2026-27 rosters, read September 29, 2026
Colleges Losing the Most Wide Receivers for 2027
288 of the 731 college football programs whose 2026-27 rosters NextCommit read on September 29, 2026 (39%) have 4 or more wide receivers in their final season. The median program has 3. Highland (KS) has the most, 17.
NextCommit roster data, class of 2027/Last updated October 18, 2026
- Programs on this list
- 288of 731
- Median final-season players
- 21
- Median final-season WRs
- 3
- Roster data read
- September 29, 2026
What a typical program loses, by position
Median final-season players per program across all 731 programs with roster data, by position group.
QB
1
RB
1
WR
3
TE
1
OL
3
DL
3
LB
3
DB
4
K/P/LS
1
Every program on the list
Sorted by final-season wide receivers, then by all final-season players.
D1 FBS (61 programs)
| School | Location | Final-season WRs | All final-season players |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Texas | Denton, TX | 8 | 52 |
| Florida Atlantic | Boca Raton, FL | 7 | 49 |
| Central Michigan | Mount Pleasant, MI | 7 | 43 |
| Ole Miss | University, MS | 7 | 37 |
| Western Kentucky | Bowling Green, KY | 7 | 36 |
| Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | 7 | 28 |
| Colorado | Boulder, CO | 6 | 51 |
| UL Monroe | Monroe, LA | 6 | 47 |
| Troy | Troy, AL | 6 | 45 |
| Jax State | Jacksonville, AL | 6 | 44 |
| South Alabama | Mobile, AL | 6 | 44 |
| North Dakota State | Fargo, ND | 6 | 42 |
| Louisville | Louisville, KY | 6 | 41 |
| Illinois | Champaign, IL | 6 | 40 |
| Houston | Houston, TX | 6 | 39 |
| Ohio State | Columbus, OH | 6 | 39 |
| Sam Houston | Huntsville, TX | 6 | 38 |
| LA Tech | Ruston, LA | 6 | 37 |
| South Florida | Tampa, FL | 6 | 28 |
| Liberty | Lynchburg, VA | 5 | 51 |
| Rutgers | New Brunswick, NJ | 5 | 49 |
| Missouri State | Springfield, MO | 5 | 46 |
| Temple | Philadelphia, PA | 5 | 46 |
| Arkansas State | Jonesboro, AR | 5 | 45 |
| Ball State | Muncie, IN | 5 | 45 |
| Texas Tech | Lubbock, TX | 5 | 45 |
| TCU | Fort Worth, TX | 5 | 40 |
| Florida | Gainesville, FL | 5 | 39 |
| Kansas State | Manhattan, KS | 5 | 39 |
| Navy | Annapolis, MD | 5 | 39 |
| NC State | Raleigh, NC | 5 | 38 |
| Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 5 | 36 |
| Syracuse | Syracuse, NY | 5 | 36 |
| Wisconsin | Madison, WI | 5 | 36 |
| Nevada | Reno, NV | 5 | 35 |
| Oklahoma | Norman, OK | 5 | 35 |
| UMass | Amherst, MA | 5 | 34 |
| UConn | Storrs, CT | 5 | 33 |
| Hawai'i | Honolulu, HI | 5 | 30 |
| Iowa State | Ames, IA | 5 | 29 |
| California | Berkeley, CA | 5 | 26 |
| UAB | Birmingham, AL | 5 | 25 |
| Baylor | Waco, TX | 4 | 49 |
| Appalachian State | Boone, NC | 4 | 44 |
| Vanderbilt | Nashville, TN | 4 | 43 |
| Eastern Michigan | Ypsilanti, MI | 4 | 42 |
| Pitt | Pittsburgh, PA | 4 | 41 |
| Charlotte | Charlotte, NC | 4 | 39 |
| Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 4 | 39 |
| Boise State | Boise, ID | 4 | 37 |
| UCLA | Los Angeles, CA | 4 | 36 |
| Utah State | Logan, UT | 4 | 36 |
| Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | 4 | 35 |
| Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | 4 | 32 |
| Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | 4 | 32 |
| James Madison | Harrisonburg, VA | 4 | 31 |
| Ohio | Athens, OH | 4 | 28 |
| Missouri | Columbia, MO | 4 | 27 |
| Georgia | Athens, GA | 4 | 26 |
| Kennesaw State | Kennesaw, GA | 4 | 25 |
| Marshall | Huntington, WV | 4 | 23 |
D1 FCS (58 programs)
| School | Location | Final-season WRs | All final-season players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Kingston, RI | 12 | 44 |
