The top 50 college wide receivers of all time

Austin was converted from a running back to wide receiver during his freshman year. He had a solid sophomore season, but it all came together in his junior year. His last two seasons of college, he had 101 and 114 receptions for 1,186 and 1,289 yards, respectively. He caught 29 touchdowns at West Virginia, but that wasn't all he did there. He rushed for 1,033 yards with six touchdowns as a Mountaineer and returned five kicks for touchdowns. 

Barnes was converted from quarterback to receiver at Bowling Green, and it took time to get going in his new role. He eventually did, and his senior season is one of the best ever. That year, he caught an FBS record 155 passes for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns. In a game against Kent State, he caught 22 passes — one short of the record. 

Hawaii took a chance on Bess after some off-field issues scared off other programs, and he rewarded its trust. Over three seasons, he caught 293 passes for 3,610 yards and 41 touchdowns. He was an all-WAC performer all three years and owns school records for receptions and receiving touchdowns. He was a major part in Hawaii's most successful season in program history, when the Warriors went 12-0 and played in the Sugar Bowl. 

When the award for best wide receiver is named after you, it is probably a safe bet you'll make it on a list of the top 50 receivers. Biletnikoff starred at Florida State as both a receiver and a defensive back and excelled at both. As a receiver in a time when passing wasn't prevalent, he caught 100 passes in his Seminoles career with 70 of them coming in his senior season. That year, he led the nation with 1,179 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. In the Gator Bowl, he would catch 13 passes for 192 yards and four TDs against Oklahoma. 

Many people think of Blackmon as one of the biggest busts in NFL history, but he was an outstanding college player who just couldn't conquer his demons once he left Stillwater. In three seasons, he caught 253 passes for 3,564 yards and 40 touchdowns. He broke out during his sophomore season by winning the Biletnikoff (111 rec., 1,782 yds, 21 total TDs) and while his yardage numbers went down, he caught 122 passes his junior season (when he won the Biletnikoff again).  

When a receiver wins a Heisman Trophy, that player had one of the best seasons ever; Brown won the award in 1987. The receiving stats in that season may not wow you (39 catches, 846 yards, three TDs) but he also ran back three punts for touchdowns. This was in a day and age before spread offenses and when Notre Dame was a crushing running program. Brown still made huge plays all year (and throughout his career) and ended his career as the all-time all-purpose yardage leader in Fighting Irish history.

His junior season may have been Broyles' best, as he caught 131 passes for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was a consensus All-American in both 2010 and 2011. In 2011 despite being limited to just nine games, he set the career record for receptions (since broken) with 349. He is currently third all time in career receptions and receiving yards. 

Bryant's talent wasn't in question during his time at Oklahoma State. When he was on the field, he performed. In 28 games with the Cowboys, he caught 147 passes for 2,425 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also was a great punt returner, averaging 19.6 yards per return and taking three to the house. He played in only 28 games due to NCAA violations of his dealings with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He was ruled ineligible during his junior year and would enter the NFL Draft. 

Carter was a speedy receiver in a time when Michigan was a run-heavy offense. He caught 161 passes for 3,076 yards and 37 touchdowns for the Wolverines and ran two punts back for touchdowns. "AC" was a three-time All-American and a Big Ten Player of the Year and one of the greatest players in Michigan history. 

Carter became the Buckeyes' first ever All-American wide receiver. He caught 168 passes for 2,725 yards and 27 touchdowns at Ohio State. As a freshman, he set Rose Bowl records with nine receptions for 172 yards. His catch in the 1985 Citrus Bowl is among one of the best in college history. He would miss his senior season after it was discovered that he had signed with an agent. Still, Carter was an athletic talent who helped usher in a more pass-friendly offense in the Big Ten.

Cooper got off to a great start, catching 59 passes for exactly 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught two scores in the Crimson Tide's blowout of Notre Dame in the BCS championship game. After an injury-plagued sophomore season, Cooper blew up again with 124 receptions, 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns...all school records. 

Crabtree was a great receiver, and it certainly doesn't hurt that he played in the Red Raiders' high-flying offense. He was a quarterback in high school but since he was converting to receiver at Tech, he redshirted his freshman year. That was a brilliant decision, as he broke out with 134 receptions, 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns in his freshman season. In his sophomore year, he made an amazing catch-and-run for a touchdown with one second left in the game to beat No. 1 Texas, 39-33. He would go on to set eight college football records before leaving for the NFL after his sophomore year.

