Decoding the Legacy: Who Holds the Title of Wide Receiver U?
Every year you will find college football fans having debates about which programs are the best. Some discuss coaching, players, and overall program success. A popular discussion over the last few years has been about which program is known for producing the best wide receivers. This debate has different criteria depending on the person you ask, before diving deeper into the article I would like to define my personal criteria. When discussing these programs, I am factoring in how good the player was in college, how many receivers get drafted to the NFL, and how good the player is in the NFL. College success is important, I just value how many players are drafted to the NFL and how successful they are a tad more in this discussion. Okay, now that the criteria has been explained, let’s get started.
Alabama
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You cannot discuss drafting and developing players in the NFL without bringing up the University of Alabama. Alabama for the last 15 years has been the definition of success at the college level. Not only does the program win, but they develop college players and a majority of them pan out and become stars at the higher level. Though I would love to focus on every position, we are focusing on wide receivers today. The receivers representing Alabama are Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Don Hudson, and Ozzie Newsome. Though Jones and Cooper are still playing, Alabama still has plenty of talent dominating today’s game. Some names are Devonta Smith, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Judy, Jaylen Waddle, and Jameson Williams. Alabama has produced at the minimum of three Hall of Famers with Jones, Hudson, and Newsome. Since just 2009, Alabama has had eleven wide receivers drafted, eight of them have been selected in the first round. Transitioning to college production, Alabama has had one wide receiver win the Heisman Trophy with Devonta Smith (2020). The Crimson Tide has also had three players win the Biletnikoff Award, Devonta Smith (2020), Jerry Jeudy (2018), and Amari Cooper (2014). Alabama is currently tied with Pittsburgh and Oklahoma State for the most Biletnikoff Award winners.
Louisiana State University
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It’s not surprising to see one of Alabama’s biggest rivals on this list. You know what they say about college football in the South, it just means more. It feels that out of this list, LSU’s receivers have the most star power compared to the other programs in this discussion. Some of the best Tigers to play in the NFL are Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, D.J. Chark, Dwayne Bowe, and Brandon LaFell. LSU has always produced elite talent at the next level, but there was a shift in the 2010s. Both Landry and Beckham took the league by storm in 2014, they set a standard for an LSU wide receiver. Both players dominated for several years, but Chase and Jefferson look to continue to excel in the 2020s. Though LSU has not produced a receiver in the NFL Hall of Fame, it would not shock me to see either Chase or especially Jefferson make it there one day. Jefferson has taken the NFL over since being drafted in 2020. He recently just won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award last season (2022). LSU has produced 39 receivers in NFL draft history, 21 of them being drafted since 2,000. Since 2,000, the university has had six receivers drafted in the first round. Though no Heisman winners for LSU when it comes to the wide receiver position, they have had two players win the Biletnikoff Award. Those players are Ja’Marr Chase (2019) and Josh Reed (2001).
Ohio State University
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The last program that deserves to be on this list is the Ohio State University. Ohio State has been giving both Alabama and LSU a run for the money when it comes to this competition. The best Ohio State receivers to play in the NFL in the past are Ted Ginn Jr, Terry Glenn, Michael Jenkins, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes, and the legendary Cris Carter. Like both LSU and Alabama, OSU has plenty of talent dominating the NFL. Some of these players are Garrett Wilson, Micheal Thomas, Chris Olave, Terry McLaurin, and Curtis Samuel. Not to mention there are high expectations for rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba and even higher expectations for potential generational talent Marvin Harrison Jr. Prior to the 2023 college football season, Harrison is being discussed as a potential top-three pick in next year’s draft. OSU produced one receiver to make the NFL Hall of Fame with Cris Carter and also had Michael Thomas win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award(2019). Now, looking at how many receivers are drafted into the NFL is where Ohio State flexes its muscle. The program has had a total of 48 receivers selected in NFL draft history, only second behind USC. The school has had the most picks of any program since 2000 with an impressive 22 receivers drafted. OSU has had seven receivers drafted in the first round, but this might as well be eight with Harrison Jr. being a lock for a first-round pick next season. At the college level, Ohio State only has one Biletnikoff Award winner, Terry Glenn won the award in 1995. Like LSU, Ohio State has never had a receiver win the Heisman Trophy.
Overall, you can argue that all of three of these programs can be put in the number one spot. I personally have Alabama at one, they have the most wide receivers drafted in the first round since 2000, they have produced the most Hall of Famers at the position, and they are tied for the most Biletnikoff Award winners. LSU is at number two, they are heavily carried by the production of Jefferson, Chase, Landry, and Beckham in the 2010s and 2020s. Ohio State is at number three but you can make the argument that they could be two as well. The argument for that is the upcoming talent they have produced, every year it seems they have a star receiver drafted in the first round that always produces instantly.
