Week 1 didn’t waste any time shaking up the college football receiving leaderboard.
With games stretching from Thursday through Monday to open the 2026 season, the first snapshot of the FBS passing game already has a clear name at the top: Miami freshman Malachi Toney. The Hurricanes came into the year carrying big expectations, and Toney somehow managed to clear even that bar in the opener.
He looked ahead of schedule from the jump, and after one weekend he’s already being talked about like a national name. Against Stanford, he carved up the defense and piled up 99 yards after the catch, a loud start to a season that could easily outpace the 10 receiving touchdowns he had last year.
Toney’s line through two games sits at 11 catches, 222 yards and 3 touchdowns, and that’s enough to keep him on top even with several receivers having already played twice.
Right behind him, USC freshman Trent Mosley keeps making the most of every touch. He dropped one spot from last week, but the production stayed strong in the Trojans’ shutout of Fresno State.
Mosley crossed 100 yards again, finishing with 4 catches for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of those was a 68-yard strike in the first half as USC pulled away.
The Trojans also had another freshman making noise. Aaron Dixon-Wyatt, a top-100 recruit, found the end zone in his debut even though he finished with just 36 yards.
Then against Fresno State, he joined Mosley on the stat sheet with 6 receptions for 102 yards. That made them the first true freshmen in USC history to both top 100 receiving yards in the same game since at least 1973.
Rutgers wideout Ian Duff didn’t get much help from the result around him, but he did plenty in the Scarlet Knights’ wild loss to UMass in a buy-game upset in New Jersey. Duff caught all three of Rutgers’ touchdowns, including a 78-yard score in the fourth quarter that kept Rutgers hanging around.
He’s already close to halfway to his 2025 touchdown total of 7. His season numbers now read 10 catches, 185 yards and 3 touchdowns.
There were more big days scattered across the country. Sacramento State picked up its first win as an FBS program by beating Mississippi Valley State, and receiver CJ Coleman was a major part of it with 6 catches for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns.
One of those scores went for 63 yards in the third quarter, and his three touchdowns matched what he’d produced over the previous two seasons combined. Teammate Onterrio Smith Jr. was on the list last week.
At New Mexico State, Teddy King moved into the top spot after finishing second in receiving in Week 0 against Florida State. This time, the Aggies beat Mercyhurst, and King caught 3 passes for 96 yards.
Wake Forest’s passing game was humming in its opener against Akron, and Carlos Hernandez made sure plenty of that production flowed through him. The Demon Deacons threw for 350 yards, and Hernandez accounted for nearly half of it. He averaged 33 yards per catch and hit on a 78-yard touchdown in the second quarter to push Wake Forest out to a 28-0 lead.
San Jose State got a boost from Kanyon Hoch after he was quiet against USC. In the Spartans’ 27-21 win over Eastern Michigan, Hoch led the team with 5 catches for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both scores came after halftime, including a 40-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put San Jose State ahead for good.
Elsewhere, Kansas transfer Jaden McMillan made an immediate impact in his first game with the Jayhawks. Against Buffalo, he put up 130 receiving yards, which marked the third-highest total of his career and only the eighth time he’s gone over 100 yards in a game. He also finished with more than twice as many receiving yards as any other Kansas receiver in the contest.
Not every name on the list had the same kind of breakout, but the early board is already starting to separate. After one full weekend, Toney is still the one setting the pace.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Is Building Something USC May Need On The Road
Lincoln Riley has found a new sideline wrinkle at USC, and it is hard to miss. The Trojans have rolled out oversized red juice box props to help set the tone and keep the energy up during games, a quirky little touch that fits a team trying to build momentum early in the season. USC has opened with two wins and has continued to look comfortable at home, where the environment has generally matched the confidence the program has been trying to project.
The bigger test, of course, is away from the Coliseum, where the Trojans still need to prove that same edge travels. Jayden Maiavas recognition as Big Ten Player of the Week, along with the other honors he picked up after USCs shutout of Fresno State, only adds to the sense that the offense is settling in. The juice boxes may be a playful sideline detail, but they also hint at a team looking for anything that can help carry its identity beyond home field. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Maiava Is Raising USCs Ceiling Faster Than Anyone Expected
Jayden Maiavas start has given USC a jolt of momentum far earlier than many expected, and the early returns have been as efficient as they have been encouraging. Through the first two games, the quarterback has looked comfortable in Lincoln Rileys offense, and his sharp outing against Fresno State only added to the sense that the Trojans may have found a passing game that can stretch their ceiling.
Riley has already pointed to Maiavas grasp of the scheme and his arm talent as reasons for the quick rise, and the national attention is following along. FanDuel Sportsbook now has Maiava with the 10th-best Heisman odds, a sign of how quickly his profile is climbing even as USC settles into the season and tries to prove this fast start can hold up. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have Found Another Target Jayden Maiava Really Needs
Corey Simms already looks like one of the quieter winners of USCs first-game shakeup. The receiver made the most of his opportunities with four catches for 42 yards, and his camp work had already put him on the radar as someone worth watching. With transfer Terrell Anderson out of the mix, the door has opened a little wider for Simms to carve out a meaningful role in the Trojans passing game.
For Jayden Maiava, that matters. USC is still sorting out which receivers will become reliable weekly options, and Simms has shown enough early promise to suggest he could be more than just a depth piece. If he keeps earning targets and making plays, he may turn into exactly the kind of steady outlet Maiava needs as the offense takes shape. [Read more 🡒]