As I sat down after work on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 and watched The Rose Bowl, I started thinking about Bowl games of the past and how much the game of college football has changed over the years. We are nearing the end of the beginning of the first season of a new era in college football. Gone are the days of poll champions, BCS Bowls and the 4-team playoffs. We are now in the age of NIL deals and the 12-team playoff system. A lot has changed in college football in a relatively short amount of time. One thing that hasn’t changed throughout the years is the impact that a star wide receiver can have on the game. One needs to only look at the numbers of Ohio State’s freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith (7 receptions, 187 yards and 2 touchdowns) in the very game I just finished watching, to see what a playmaker at the wide receiver position can do towards the outcome of a game. Smith’s performance and my own little trip down college football’s memory lane inspired the following list of The Top College Wide Receivers…Of My Lifetime.

12. Jeff Samardzija: Notre Dame (2003-2006)

Jeff Samrdzija was a standout athlete in basketball, baseball and football at Valpariso High School in Indiana before accepting an athletic scholarship to Notre Dame to play the latter two sports. He immediately made a name for himself as a freshman pitcher for the Fighting Irish. It took him a little longer to make his presence felt on the football field as he played sparingly his first two seasons before breaking out in a big way in his junior year. Samardzija hauled in 77 passes for 1,249 yards and 15 touchdowns that year on the way to becoming an All-American. His receiving yards and touchdowns set Notre Dame single season records. He followed that up with another stellar season in his senior year with 78 receptions for 1,017 yards and another 12 touchdowns. After really only playing 2 seasons Samardzija still ended his career as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 2,593. Pretty impressive for a school that has produced some special receivers including Tim Brown, Raghib Ismail and Golden Tate, just to name a few. I was always a Samardzija fan because of his two-sport status. In fact after leaving college he initially planned to play in both the NFL and MLB before deciding to focus solely on baseball. He ended up pitching for 13 seasons in the majors making one All-Star team. But I will always remember him the most for special Saturdays in South Bend, snagging footballs out of the air and streaking down field with his hair spilling out the back of his gold helmet.

11. Ted Ginn Jr. : Ohio State (2004-2006)

Ted Ginn Jr. is somewhat of an anomaly on this list for a couple of reasons. Firstly he didn’t start his career as a wide receiver at Ohio State. He was recruited as a defensive back and played his freshman season at that position before converting to receiver for his sophomore season in 2005. The second reason is even though he was a great receiver, he was an absolute weapon on special teams returning kicks and punts for the Buckeyes. He returned 8 kicks for touchdowns during his time in Columbus and was always a threat to break a big return and change the momentum of a game. This was on display when he returned the opening kickoff of the 2007 BCS National Championship Game for a 93 yard touchdown. Unfortunately he was injured in the subsequent celebration and did not return to the game and Ohio State’s chances of victory paralleled Ginn’s exit, as they were soundly defeated 41-14 by the Florida Gators. Ginn went on to be drafted 9th overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2007 NFL Draft and had a serviceable career as a receiver and return specialist, although he never quite captured the magic and electricity that he displayed in college.

10. Keyshawn Johnson: USC (1994-1995)

Keyshawn Johnson was a local kid from Los Angeles who rose above the prevalent gang culture in LA and became a star for the hometown USC Trojans. Johnson was almost a “what could have been” story but was able to turn his life around via football. After spending the beginning of his college career at West Los Angeles College, he performed well enough to earn a transfer to Southern Cal where he played two seasons earning All-American honors both years and winning PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Year in 1995. Keyshawn was one of the biggest stars at receiver in college football history. He even appeared on episode of the popular television show Coach while still at USC. Johnson was tabbed as a can’t miss NFL prospect and was drafted 1st overall by the New York Jets in the 1996 NFL draft. He makes his appearance on my list due to his superstar status and his stellar performances in two Rose Bowls.

9. Michael Crabtree: Texas Tech (2007-2008)

Back before Richard Sherman let us know what happens when you try him with a receiver like Crabtree, in one of the most famous post-game interviews in history, Michael Crabtree was making opposing defenses sorry playing wideout at Texas Tech. Crabtree was a quarterback in high school, but changed positions to receiver during his redshirt freshman season. The move proved to be the right one as Crabtree had one of the best seasons ever for a receiver in college football history. Operating in head coach Mike Leach’s innovative air raid offense, Crabtree lead the nation in receptions (134), receiving yards (1962), and receiving tds (22). His numbers dipped a little in his sophomore season but it was still impressive enough to see him finish 5th in Heisman voting and spur the 49ers take him with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Crabtree was memorable for being one of the most dominant receivers in college football history and also for making one of the most iconic plays in college football history. Texas Tech was trailing 33-32 with 8 seconds left in the game against their rival, the number 1 ranked Texas Longhorns. Quarterback Graham Harrell dropped back and threw it to Crabtree even though everyone knew he would try to and even though Texas had him double covered. Crabtree snared the ball around the 10 yard line, shook a defender and tight roped his way into the end zone to give Texas Tech perhaps their biggest win in program history. Maybe the Longhorns should’ve recruited Richard Sherman.

