proven-to-be-reliable asset for a Heisman co-favorite on a College Football Playoff front-runner. Hard to leave credentials like those off this list.

6. Tutu Atwell, Louisville

Running back Javian Hawkins is the obvious pick for Louisville's biggest breakout star last year. After getting just three touches for 12 yards before taking a redshirt in 2018, Hawkins exploded for 1,525 rushing yards.

But Chatarius "Tutu" Atwell had quite the 2019 campaign of his own, emerging at Malik Cunningham's favorite target to the tune of 69 receptions, 1,272 yards and 12 scores. While Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest each had a dynamic duo of wide receivers, Atwell led the ACC in receiving yards with more than twice as many as his next-closest teammate.

Atwell was particularly proficient in Louisville's final six games, racking up 730 yards on 35 receptions with six touchdowns. That's 121.7 yards per game and 20.9 yards per reception. Just for fun, he also had a 33-yard passing touchdown in the Music City Bowl victory over Mississippi State.

His numbers haven't been that outstanding thus far, but 19 receptions for 229 yards and three touchdowns is a respectable first three weeks of work—especially with one of those games coming against what appears to be a phenomenal Pittsburgh defense.

Granted, not everyone has played three games, but Atwell's 229 yards are the most in the ACC in the early going, and the three touchdowns are tied for the most. The Oct. 9 game against Georgia Tech should be a prime opportunity for him to improve those numbers, too. He had two touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets in 2018, and that defense was decimated by Central Florida two weeks ago.

5. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota

Rashod Bateman was one of the first players to opt out of the 2020 season, making his decision on August 4—one week before the Big Ten hit the pause button for a month. But Minnesota's star receiver is now trying to opt back in.

Bateman did sign with an agent, though, so it's unclear at this point whether he'll regain eligibility. He has returned to practice with the Golden Gophers, but we shall see if he's allowed to play when the Big Ten starts up in four weeks.

If he is, Minnesota immediately becomes an even bigger threat to win the Big Ten West, because this guy made 60 catches for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns last year.

That rate of better than 20 yards per reception is a product of his ability to both break tackles and create separation at the line of scrimmage. He routinely blows by press coverage, but defenses have to try to disrupt his routes because this big receiver is tough to bring down after he makes the catch.

More than one-third of his receptions went for at least 20 yards last year, and he was the Big Ten's outright leader in receptions of 20-plus, 30-plus and 40-plus yards.

With his running mate Tyler Johnson (86 receptions for 1,318 yards and 13 touchdowns last year) out of the picture, Bateman will inevitably face more double-coverage schemes. But Tanner Morgan is a plenty good enough quarterback to hit small windows when Bateman creates them. Maybe he won't lead the Big Ten in receiving yards, but he'll probably be the first Big Ten receiver drafted in April.

4. Rondale Moore, Purdue

Just like Rashod Bateman, Rondale Moore opted out in early August, but he has had a change of heart and now plans on playing for Purdue this fall.

Unlike Bateman, Moore never hired an agent and he was still taking online classes, so his ability to play this fall should be an open-and-shut case.

And that is scary news for the eight Big Ten teams with Purdue on the schedule.

As a true freshman in 2018, Moore had 2,215 all-purpose yards and scored 14 touchdowns. Moore led the nation with 114 receptions, the most by a freshman since Michael Crabtree's outrageous 134-catch season as a redshirt freshman in 2007.

Two games into his sophomore season, Moore was on pace for more than 2,750 all-purpose yards.

Unfortunately, he suffered a hamstring injury and was done for the year before the end of September. In his stead, though, freshman David Bell had a breakout season of his own with 86 receptions for 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns.

Having both of those guys out there running routes is going to be some kind of fun. But the expectation is that Moore will be reestablished as Purdue's No. 1 option, as well as one of the most dangerous weapons in the country.

3. Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State

Whether Tylan Wallace will actually produce like a top receiver depends largely on the health of quarterback Spencer Sanders. Sanders suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter of Oklahoma State's opener against Tulsa and hasn't played since. And that Cowboys offense hasn't been the same without him, managing just 535 yards of total offense since the quarterback's lone series.

Even with freshman Shane Illingworth at quarterback, though, Wallace has been responsible for nearly one-third of the team's 535 yards gained. (Well over one-third if you factor in the three defensive pass interference calls and the one personal foul penalty he has drawn in the past six quarters.)

In addition to those penalty yards, Wallace has made 10 receptions for 172 yards while the rest of the Cowboys offense has combined for 105 yards on 19 catches. It's a slight step backward from the 114.0 yards per game he averaged between 2018 and 2019, but it might be even more impressive when considered within the context of this currently woebegone offense.

Just give it some time, though. Tulsa has some great cornerbacks, and West Virginia probably has the best defense in the Big 12. Assuming Sanders eventually gets back on the field, future games against the likes of Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech should be nice stat-padding games for this prolific pass-catcher.

2. DeVonta Smith, Alabama

When Ja'Marr Chase opted out of the 2020 season, DeVonta Smith became the de facto No. 1 WR in the SEC, and arguably the best in the country.

Smith had 1,256 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 2019. No other returning SEC player had more than 850 yards, and only LSU's Terrace Marshall Jr. (13 touchdowns) could even hold a candle to Smith in the scoring department.

Much of Smith's dominance was contained to two performances: 274 yards and five touchdowns against Ole Miss; 213 yards and two touchdowns against LSU. Outside of those two games, he was still quite good, but playing alongside Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III kept Smith from becoming a "100 yards every game" type of receiver.

With that duo now in the NFL, though, that might change.

Smith opened the season with eight receptions for 89 yards in what was an easy win for Alabama.

It's a little concerning that nearly half of those stats (three receptions, 43 yards) didn't come until late in the game with backup quarterback Bryce Young on the field, though it did feel like the Tigers were most committed to making sure that it wasn't Smith who beat them. Mac Jones tried to force some balls Smith's way early on, but he ended the first quarter with merely a seven-yard reception on four targets.

Of course, it's a "pick your poison" situation for defenses facing Alabama. They were able to keep Smith relatively under wraps, but that just meant a combined five touchdowns for Jaylen Waddle and Najee Harris. There will be plenty of games in which Smith benefits from the overall strength of this offense, as well as games where he goes off in spite of double coverage. He's just that good.

1. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

Statistically speaking, DeVonta Smith entered this season significantly ahead of Jaylen Waddle as a receiver. We're talking about a difference of 40 receptions, 701 yards and 10 touchdowns. That's basically the entire sophomore season of 2020 first-round draft pick Henry Ruggs III (46 receptions, 741 yards and 11 touchdowns).

But throughout the offseason of NFL mock drafts and draft boards, it was like a game of musical chairs between Alabama's stars for the title of No. 2 WR behind LSU's Ja'Marr Chase.

Sure, we knew Waddle was a speedster with limitless potential, particularly as a punt returner. But was he a guy who could be a go-to wide receiver in the NFL as early as next season?

Based on his Week 1 performance against Missouri, oh hell yeah.

Waddle made a career-best eight receptions for 134 yards and two touchdowns. (He almost had three touchdowns, but one was overturned when the replay official determined he stepped out of bounds at the 1, resulting in a Najee Harris rushing touchdown instead.)

On the one 46-yard reception deep down the middle of the field, Waddle jumped into the air, absorbed a hit from one defender, got spun into a nearly 180-degree turn by a second defender and still held onto the ball. A bit later in the first half, he ran a stop-and-go route to blow right by the press coverage and simply outran both the corner and the safety to make a nice over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone.

It was one thing when he was running slant routes from the slot, catching the ball five yards down the field and weaving through defenders who couldn't tackle him. Now that he's improving as a route-runner and showing the ability to make difficult catches in traffic, Waddle enters October looking like the best wide receiver who will play this fall. If he keeps this up, he might even get drafted before Chase.