How do Utah and BYU receivers stack up against the rest of the Big 12?
And how do Big 12 pass catchers stack up against SEC receivers? Who has the best, productive, talented targets and the systems to display them?
The No. 9 Cougars and No. 15 Utes are both cooking at 3-0, and receiver work is a big part of their offensive success so far this season. Utah is favored to beat Iowa State on Saturday in Ames. The Cougars are idle with a bye this weekend before going to TCU in Fort Worth. My weekly picks are at the bottom of this column.
BYU freshman Legend Glasker ranks No. 5 in the Big 12 in receiving yards per game at 90.7 and Utah State transfer to Utah, Braden Pegan , is No. 8 with 78.3 yards per game.
But both Pegan and Glasker are part of extremely efficient offenses that deploy more weapons than just receivers. Utah and BYU have potent run games, with the Cougars led by LJ Martin , and Utah getting a lot of chunk plays from quarterbacks Devon Dampier and Byrd Ficklin .
If Pegan and Glasker were targeted as much as Big 12 receiver leader Reed Harris of Arizona State, who has 374 receiving yards, their numbers would likely be higher. Also, early-season numbers are not a complete glimpse of what will transpire within the league.
After BYU's win over Colorado State last Saturday, BYU coach Kalani Sitake heaped praise on Glasker, telling reporters his true freshman receiver was recruited with full knowledge of his skills and capabilities. He said receivers coach Fesi Sitake and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick know what they are doing.
"I think Fesi knew right away when we were recruiting him how to use him. And we knew that he was going to be something special," said Sitake. "Legend's growing up real fast. The growth that I've seen from him from fall camp to Game 1, then Game 1 to Game 3, is amazing. The sky's the limit for him, so I'm just going to tell him to stay humble like his brother next to him, LJ, is, and he'll be fine."
The Big 12 leader, Harris, is a transfer to ASU from Boston College , where he started all 12 games. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he was named the best football player in Montana in high school and the No. 3 athlete in the country by On3 recruiting. He also played QB in high school in Great Falls, throwing for 1,658 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 865 yards.
Big 12 leaders(approximate, post-Week 3):
Reed Harris (Arizona State): 374 yards, 19 receptions, 5 TDs, 19.7 avg
Ed Small (TCU): 330 yards, 21 receptions, 1 TD
Gavin Freeman (Baylor): 305 yards, 29 receptions, 1 TD
Justin Bowick (Oklahoma State): 281 yards, 16 receptions, 3 TDs
Legend Glasker (BYU): 270 yards, 11 receptions, 2 TDs
Other notables: DJ Epps ( West Virginia , 240 yards, 30.0 avg, 3 TDs), Amare Thomas ( Houston , 237 yards, 3 TDs), Braden Pegan (Utah, 235 yards, 3 TDs)
SEC leaders(approximate, post-Week 3):
Deuce Alexander (Ole Miss): 295 yards, 20 receptions, 3 TDs, 14.8 avg
Anthony Evans III (Mississippi State): 294 yards, 20 receptions, 3 TDs
Chris Marshall ( Arkansas ): 278 yards
Junior Sherrill (Vanderbilt): 272 yards
Donovan Olugbode ( Missouri ): 259–268 yards, 4 TDs
Other notables: Cam Coleman ( Texas ) leads or ties for the SEC in receiving TDs with 4 but has lower total yards (178 in some listings); several others cluster in the 170–250 range
Production edge: Big 12 has a clearer top end early. Harris' 374 yards and five TDs stand well above the SEC's 295-yard leaders. Multiple Big 12 players sit over 270–300 yards, while SEC tops sit mostly in the 250–295 range. High-efficiency big-play threats are more prominent in the Big 12 so far (e.g., Epps at 30.0 yards per catch, Glasker at 24.5).
Volume vs. efficiency: Big 12 shows more high-volume cases (Freeman's 29 catches) alongside explosive averages. SEC leaders are solid volume guys with solid but generally lower averages than the Big 12's top performers.
Touchdowns: Comparable at the top (Harris, 5; McGowan of Baylor has 4; SEC has multiple with 3–4, led by Coleman and Olugbode).
Talent perception and depth: The SEC entered 2026 with more highly regarded receivers and the most players on the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list. Names like Cam Coleman (Texas transfer), Ryan Coleman-Williams ( Alabama ), and others carried higher preseason buzz and NFL upside projections. The Big 12's group is productive but generally viewed as less top-heavy in pure talent.
Context: Early nonconference schedules, offensive schemes and defensive quality differ. Big 12 offenses appear more pass-oriented or efficient in generating chunk plays so far. The SEC is typically deeper and faces a historically tougher overall slate as conference play intensifies. National leaders (from the Big Ten or Group of Five) currently sit ahead of both conferences' tops in some cases.
Bottom line: Through three weeks, Big 12 individual receivers have posted higher yardage and more explosive numbers at the top. The SEC group remains deeper with higher preseason pedigree and should close any gaps (or pull ahead) once full conference schedules hit.
Texas 27, Tennessee 24
Ohio State 34, Illinois 14
Baylor 28, Colorado 14
Notre Dame 42, Purdue 10
Georgia 33, Oklahoma 28
Ole Miss 37, Florida 24
Houston 31, Georgia Southern 10
UCF 27, TCU 21
Michigan 17, Iowa 14
Utah 31, Iowa State 10
Penn State 27, Wisconsin 21
Kansas State 31, Cincinnati 14
West Virginia 34, Oklahoma State 31
USC 24, Oregon 21
Arizona 35, Washington State 21
Last week 10-4; Overall 37-7 (.840)
Utah Utes wide receiver Braden Pegan (7) scores a touchdown during a football game against the Utah State Aggies at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