8. Tavon Austin: West Virginia (2009-2012)

Tavon Austin was a virtual Swiss Army knife on offense for West Virginia in the early 2010’s. After a legendary high school career as a running back for Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Austin accepted a football scholarship from the Mountaineers and was converted to wide receiver upon arriving on campus in Morgantown. He played sparingly as a freshman and put up nice numbers as a sophomore before going ballistic during his junior and in particular his senior campaign. Austin pulled in 114 reception for 12 tds, rushed 643 yards and 3 tds and added both a kick return and punt return td in his stellar senior season. It was always a treat to watch Austin and quarterback Geno Smith dissect defenses in West Virginia’s innovative offensive system. The highlights were plentiful and led to Austin being immortalized with one of the most classic “mixtapes” of all time. If you know, you know.

7. Julio Jones: Alabama (2008-2010)

Speaking of mixtapes, Julio Jones’ high school highlight reel was pretty legendary in its own rite. I remember watching it with my best friend Herndon when we worked together at Pass Furniture. This was back during the infancy of YouTube and I was in awe of the technology almost as much as what I was witnessing Jones do on the field. He was a man amongst boys and he ran over, around and past his opposition with ease. Nick Saban took over the Alabama head coaching position in 2007 and went 6-6. Enter Julio Jones in 2008 and things changed dramatically. Jones became the first ever freshman receiver to start in a season opener for Alabama and he didn’t disappoint. He finished his first year with 924 yards and 4 touchdowns, helping carry The Crimson Tide to a perfect regular season before they ultimately fell to Florida in the SEC Championship, causing them to miss out on the BCS title game. It didn’t take Alabama and Jones long to make amends as they went undefeated in the regular season again in 2009, setting up an SEC Championship rematch with the Gators. They handled Florida with ease and did likewise with Texas in National Championship Game, bringing home the first of six titles for Saban at Alabama. Julio was a big reason why and his high school highlight film was a big reason why I was always a big fan of him.

6. DeVonta Smith: Alabama (2017-2020)

The previous entry Julio Jones did a lot in terms of paving the way for future Alabama star receivers, such as the current entry, DeVonta Smith. Smith had a pretty unremarkable freshman year at Alabama, tallying only 8 receptions all season. That is until the 2018 CFP National Championship Game against The Georgia Bulldogs. Even that game was trending towards unremarkable for Smith as he didn’t record a reception until the final play of the game. After Georgia squandered a 13-0 first half lead and Alabama missed a game-winning 36 yard field goal as time expired in regulation, the game headed to overtime. Georgia got the ball first in OT but was only able to produce a field goal. When Alabama took possession, true freshman quarterback Tua Tagovoiloa, who took over for ineffective starter Jalen Hurts in the second half, was sacked on the first play. This set up a second and 26 from the 41. Tua dropped back to pass and found an open DeVonta Smith streaking down the sideline behind the defense. Tagovoiloa dropped an absolute walk-off dime into Smith’s hands, immortalizing the two players in college football history. Smith would go on to have a legendary career for The Crimson Tide, including taking home The Heisman Trophy and another National Championship in his senior season when he led the nation in receptions (117), receiving yards (1856), and receiving touchdowns (23). But honestly he wouldn’t have needed to catch another pass aside from his game winner in the 2018 natty to make my list. THWG!!

5. Peter Warrick: Florida State (1995-1999)

Peter Warrick was one of the most dangerous receivers in college football history. He was actually a danger to my health in the 2000 BCS National Championship Game. More on that in a bit. First a little about Warrick’s career at Florida State. He put up solid numbers during his first two years in Tallahassee before emerging as one of the nation’s top receivers and punt returners in his junior year. He hauled in 61 passes for 1232 yards and 12 touchdowns that year, leading The Noles to the National Championship game where they ultimately fell short to Tennessee. The next year expectations were high for FSU as they entered the season ranked number 1. They lived up to the hype going undefeated and earning a spot in the BCS National Championship Game against the Michael Vick led Virginia Tech Hokies. Two of the most electrifying players in college football history were set to square off. As if this wasn’t interesting enough to watch, me and a group of friends decided to spice it up a little by creating a little drinking game to enhance our viewing experience. I don’t exactly remember the all of the rules, or all of the game for that matter, but I do remember that every time Vick or Warrick scored a touchdown the participants had to finish their current drink in addition to taking a shot. The game ended up being a high scoring affair with the Seminoles prevailing 46-29. Vick and Warrick accounted for 5 touchdowns combined with Warick going off for 160 yards receiving and two scores and adding a punt return touchdown for good measure. As the Seminoles were hugging it out over their triumphant Sugar Bowl victory, I was hugging a toilet bowl feeling anything but victorious.