| Jackson State | Jackson, MS | 9 | 48 |
| Incarnate Word | San Antonio, TX | 8 | 51 |
| Houston Christian | Houston, TX | 8 | 48 |
| North Carolina Central | Durham, NC | 8 | 41 |
| Youngstown State | Youngstown, OH | 8 | 41 |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Pine Bluff, AR | 8 | 26 |
| New Haven | West Haven, CT | 7 | 46 |
| Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA | 7 | 39 |
| Eastern Kentucky | Richmond, KY | 7 | 36 |
| Mercyhurst | Erie, PA | 7 | 36 |
| Furman | Greenville, SC | 7 | 32 |
| Prairie View A&M | Prairie View, TX | 6 | 46 |
| Montana | Missoula, MT | 6 | 42 |
| Central Connecticut | New Britain, CT | 6 | 39 |
| Nicholls | Thibodaux, LA | 6 | 39 |
| Alcorn State | Alcorn State, MS | 6 | 33 |
| Idaho State | Pocatello, ID | 6 | 30 |
| Florida A&M | Tallahassee, FL | 6 | 28 |
| Fordham | Bronx, NY | 6 | 27 |
| Presbyterian | Clinton, SC | 6 | 21 |
| Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, TN | 5 | 48 |
| The Citadel | Charleston, SC | 5 | 47 |
| Cal Poly | San Luis Obispo, CA | 5 | 34 |
| Bryant | Smithfield, RI | 5 | 32 |
| Mercer | Macon, GA | 5 | 32 |
| Hampton | Hampton, VA | 5 | 30 |
| Columbia | New York, NY | 5 | 29 |
| Howard | Washington, DC | 5 | 29 |
| Dayton | Dayton, OH | 5 | 28 |
| Marist | Poughkeepsie, NY | 5 | 27 |
| Central Arkansas | Conway, AR | 5 | 24 |
| Georgetown | Washington, DC | 5 | 22 |
| East Tennessee State | Johnson City, TN | 5 | 21 |
| Wagner | Staten Island, NY | 5 | 21 |
| Yale | New Haven, CT | 5 | 20 |
| Davidson | Davidson, NC | 5 | 18 |
| UTRGV | Edinburg, TX | 4 | 41 |
| Idaho | Moscow, ID | 4 | 37 |
| Lindenwood | Saint Charles, MO | 4 | 36 |
| North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND | 4 | 34 |
| Butler | Indianapolis, IN | 4 | 32 |
| Princeton | Princeton, NJ | 4 | 31 |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Hammond, LA | 4 | 30 |
| Texas Southern | Houston, TX | 4 | 27 |
| Stony Brook | Stony Brook, NY | 4 | 26 |
| Abilene Christian | Abilene, TX | 4 | 25 |
| Drake | Des Moines, IA | 4 | 25 |
| San Diego | San Diego, CA | 4 | 22 |
| Southern Illinois | Carbondale, IL | 4 | 21 |
| East Texas A&M | Commerce, TX | 4 | 20 |
| Bethune-Cookman | Daytona Beach, FL | 4 | 19 |
| Southern Utah | Cedar City, UT | 4 | 19 |
| Eastern Washington | Cheney, WA | 4 | 18 |
| Tennessee-Martin | Martin, TN | 4 | 17 |
| Bucknell | Lewisburg, PA | 4 | 16 |
| Villanova | Villanova, PA | 4 | 16 |
| Elon | Elon, NC | 4 | 13 |
D2 (44 programs)
| School | Location | Final-season WRs | All final-season players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Missouri | Warrensburg, MO | 11 | 51 |
| Benedict | Columbia, SC | 10 | 33 |
| Colorado Mesa | Grand Junction, CO | 9 | 42 |
| Post | Waterbury, CT | 9 | 27 |
| Western Colorado | Gunnison, CO | 8 | 37 |
| Davenport | Grand Rapids, MI | 8 | 26 |
| Central Washington | Ellensburg, WA | 7 | 39 |
| Southern Connecticut | New Haven, CT | 6 | 34 |
| Bentley | Waltham, MA | 6 | 32 |
| Slippery Rock | Slippery Rock, PA | 6 | 32 |
| Kentucky State | Frankfort, KY | 6 | 27 |
| Tiffin | Tiffin, OH | 6 | 27 |
| University of Mary | Bismarck, ND | 5 | 38 |
| Jamestown | Jamestown, ND | 5 | 35 |
| Morehouse | Atlanta, GA | 5 | 35 |
| Kutztown | Kutztown, PA | 5 | 34 |
| Valdosta State | Valdosta, GA | 5 | 33 |
| Assumption | Worcester, MA | 5 | 29 |
| East Central | Ada, OK | 5 | 25 |
| Chowan | Murfreesboro, NC | 5 | 24 |
| Edward Waters | Jacksonville, FL | 5 | 24 |
| West Texas A&M | Canyon, TX | 5 | 24 |
| Shorter | Rome, GA | 5 | 22 |