Davis set school records for a freshman and would be named the MAC Freshman of the Year. His next three seasons would see him gain at least 1,400 receiving yards in each year. In his senior season, he would catch 97 passes for 1,500 yards and 19 TDs, as the Broncos would go 13-0 during the season before losing to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. He is the all-time leader in receiving yards (5,278).

Dillard may be more important to his school than most of the names on this list were to theirs. He completely blew up the Owls' record book and helped take Rice to its first bowl game in 45 years. He caught a touchdown pass in all 13 games of the 2006 season, an FBS record. His 60 receiving touchdowns is the most all time for a receiver in NCAA history.

After his freshman season, when he was sparingly used, he became one of the most consistently great receivers in the nation. He became only the third receiver in NCAA history to have three consecutive 1,000 yards receiving seasons. He had 17 games in which he had at least 100 yards. He won the 2004 Biletnikoff Award. 

Edwards had a remarkable three-year career with Louisiana Tech. He caught 280 passes for 4,352 yards and 50 touchdowns. In his senior season, he won the Biletnikoff Award after catching 140 passes for an NCAA-record 27 touchdowns to go with his 1,996 yards. In that season's opener against Nebraska, he caught 21 passes for 405 yards and three TDs. 

Evans played just two seasons with the Aggies, but they were electric. He caught 151 passes for 2,499 yards and 17 touchdowns. Against Alabama in 2013, he piled up 279 yards receiving. Later in the year, he had 11 catches for 278 yards and four TDs against Auburn. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception during his Texas A&M career and was a consensus All-American his sophomore season. 

Although Fitzgerald played just two seasons at Pitt, he is regarded as one of the best receivers of all time. He caught 161 passes for 2,677 yards and 34 touchdowns in those two years and barely missed winning the 2003 Heisman Trophy. He did win the Walter Camp Award for the best college player and the Biletnikoff Award that year. His 18 straight games with a touchdown reception is an NCAA record.

When you can set a bunch of records at a place like Notre Dame, you know you're pretty darn good. Floyd set Irish records for catches (271), receiving yards (3,686) and receiving touchdowns (37). He rushed the ball only four times at Notre Dame, but one of those went for a touchdown. He was consistently good but would catch 100 passes in his senior season. 

No, Fryar's statistics won't make you swoon...especially when held up against pretty much everyone else's on this list. He caught 67 passes in his career for 1,196 yards and 11 touchdowns (he also ran for 615 yards and five TDs). But he played for a Cornhuskers program — that ran the option offense — which had Heisman winner Mike Rozier and Heisman finalist Turner Gill and also placed Fryar as a wingback in certain formations. Despite the amount of opportunities to make plays, he was big when it mattered on one of the greatest offenses in college football history. He would be the No. 1 overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft.

Gaffney played only two seasons with the Gators after redshirting his first season in Gainesville. Still, he put up 2,375 yards on 138 catches in those two years and scored 27 touchdowns. He is the only Gator to ever have two 1,000 yard receiving seasons and was named all-SEC both seasons. 

Ginn was such a dangerous threat for the Buckeyes. In his three years in Columbus, he caught 135 passes for 1,943 yards and 15 touchdowns. But that wasn't all he did. He also rushed for three touchdowns and returned two kickoffs and six punts for touchdowns. Ginn would even throw a touchdown pass in his junior season. As a freshman, he led the nation in punt return average.

Hardy caught 387 passes at East Carolina, second all-time in FBS history to teammate Zay Jones. His 4,541 receiving yards is fourth all time. All this by a walk-on at East Carolina. He received no FBS scholarship offers yet turned down FCS offers to walk on at ECU where he turned that opportunity into what eventually became a record-setting college career and, eventually, an NFL career. 

After catching just one pass during his freshman season, Harris put up three straight seasons of at least 1,400 receiving yards. His finest season was as a senior when he caught 109 passes for 1,650 yards (137.5 yards per game) and had 13 touchdowns while winning the Biletnikoff Award. His 4,518 yards is fifth-best in FBS history.

Harvin truly did everything for a Gators program that won two national championships during his three seasons in Gainesville. Harvin could line up at receiver, quarterback or running back, and he also ran back kicks. He would catch 194 passes for 1,852 yards and 19 touchdowns as well as rush for 1,929 yards and 12 scores. Injuries limited him during his Florida career, but he was so dangerous whenever and wherever he was on the field.