4. Randy Moss: Marshall (1996-1997)

We go from a Florida State receiver to a receiver who was briefly enrolled there, Randy Moss. After a legendary high school athletic career at DuPont High School in West Virginia, Moss actually initially committed to play football at Notre Dame. An off-field incident landed him in legal trouble and his scholarship was rescinded. Moss pivoted to FSU but was forced to redshirt due to his letter of intent to Notre Dame. During that redshirt season, Moss failed a drug test which violated his probation from the earlier incident and was subsequently dismissed by the Seminoles. Moss ultimately landed at Marshall where he could play without waiting another season since the school was still in Division 1-AA at the time. Randy got right to work obliterating 1-AA receiving records. He set records for the most games with a touchdown catch in a season (14), most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (13), most touchdown passes caught in a season (28 – tying Jerry Rice’s 1984 record), and most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season (1,709 on 78 catches), a record which still stands. He led The Thundering Herd to an undefeated record and a Division 1-AA National Championship. Oh, he had 4 touchdown receptions in the Championship Game, by the way. The next season Marshall moved up to Division 1 but Moss was utterly unfazed by the increased level of competition. He put up video game numbers with 90 receptions for 1,647 yards and 25 touchdowns and took home several postseason awards, was a unanimous All-American and finished 4th in Heisman voting. Moss ended his career at Marshall with at least one touchdown scored in all 28 games he played. He was perhaps the best pure athlete to ever play the position. Plus Moss had style, he played with flare and he dominated the game unlike anyone ever had.

3. Travis Hunter: Colorado (2023-2024)

Travis Hunter has been blazing a trail on the football field ever since his high school days at Collins Hill in Suwanee, Georgia. A star on both sides of the ball playing both receiver and cornerback, he led the school to his first ever state title on his way to becoming the nation’s top recruit. Hunter initially committed to Florida State, but he pulled one of the biggest shockers in college football recruiting history when he flipped his decision to go play for FSU legend and Jackson State head coach, Deion Sanders. To Coach Prime’s credit, he didn’t try to pigeon hole Hunter into one role or the other, allowing him to continue playing corner and receiver. When Deion accepted the head coaching position at Colorado the next year, Hunter followed a long and the two along with Deion’s son and star quarterback, Shedeur, started setting the college football world on fire. The hype surrounding the Buffaloes was real and it grew each week as they started the season 3-0 before coming back to earth and finishing with a 4-8 record. Heading into the 2024 season expectations were high in Boulder and Hunter definitely did his part to live up to them. He stood out on both sides of the ball and was the best player on the field at all times of every game, playing nearly 1,400 snaps. For his efforts Hunter was awarded The Heisman Trophy. In addition, Hunter was the first player in college football history to win both the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player, and the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver.

2. Desmond Howard: Michigan (1989-1991)

Now we move from the most recent Heisman winner to the player who became infamous for striking “The Heisman Pose”, Desmond Howard. Howard was actually a star running back in high school at St. Josheph’s in Cleveland and was recruited to Michigan as such. He switched to receiver before starting his college career. He also returned kicks and punts for The Wolverines. Howard struggled to find playing time his freshman year but turned it around in his sophomore season when he led The Big Ten in receiving yards and touchdowns. He doubled down on those feats again the following year, putting up even better numbers and placing himself squarely in the middle of the Heisman race heading into the final game of the 1991 season, “The Big Game” against arch rival Ohio State. The Buckeyes vowed to keep the ball out of the in-state kid who got away’s hands, but late in the second quarter Ohio State’s punter made the mistake of not kicking the ball out of bounds as intended. It ended up in Howard’s hands and he returned it 93 yards for a score. He struck the pose and ended up being immortalized on the cover of Sports Illustrated as well as in college football history.

1. Calvin Johnson: Georgia Tech (2004-2006)

If you’ve read many of my past posts or know me personally, then you could probably guess who would end up in the number 1 spot. Calvin Johnson. Calvin had everything that you could ever want in a wide receiver. Size and strength: Standing at 6’5″ and weighing in at 237 pounds, he was a large, imposing figure who towered over and over powered defensive backs. Speed, clocked at 4.3 in the 40-yard dash, Johnson could blow the top off of coverage. Leaping ability: On top of being 6’5″ Johnson could also jump over practically anyone with his 40+ inch vertical. Calvin also possessed a high football IQ. Add it all together and you had one of the most physically gifted, dominant receivers in college football history. As a lifelong Georgia Tech fan I was beyond excited to watch Calvin Johnson play for The Yellow Jackets. Before he was dubbed Megatron, he was making super hero catches on the flats in Atlanta. One such reception became known as “The Spider-Man Catch” due to the way Calvin twisted his body in mid-air and reached behind him to snag an inaccurate pass. It looked like he had web slingers the way he pulled passes in. Johnson finished his career at Tech with virtually every receiving record in school history and took home the Biletnikoff Award as well as being named as a unanimous All-American in his junior year. He made being a Georgia Tech fun and exciting. It was always a pleasure to watch Calvin Johnson, The Top College Wide Receiver…Of My Lifetime.