| Wayne State NE | Wayne, NE | 5 | 22 |
| Shepherd | Shepherdstown, WV | 5 | 21 |
| Missouri S&T | Rolla, MO | 5 | 19 |
| Truman State | Kirksville, MO | 5 | 19 |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | Alva, OK | 5 | 14 |
| Southwestern Oklahoma State | Weatherford, OK | 4 | 36 |
| East Stroudsburg | East Stroudsburg, PA | 4 | 35 |
| Newberry | Newberry, SC | 4 | 35 |
| West Alabama | Livingston, AL | 4 | 31 |
| Quincy | Quincy, IL | 4 | 26 |
| Upper Iowa | Fayette, IA | 4 | 26 |
| CSU Pueblo | Pueblo, CO | 4 | 24 |
| Delta State | Cleveland, MS | 4 | 23 |
| Oklahoma Baptist | Shawnee, OK | 4 | 23 |
| Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO | 4 | 22 |
| Seton Hill | Greensburg, PA | 4 | 20 |
| Fort Valley State | Fort Valley, GA | 4 | 16 |
| Lake Erie | Painesville, OH | 4 | 16 |
| Pittsburg State | Pittsburg, KS | 4 | 16 |
| Glenville State | Glenville, WV | 4 | 15 |
| Ohio Dominican | Columbus, OH | 4 | 13 |
D3 (59 programs)
| School | Location | Final-season WRs | All final-season players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grove City | Grove City, PA | 8 | 32 |
| Alma | Alma, MI | 7 | 44 |
| La Verne | La Verne, CA | 7 | 22 |
| Cal Lutheran | Thousand Oaks, CA | 7 | 21 |
| Centre | Danville, KY | 6 | 29 |
| Susquehanna | Selinsgrove, PA | 6 | 29 |
| Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo, MI | 6 | 24 |
| Saint John's-MN | Collegeville, MN | 6 | 24 |
| UW-River Falls | River Falls, WI | 6 | 21 |
| Hampden-Sydney | Hampden-Sydney, VA | 6 | 13 |
| Chapman | Orange, CA | 5 | 35 |
| Wartburg | Waverly, IA | 5 | 34 |
| Salve Regina | Newport, RI | 5 | 32 |
| Endicott | Beverly, MA | 5 | 30 |
| Randolph-Macon | Ashland, VA | 5 | 29 |
| Stevenson | Owings Mills, MD | 5 | 29 |
| Wheaton-IL | Wheaton, IL | 5 | 29 |
| Cortland | Cortland, NY | 5 | 28 |
| WPI | Worcester, MA | 5 | 26 |
| Heidelberg | Tiffin, OH | 5 | 24 |
| Muhlenberg | Allentown, PA | 5 | 24 |
| Hope | Holland, MI | 5 | 22 |
| Western New England | Springfield, MA | 5 | 22 |
| Fitchburg St. | Fitchburg, MA | 5 | 21 |
| Worcester St. | Worcester, MA | 5 | 19 |
| Central | Pella, IA | 5 | 17 |
| East Texas Baptist | Marshall, TX | 5 | 17 |
| Buffalo State | Buffalo, NY | 5 | 16 |
| Maryville-TN | Maryville, TN | 5 | 14 |
| Muskingum | New Concord, OH | 5 | 11 |
| Utica | Utica, NY | 4 | 35 |
| Baldwin Wallace | Berea, OH | 4 | 32 |
| Ithaca | Ithaca, NY | 4 | 31 |
| Franklin & Marshall | Lancaster, PA | 4 | 27 |
| Monmouth-IL | Monmouth, IL | 4 | 27 |
| University of New England | Biddeford, ME | 4 | 27 |
| Redlands | Redlands, CA | 4 | 26 |
| Ursinus | Collegeville, PA | 4 | 25 |
| UW-Platteville | Platteville, WI | 4 | 25 |
| UW-Stevens Point | Stevens Point, WI | 4 | 25 |
| Lewis & Clark OR | Portland, OR | 4 | 24 |
| Whitworth | Spokane, WA | 4 | 24 |
| Wesleyan | Middletown, CT | 4 | 23 |
| Case Western | Cleveland, OH | 4 | 22 |
| George Fox | Newberg, OR | 4 | 22 |
| John Carroll | University Heights, OH | 4 | 22 |
| Bridgewater St. | Bridgewater, MA | 4 | 20 |
| Claremont MS | Claremont, CA | 4 | 20 |
| Dubuque | Dubuque, IA | 4 | 20 |
| Johns Hopkins | Baltimore, MD | 4 | 20 |
| Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | 4 | 20 |
| Western Connecticut | Danbury, CT | 4 | 20 |
| Mount St. Joseph | Cincinnati, OH | 4 | 19 |
| Guilford | Greensboro, NC | 4 | 18 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan | Lincoln, NE | 4 | 18 |
| Mary Hardin-Baylor | Belton, TX | 4 | 17 |
| Carleton | Northfield, MN | 4 | 16 |
| Howard Payne | Brownwood, TX | 4 | 15 |
