There probably isn’t a more impressive list of top five wide receivers at any school in the Southeastern Conference than Alabama’s.
Only one player of the five listed here didn’t win a national championship. Only two didn’t pick up Heisman Trophy votes -- and one of those played before the award had even been created. And while some players with truly elite numbers were left off this ranking, we’re sticking with our five.
It really is a list of legends.
Honorable Mentions
- Ozzie Newsome (1974-1977)
- D.J. Hall (2004-2007)
- Calvin Ridley (2015-2017)
- Jerry Jeudy (2017-2019)
5. David Palmer (1991-1993)
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While we named only one true wide receiver ahead of Palmer on our list of the greatest 10 Alabama football players of all time, we’re going with four here.
Not that we’ve changed our mind about him. But the difference in the naming of the lists comes into play here as Palmer made marks as a return man and a running back, too.
As a wideout, he was far from a slouch. He was the first Alabama player in school history to record a 1,000-yard season receiving, doing so in 1993 when he earned third in Heisman Trophy voting.
His 1,611 yards in his career ranked third all-time for Tide players when he finished after that season and had he played in the modern era, he’d likely be even higher on this list.
4. Don Hutson (1932-1934)
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Speaking of non-modern players, Hutson earned two All-American seasons in his three years in Tuscaloosa.
He was so good in 1934 that the National Football Foundation named him the retroactive Heisman Trophy winner that season, two years before the award would be officially given.
A member of both the Pro Football and College Football halls of fame, Hutson’s plaque in the latter reads, “Fluid in motion, wondrously elusive with the fake, inventive in his patterns and magnificently at ease when catching the ball.” Hutson was ahead of his time.
3. Julio Jones (2008-2010)
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Plenty of arguments could be made for placing Jones at No. 1 on this list as he was a star for all three years with the Crimson Tide.
Jones was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2008, helped win Alabama’s first national championship since 1992 in 2009 with 43 receptions and finally finished with 78 grabs for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior in 2010.
When he was done, he ranked second in receptions and yards receiving in school history.
2. Amari Cooper (2012-2014)
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Other than the No. 1 player on this list, no one has ever put together a single season at wideout better than Cooper has. And his came before the insanity of the modern passing game.
In 2014, Cooper caught 124 passes for 1,727 yards, and 16 touchdowns to earn SEC Offensive Player of the Year, the Biletnikoff Award, unanimous All-American status, and a third-place finish in Heisman voting.
For his career -- which was only three seasons long -- his 228 grabs, 3,463 yards, and 31 scores rank second in school history, just behind…
1. DeVonta Smith (2017-2020)
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It was impossible to keep Smith out of the No. 1 spot.
He became the third Alabama player to ever win the Heisman when he captured it in his senior year of 2020 after catching 117 passes for 1,856 yards for a ridiculous 23 touchdowns. Smith also captured two national championships, winning in both 2017 and 2020.
His 46 touchdowns are 15 more than Cooper’s second-place total and 20 more than Jerry Jeudy, who sits in third.
In other words, he’s more than a complete stellar season ahead of his next closest competition in Alabama history. Throw in the record 235 catches and record 3,965 yards and his spot at the top is cemented.
More Alabama Football Rankings
- 10 Greatest Alabama Football Players of All-Time
- 5 Greatest Quarterbacks in Alabama History
- 5 Greatest Running Backs in Alabama History
- 5 Greatest Defensive Players in Alabama History
