A common debate in college football circles is who is wide receiver U? A number of programs have had success producing star wide receivers for the NFL and laid claim to the title through the years.
LSU immediately comes to mind as a strong contender for both WRU and the best wide receiver room of all time. Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase starred on the team’s 2019 national championship team and quickly became stars in the NFL. Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, who played for the Tigers from 2011-2013, became stars at the next level as well.
Alabama has had a strong track record of producing star receivers for the NFL. Throughout Nick Saban’s tenure, the Crimson Tide have produced eight first-round receivers, most of which have had stellar careers on Sundays. This list includes Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith and Jameson Williams.
While those are very impressive track records of producing NFL receivers, many would argue that no school has done as good of a job of producing receivers in recent memory as Ohio State.
In fact, current superstar receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. recently replied to a Twitter post about the best wide receiver of all time, claiming it is in fact the Buckeyes.
OSU 2021 Spring room https://t.co/1S0xmEcT8o
— Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) July 19, 2023
Harrison Jr.’s answer of the Ohio State 2021 spring room is a great answer and hard to argue against because the room was absolutely loaded with top-tier talent.
Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave went on to be the No. 10 and 11 picks in the 2022 draft and had very strong rookie seasons. Spring of 2021 was prior to Jameson Williams’ transfer to Alabama: He was the No. 12 pick in that draft.
Garrett Wilson: Tough to tackle. pic.twitter.com/7J809ZtOUJ
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) January 8, 2023
Smith-Njigba who broke the Big Ten receiving yards record the following season is also a part of this room. He was a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, coming off the board at No. 20 to the Seattle Seahawks.
That is four receivers who were first-round picks, and, somehow, there will almost certainly be two more. Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka headline the next draft’s wide receiver class and are projected locks to be first-rounders themselves.
If that happens, it would mean six future first-round picks at wide receiver were in the same room in the spring of 2021. That is quite remarkable to think about and gives the Buckeyes a strong claim to be considered WRU.
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