| Framingham St. | Framingham, MA | 4 | 11 |
NAIA (17 programs)
| School | Location | Final-season WRs | All final-season players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa University Arizona | Surprise, AZ | 15 | 65 |
| Grand View | Des Moines, IA | 8 | 38 |
| Warner | Lake Wales, FL | 8 | 12 |
| Madonna | Livonia, MI | 7 | 26 |
| Midland | Fremont, NE | 7 | 26 |
| Georgetown College (Ky.) | Georgetown, KY | 7 | 24 |
| Taylor (IN) | Upland, IN | 6 | 26 |
| Saint Francis-IN | Fort Wayne, IN | 6 | 25 |
| College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID | 6 | 24 |
| Olivet Nazarene | Bourbonnais, IL | 6 | 24 |
| Pikeville (KY) | Pikeville, KY | 6 | 14 |
| Cumberland-TN | Lebanon, TN | 4 | 24 |
| Central Methodist (MO) | Fayette, MO | 4 | 23 |
| Missouri Baptist | Saint Louis, MO | 4 | 18 |
| William Woods (MO) | Fulton, MO | 4 | 13 |
| Bluefield (VA) | Bluefield, VA | 4 | 12 |
| Waldorf | Forest City, IA | 4 | 11 |
JUCO (49 programs)
| School | Location | Final-season WRs | All final-season players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland (KS) | Highland, KS | 17 | 67 |
| Monroe University | Bronx, NY | 12 | 73 |
| Lackawanna CC | Scranton, PA | 10 | 53 |
| El Camino College | Torrance, CA | 10 | 44 |
| Kilgore | Kilgore, TX | 9 | 38 |
| Hutchinson CC | Hutchinson, KS | 8 | 37 |
| Holmes CC | Goodman, MS | 8 | 32 |
| East Mississippi CC | Scooba, MS | 8 | 28 |
| Hinds CC | Raymond, MS | 7 | 42 |
| Navarro College | Corsicana, TX | 7 | 40 |
| Fresno City CC | Fresno, CA | 7 | 39 |
| Snow College | Ephraim, UT | 7 | 39 |
| New Mexico Military | Roswell, NM | 7 | 38 |
| San Mateo College | San Mateo, CA | 7 | 33 |
| Erie Community College | Buffalo, NY | 7 | 32 |
| Pasadena City CC | Pasadena, CA | 6 | 43 |
| Golden West | Huntington Beach, CA | 6 | 41 |
| Dodge City CC | Dodge City, KS | 6 | 38 |
| Long Beach City CC | Long Beach, CA | 6 | 37 |
| Santa Ana CC | Santa Ana, CA | 6 | 35 |
| San Jose College | San Jose, CA | 6 | 33 |
| Georgia Military College | Milledgeville, GA | 6 | 30 |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 6 | 22 |
| Santa Barbara City CC | Santa Barbara, CA | 6 | 18 |
| Ventura College | Ventura, CA | 5 | 40 |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica, CA | 5 | 37 |
| Reedley College | Reedley, CA | 5 | 34 |
| Saddleback College | Mission Viejo, CA | 5 | 33 |
| Glendale-CA CC | Glendale, CA | 5 | 32 |
| Diablo Valley College | Pleasant Hill, CA | 5 | 29 |
| Iowa Central CC | Fort Dodge, IA | 5 | 29 |
| Louisburg CC | Louisburg, NC | 5 | 28 |
| Mt. San Jacinto CC | San Jacinto, CA | 5 | 28 |
| Antelope Valley College | Lancaster, CA | 5 | 27 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn, IL | 5 | 25 |
| Victor Valley CC | Victorville, CA | 5 | 25 |
| Blinn College | Brenham, TX | 5 | 24 |
| Riverside College | Riverside, CA | 4 | 34 |
| San Bernardino Valley CC | San Bernardino, CA | 4 | 34 |
| SW Mississippi CC | Summit, MS | 4 | 34 |
| Itawamba CC | Fulton, MS | 4 | 31 |
| Foothill | Los Altos Hills, CA | 4 | 30 |
| Canyons College | Santa Clarita, CA | 4 | 27 |
| Trinity Valley | Athens, TX | 4 | 26 |
| Cisco CC | Cisco, TX | 4 | 24 |
| Citrus CC | Glendora, CA | 4 | 23 |
| Moorpark College | Moorpark, CA | 4 | 23 |
| LA Valley CC | Valley Glen, CA | 4 | 20 |
| San Joaquin Delta CC | Stockton, CA | 4 | 17 |
How to use this list
- 1Check which level fits your numbers first. The free Football Recruit Score rates your size, speed and stats against FBS, FCS, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO.