Hass was a walk-on as a freshman at Oregon State before tearing off a string of three 1,000 yard seasons. Over that time, he caught 220 passes for 3,924 yards and 20 touchdowns and became just the 10th player to have three straight 1,000 yard seasons. He holds many Oregon State receiving records. In 2005, Hass won the Biletnikoff Award.

Hayes may possibly be the fastest man to ever play college football. He attended Florida A&M on a football scholarship but was best known as a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Still, he was a great college receiver when passing wasn't as big as it is today. He led the team with 11 touchdowns in 1963 and was a stellar kick returner all four years. 

In 1998, Holt was named the ACC's Offensive Player of the Year when he caught 88 passes (then a league record) for 1,604 yards and 11 touchdowns. For his Wolfpack career, he gained 3,379 yards receiving and 31 touchdowns. 

Howard became the last receiver to win the Heisman trophy when he captured the award in 1991. Like one of the other receivers who won, Tim Brown, Howard did a bit of everything to earn it. He caught 62 passes for 985 yards and 19 touchdowns...and even rushed for two touchdowns. He ran a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown that year, and his touchdown against rival Ohio State at the end of the regular season brought us his legendary Heisman pose. 

Way back when people still called it "forward passing," Hutson (jersey No. 14 in the photo) set the standard that receivers (or split ends) would hold themselves to as football evolved. He created many of the routes that receivers still use to this day and won a national championship with the Crimson Tide. He was retroactively named the Heisman Trophy winner in 1934 (an unofficial award) when the National Football Foundation tried to honor players prior to the inaugural award in 1936. 

Insley is second all time in receiving yardage with 5,005 yards during his career with the Wolf Pack. He has had more 200-yard receiving games than anyone (six) and is third all time in receptions (298). No, he never saw the spotlight as most on this list, nor was he in the big games the others were in (he also had just a cup of coffee in the NFL), but he was big in the games he played. 

Irvin was one of the first big-play receivers to play for Miami. Irvin caught 143 passes (then a school record) for 2,423 (then a school record) and 26 touchdowns (still a school record). His most memorable moment was catching a 73-yard touchdown pass late in a win over rival Florida State, which propelled the Hurricanes to the 1987 national championship. 

Ismail wasn't just an amazing receiver. Lou Holtz could put him all over the field to make plays for some really good Fighting Irish teams. His stats aren't as glaring (71 career receptions, 1,565 receiving yards, 1,015 rushing yards, nine rushing and receiving touchdowns) as his effect on football games. He also returned kicks (six total return touchdowns and an amazing 27.6 yards per kickoff return), and his amazing 91-yard punt return for a touchdown in the 1991 Orange Bowl that would have given him a second national championship was called back on a controversial clipping penalty. He was such a big name that he thumbed his nose at the NFL and instead signed with the Canadian Football League after college.

In just three seasons at Southern Cal, Jarrett caught 216 passes for 3,138 yards and 41 touchdowns. His best season was as a sophomore when he caught 91 balls for 1,274 yards and 16 touchdowns. His finest game may have been his last when he gained 203 yards in the 2007 Rose Bowl win against Michigan. He also had a 54-yard touchdown grab as a freshman in the 2005 Orange Bowl that helped the Trojans win the game and the BCS championship. (That title is now vacated.)

Megatron was just so athletically gifted that it seemed unfair at the college level. He was on the first team all-ACC squad all three seasons and was an All-American twice, the ACC's Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year and Biletnikoff winner. Despite being the focal point of opposing defenses, he caught 178 passes for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career. 

Johnson's college career started at West Los Angeles College where he starred for two seasons before transferring to USC. In those two seasons, he caught 168 passes for 2,796 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was a consensus first team All-American both seasons and was the MVP of the 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic and 1996 Rose Bowl. Keyshawn became just the third receiver to be drafted with the No. 1 overall pick (Dave Parks, 1964; Irving Fryar, 1984) and to date the last.

Largent wasn't well known in college, playing at Tulsa of the Missouri Valley Conference. In three seasons, he caught 136 passes for 2,385 yards and 32 touchdowns. He led the nation in touchdown receptions in 1974 and 1975 and was all-MVC both seasons. After a Hall of Fame NFL career, Largent would move back to Tulsa and become a U.S. congressman from 1994 until 2002.

