We took an initial stab at selecting the top four wide-receivers in Ohio State football history, but then we had an extremely hard time pairing it down to just those few names. Since we felt like we left some really exceptional players off the list — especially at a position like wide-receiver, so … we decided to give it another run.
We’re expanding it a bit and putting a list together on the top ten pass-catchers in Ohio State history. Some names you’ll definitely include in your own list, while others may be open for debate depending on what era you grew up watching, and what your idea of great is.
It isn’t always the guys with the best stats that fall in line with the way they’re ranked. So, here it is (drum roll please)… the top ten wide-receivers in Buckeye lore regardless of era.
Next … 10 through 8
No. 10 – Devin Smith (2011-2014)
When Urban Meyer got to Columbus, he referred to the receiver position as a clown show. To be fair, he didn’t mean there wasn’t talent on board. He meant the group needed to develop and work hard to become a unit worthy of Ohio State standards.
Just two short years later, we all recall what Devin Smith became. You probably remember him most from catching long range missiles from Cardale Jones during the improbable run to a national title at the end of the 2014 season, but he was more than that.
Smith was a game-breaker. He could take the top off any defense and had a ridiculous 20.7 yards per catch average for his career. He is currently 5th all-time in career yards (2,503), 4th in yards per catch (20.7), and 2nd in career touchdowns (30) at OSU.
No. 9 – Parris Campbell (2015-2018)
Yes, Campbell put together quite a career at Ohio State. It could be argued that he came to Columbus right at the moment when the passing game took off because of superior quarterback play. The flip side of that is that the quarterbacks benefited from his presence on the field.
A threat to take it the distance at any time, he had a quick step and gear that not many other players in the history of Ohio State could even dream about. In fact, maybe we were wrong. Maybe Campbell was faster than Gin, Jr.?
Regardless, the accomplishments are worthy of inclusion. He set the single-season record for receptions in a year (90), and was just the fifth Ohio State player to top 1,000 yards receiving in a season in 2018. For his career, Campbell graduated ranked seventh in school history with 143 career receptions.
And almost untalked and forgotten about, Campbell is also the all-time program leader in average kickoff return yards (30.4). All of that adds up to say he’s one of the program’s best, and maybe a little underrated.
No. 8 – Ted Ginn, Jr. (2004-2006)
Ted Ginn, Jr. may have been the fastest Buckeye to ever run through the tunnel in Columbus. He didn’t have quite the allusiveness as others on the list, but his straight-line speed once he got into open field was second-to-none. He also returned kicks and was a literal house of horrors for Michigan. That alone, should qualify for him for one of the best in school history.
As it is, Ginn has the eighth-most receptions (135) and tenth-most receiving yards (1,943) in Ohio State history. He’s also in the record books as having the most punt return touchdowns in a season and career in Columbus. Take that to the house.
Next … 7 through 4
No. 7 – Gary Williams (1979-1982)
Many Ohio State fans won’t remember Gary Williams because he played a little before their time. His stats shout out from a time in which the spread and passing game evolution had yet to really take off though. He was the favorite target during the early years of the Earle Bruce tenure.
Williams is still on the record books at Ohio State as 3rd in career receiving yards (2,792), receptions (154), and per-catch average (18.1). He still holds the record for most games in a row with a catch with 48-straight. It would be interesting to see what he would do in today’s day and age.
No. 6 – Santonio Holmes (2003-2005)
The next receiver on the list took Tressel Ball and turned it upside down. Jim Tressel made his mark by having his teams play exceptional defense and special teams, while using the offense in an opportunistic fashion to win by outlasting an opponent.
But when he found out what he had with Holmes, he couldn’t help but spread it around a little — at least when the punt wasn’t wowing his psyche. The stats probably could have been better in another setting, but Holmes was still a game-breaker on the outside that could get into space whenever a big-play was needed.
Holmes is currently 5th in total receptions (140), 6th in total yards (2,295), and 4th in career touchdowns (25) at Ohio State.
No. 5 – Joey Galloway (1991-1994)
Remember what we said about stats not telling the whole story? Galloway struggled with injuries in his career, but when he was finally healthy, he put up did some pretty remarkable stuff. He too was a speed burner that reportedly ran one of the fastest times ever at the NFL Combine.
He earned All-Big Ten first-team his junior year and still sits near the top in a few career receiving categories at Ohio State. He’s 6th in program history in yards (1,894) and career touchdowns (19), but his skill set says he was much more than what the record books read.
He also had a long and stellar NFL career and can probably still beat most college players in a foot race today.
No. 4 – Michael Jenkins (2001-2003)
Even the most casual Buckeye fan remembers the second play in this video. Faced with a fourth-and-one at the Purdue 36, Craig Krenzel found Jenkins in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. This score kept Ohio State’s perfect season intact and ultimately led to a berth in the national championship game. You know the rest of the story from there.
While the commentators seemed shocked at this play call, it actually makes sense looking back on it. After all, Jenkins is the school record holder in receiving yards (2,898) and third in OSU history in catches (157). More impressively, he caught at least one pass in 38 straight games, including four in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
Jenkins played 12 seasons in the NFL, catching 354 passes for 4,827 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Next … The top three in Ohio State history
No. 3 – Terry Glenn (1992-1995)
Terry Glenn had a year nobody will forget. It took awhile to get on the field because he began as a walk-on, but his junior year was one filled with acrobatic catches and game-breaking runs through opposing secondaries. Do yourself a favor and dial-up some of the circus catches he made, you won’t regret it.
You won’t find Glenn on a lot of the top-end career stats, but he’s the only Ohio State receiver to have won the Biletnikoff Award that goes to the best wide-receiver in the country annually. He did that because of a 1995 season that saw him set single-season Ohio State records for catches (64), yards (1,411), and touchdowns (17).
Glenn also holds the single-game receiving yardage record in program history with a whopping 253 yards against Pittsburgh that same year, in a game the Buckeyes won 72-0.
Unfortunately, he left us way too soon just two years ago in a tragic car accident.
No. 2 – David Boston (1996-1998)
Statistically speaking, David Boston is the best receiver in program history. He ranks first in career receptions, first in career touchdowns, and second in receiving yardage. He also posted the best single-season by a Buckeye receiver, catching 85 passes for 1,435 yards in 1998. That total includes a 217-yard effort against TTUN, sparking OSU to a 31-16 victory.
He came ready to play as well, immediately becoming a starter his freshman year, and was a huge part of the offense for three years before turning pro in 1999. He was a rare blend of size and speed. He could catch balls in traffic or outrun you, it didn’t matter.
He went on to be the eighth pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1999 NFL Draft, and had a solid career at the next level.
No. 1 – Cris Carter (1984-1986)
And the No. 1 receiver in Ohio State history is none other than Cris Carter. Admit it — as soon as you saw the name, you thought of Chris Berman quipping, “all he does is catch touchdowns.”
Carter ranks fourth in school history in receiving yardage, third in touchdowns, and second in receptions. He also posted the third-best individual season by a Buckeye receiver in 1986, hauling in 69 passes for 1,127 yards. Not surprisingly, he was a consensus All-American that year.
His stats could have been even bigger had he not been forced to leave college early because of his dealings with an agent while still an amateur. Actually, it appears that agent knew exactly what he was working with.
As great as he was in college, Carter was even better in the NFL. In sixteen NFL seasons, he caught 1,101 passes for 13,899 yards, and 130 touchdowns. He led the league in receiving touchdowns three times (1995, 1997, 1999) and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