- 2Shortlist programs at that level with final-season players at your position. Those are spots the staff has to refill for 2027.
- 3Email the position coach or recruiting coordinator with your film, measurables and GPA. Start from the quarterback email template or the wide receiver email template, and change the reason you picked each school.
- 4Follow up when you have something new: updated film, a camp result or a new measurable. The football recruiting guide covers timelines, camps and contact rules.
See exact positions and email these coaches
NextCommit Pro shows roster needs by exact position (tackle vs guard, corner vs safety) and filters the coach list to programs that need your position. The free plan includes personalized coach emails every week.
Method and data date
Source. Each program's own public athletics roster page, read by NextCommit on September 29, 2026. Programs come from NextCommit's college football coach data. Divisions are for the 2026 season, including North Dakota State and Sacramento State moving to FBS and Saint Francis (PA) moving to Division III.
Final-season players. Players whose eligibility ends in 2026-27, from the class label on the roster: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks do not change the count. Each player counts once, at the first position listed (a "WR/DB" is a receiver).
Position groups. QB = QB; RB = RB, FB; WR = WR; TE = TE; OL = OL, OT, OG, C; DL = DL, DE, DT; LB = LB; DB = DB, CB, S; K/P/LS = K, P, LS. A few players have no listed position, so the groups can add up to slightly less than the total.
Completeness threshold. A program appears in the tables only when its roster was read from the college's own site in the September 29, 2026 run, the page is the 2026-27 roster, at least 50 players have a readable class year, at least 90% of final-season players have a position, and it has at least one final-season player. Programs that miss any of these are listed by name only.
Complete lists. We call a list complete when it has at least 10 programs that pass the threshold and they make up at least 75% of the programs it covers. This list: 731 of 857 (85%).
What it does not tell you. A final-season player is a spot to refill, not a scholarship offer. Staffs also fill spots from the transfer portal, some players get an extra year, and a roster page can lag behind the team. Use the numbers to decide where to look, then ask the coach.
More football college lists
- All divisions
- D1 FBS football colleges
- D1 FCS football colleges
- D2 football colleges by state
- D3 football colleges by state
- NAIA football colleges
- JUCO football colleges
- Texas football colleges
- Florida football colleges
- Georgia football colleges
- Ohio football colleges
- Pennsylvania football colleges
- North Carolina football colleges
- Colleges with QB openings
Frequently Asked Questions
Which colleges need wide receivers for 2027?+
On 2026-27 rosters read September 29, 2026, 288 programs have 4 or more wide receivers in their final season. The most are at Highland (KS) with 17, Ottawa University Arizona with 15 and Monroe University with 12. A final-season player is a spot to refill, not a promise that the staff will sign a high school receiver: some fill it from the transfer portal.
What is a final-season player?+
A player whose eligibility ends in 2026-27, read from the class label on the college's own roster page: seniors, graduate students and fifth-year players at four-year schools, and sophomores at junior colleges. Redshirt marks do not change the count. These players leave after the 2026 season, so their spots open for recruits who enroll in 2027.
Does a final-season player mean an open scholarship?+
No. It means a roster spot the staff has to refill, with high school recruits, transfers or walk-ons. How many spots carry aid depends on the level: Division I schools in the House settlement have a 105-player roster limit and no scholarship cap, Division II has 36 football equivalencies shared across the team, Division III gives no athletic aid, the NAIA allows 24 and the NJCAA 85. Some final-season players also get an extra year through a waiver.
How should I use this list?+
Find programs at your level with final-season players at your position, check which level fits your numbers with the free Football Recruit Score, then email the position coach or recruiting coordinator with your film, measurables and GPA. Follow up when you have something new to share.
How often is this data updated?+
NextCommit reads college roster pages twice a year, after fall and spring rosters are posted. This page shows the September 29, 2026 read of 2026-27 rosters. Programs we could not read in full are listed by name until a later read passes our completeness check.