Moore was as solid and steady of a receiver as any. He caught 114 passes during his career (1988-1990) for 2,504 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was a two-time All-American, and he left UVa with the ACC's single-season receiving yards mark (since broken) and still ranks second all time in career touchdowns and receiving yards for the Cavaliers. Moore also holds the school record for the high jump. 

Moss played only two collegiate seasons and only one in the FBS. (Marshall transitioned to the higher division while he was there.) In those two seasons, Moss caught 174 passes for 3,529 yards and 54 touchdowns. Marshall would win the NCAA Division I-AA title in 1996. In his sophomore season, he was a sports highlight show staple when the Thundering Herd had him doing everything — he caught 96 balls, rushed for a touchdown and ran back kickoffs and punts. He scored a touchdown in every game he played for Marshall. 

Reed began his career at LSU as a running back but was moved to receiver when Nick Saban became the Tigers head coach in 2000. In two seasons as a receiver, he caught 159 passes for 2,867 yards and 17 touchdowns. He set SEC yardage records for a game (293 yards) and a season (1,740) and still holds the record for average yards per game in a season (145.0 in 2001).

Rice is widely regarded as the best wide receiver in NFL history, but he was also a fantastic receiver in college — even if it was at Division I-AA Mississippi Valley State. In his 1984 season, Rice caught 112 passes for 1,845 yards (both were D I-AA records) and 27 touchdowns (NCAA record). For his college career, he caught 301 passes for 4,693 yards and 50 TDs — the touchdown mark was the NCAA record until 2006.

Rogers played just two seasons for Sparty, but he packed in a lot in such a small amount of time. In his sophomore season, he caught 67 passes for 1,470 yards and 14 TDs. He put up nearly identical numbers his junior season (68 rec, 1,351 yds, 13 TDs) and won both the Paul Warfield and Fred Biletnikoff Awards. His 27 receiving touchdowns is still a Michigan State record. 

In 1965, Twilley caught 134 passes for 1,779 yards and 16 TDs. The yards set an NCAA record that would stand for 30 years. His 13.4 receptions per game record still stands. He was ahead of his time as a smallish receiver who was the focal point of a passing attack that just wasn't seen in the 1960s. He would go on to be the only Miami Dolphin to play on the inaugural 1966 team who also was on the perfect 1972 Super Bowl winning team.

Van Dyke's college career was for only two seasons, but it was quite the two years. He caught 98 passes in 1994 and 129 passes in 1995 and totaled 3,100 yards and 26 touchdowns for his career. He averaged 10 receptions and 140.9 yards per game over his 22 games with the Wolf Pack. 

Warrick wasn't just a receiving threat, but he was also one of the best kick and punt returners in the nation. He caught 207 passes in his Florida State career for 3,517 yards and 32 touchdowns and rushed for four touchdowns. As a returner, he ran two punts back for touchdowns and even passed for two TDs in his career. 

Washington was consistently a big-play receiver during his four years in Stillwater. He caught 226 passes for 4,472 yards and 39 touchdowns. He averaged 19.8 yards per catch and won the Biletnikoff Award his senior year when he gained 1,549 yards in the air.

After a decent freshman year in Huntington, Watts exploded in his sophomore season. He caught 91 passes for 1,417 yards and 18 touchdowns. Before he left Marshall, he would catch 272 passes for 4,031 yards and 47 touchdowns, breaking several of Randy Moss' records. 

Williams played only two seasons with the Trojans and will always carry a "what if" with his career. His freshman season saw him catch 81 passes for 1,265 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he would follow that up with 95 receptions for 1,314 yards and 16 TDs his sophomore year. He would then challenge the NFL's rule on draft eligibility (being three years removed from high school) but ultimately failed. Since he hired an agent, he couldn't play for USC anymore and sat the 2004 season. Still, those two years were outstanding.

Williams was consistently great and actually stayed all four seasons in Austin. He caught 241 passes for the Longhorns for 3,866 yards and 36 touchdowns. He left Texas as the program's all-time leader in all three of those categories. He averaged 16 yards per catch for his career and even rushed for three scores. He also was a track star at Texas and given the nickname "The Legend" at the school. 

When Woods' time at Oklahoma State was done, he set Big 12 records for receptions (293), receiving yards (4,414) and receiving touchdowns (42). In 2003, he set the FBS record with his seven touchdowns in a game against SMU. His junior season may have been his best when he caught 107 passes and had 1,695 yards and 17 TDs.