From Cris Carter to Marvin Harrison Jr, we rank the top 10 Ohio State Buckeyes wide receivers of all time.
You know you’ve got a great history of wide receivers when it takes several hours to figure out which guy is going to miss out on the final top 10. The likes of Curtis Samuel, Parris Campbell, Doug Donley, Gary Williams, Dee Miller, KJ Hill and Anthony Gonzales all could have made this list after excellent careers with the Buckeyes.
The men who were arguably most unfortunate to miss out were Terry Glenn and Terry McLaurin. While both went on to become excellent NFL receivers – with McLaurin still making plays to this day – their college production was not quite enough to make a glittering top 10 full of college football superstars.
Ohio State Wide Receivers History
The history of great Ohio State wide receivers really began with Doug Donley in the late 1970s. Donley was known as ‘white lightning’ for his remarkable speed. In four seasons with the Buckeyes, he caught 102 passes for 2,252 yards. He holds the highest yards per catch total of any Buckeyes wide receiver in the school’s top 20, with a truly outstanding 21.2 yards per catch.
Gary Williams then became the star in 1979 and remains second all-time in the Buckeyes receiving category, catching 154 passes for 2,792 yards and 16 touchdowns over a four-year career.
They were followed by Cris Carter in the 80s, one of the greatest Buckeyes of all time and now an NFL Hall of Famer, and since then the list has continued to grow stronger and stronger with a lot of the names that feature on this list and the honorable mentions above. The Buckeyes had two wideouts drafted back-to-back with the 10th and 11th picks in the 2022 NFL draft, with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave being selected by the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints respectively.
Ohio State football’s history at the position is very impressive, and many of these former Ohio State football players went on to have decorated careers in the NFL.
The Buckeyes are among the schools with the most wide receivers drafted in the first round in NFL history, with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr and Carnell Tate adding to that total in the past few years. Seven of the 10 players on this list are first-round selections, another is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and one is set to become a high first-round pick – and potentially No. 1 overall – in the 2026 NFL Draft. Is Ohio State the real WRU? They certainly have a very strong case for it.
Current Ohio State Wide Receivers in the NFL
The aforementioned Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both made excellent starts to their careers in the NFL despite a carousel of quarterbacks for both the Saints and the Jets. Both guys’ talent has transitioned to the pro level and the two former Buckeyes both earned lucrative second contracts in the NFL.
The most recent star receivers from Ohio State who reached the NFL include the 2024 No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr, who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ No. 19 pick in 2025, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, who was picked fourth in the 2026 draft by the Tennessee Titans.
A current standout star is Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, and has since gone on to be one of the NFL’s top-rated wide receivers, a claim that was solidified when Smith-Njigba was awarded the Offensive Player of the Year in 2025. He would then follow that up with a win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Terry McLaurin was a star player for the Buckeyes, and is now in his eighth NFL season with the Washington Commanders, who drafted him back in 2019.
Let’s get into ranking the greatest Ohio State football wide receivers of all time.
Ranking the 10 best Ohio State Wide Receivers of all time
10. Garrett Wilson (2019-2021)
Garrett Wilson is one of the Buckeyes’ most recent success stories at the wide receiver position. Wilson grew better and better through his three seasons with Ohio State, contributing to every game in his freshman year before taking on a more prominent role in year two.
His second season saw Wilson catch 43 passes for 723 yards having switched from the outside to a slot receiver position, proving he could play anywhere across the line. Wilson’s third and final season alongside quarterback CJ Stroud was the most productive and resulted in him becoming one of the most sought-after talents in the NFL draft the following April.
Garrett Wilson caught a career-high 70 passes that season for 1,058 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns before opting out of the 2022 Rose Bowl and heading for the draft. In his rookie season, Wilson surpassed 1,000 receiving yards despite multiple quarterback changes between Zach Wilson and Mike White. He appears set to be one of the league’s future stars.
9. Michael Jenkins (2001-2003)
Jenkins was a three-year starter at Ohio State from 2001 to 2003. He started 38 of 39 games and caught a pass in 38 consistent games while playing for the Buckeyes.
He was a receptions machine, catching 157 passes over his tenure, a total that lands him fifth all-time on the Buckeyes receptions leaderboard. He was a leader for the team and heralded by teammates as the 2002 MVP for his unselfish attitude and ability to always come up with the big plays when they were needed.
None more important perhaps than the ‘Holy Buckeye’ play Jenkins made against Purdue in the dying embers of their 2002 encounter. On 4th and 1 with the game set at 6-3 to Purdue, the Buckeyes went for it. Instead of trying to pick up a couple of yards for the first down, quarterback Craig Krenzel threw the ball deep and it was Michael Jenkins who caught it in the endzone, marking one of the most famous plays in school history.
Jenkins is also well known for his catch in the National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes, where he caught a pass on 4th and 14 that extended the Buckeyes drive and eventually led to them winning the FCS National Championship.
The former Buckeye went on to become a first-round draft pick, and while he didn’t quite manage to live up to the hype of his selection, Jenkins still spent nine seasons in the NFL, the majority of which he spent with the Atlanta Falcons, who had drafted him. Jenkins caught the very first NFL pass of Matt Ryan’s career.
8. Joey Galloway (1991-1994)
In the early 90s, Joey Galloway became the next big thing at the wide receiver position in Columbus after Cris Carter’s impressive college career.
Galloway caught 47 passes for 946 yards and 11 touchdowns in his junior year, receiving first-team All Big Ten honors, before adding another successful season as a senior in 1994. By the time he was headed for the NFL draft, Joey Galloway was fourth in career receptions (104), and receiving yards (1,894), and second in touchdown catches (19), behind only Carter, who is heralded as perhaps the best to have ever played the position at Ohio State.
Joey Galloway is yet another first-round draft selection, picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1995 NFL draft. He went on to set rookie records for the Seahawks, and spent 16 seasons in the NFL, the majority of which were spent with the Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
7. Santonio Holmes (2003-2005)
Holmes redshirted the 2002 season which had ended with the Buckeyes winning the BCS National Championship, before starting to make an impact for the team in 2003. He had been a phenomenal high school athlete, playing football and basketball and excelling in track too.
The speedster was thrust into the lineup in 2003 following a season-ending injury to Drew Carter, and quickly became one of the team’s biggest playmaking threats. He caught seven touchdowns that season and went on to become a key member of the Buckeyes offense for the following two years.
Holmes was consistently dangerous in 2004 and 2005, catching another 108 passes and 18 touchdowns across the two campaigns. He headed for the NFL draft with 140 catches as a Buckeye and 25 receiving touchdowns, a total that landed him third all-time in touchdown receptions in school history at the time.
Of course, Holmes went on to become famous for his Super Bowl MVP performance against the Arizona Cardinals as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He caught nine passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in the game, including four key receptions on the game-winning drive that resulted in Holmes himself catching the winning touchdown in the dying moments of the game. He spent four seasons with the Steelers before being traded to the New York Jets, where he would spend another four years.
6. Chris Olave (2018-2021)
Chris Olave’s consistent production for the Ohio State Buckeyes landed him fifth overall in the school’s all-time receiving rankings. In his freshman year, Olave made minor contributions on offense and special teams before breaking into the lineup in 2019.
In three seasons, Olave caught at least 49 passes each year and amassed a total of 36 touchdowns during his college career. His 35 receiving touchdowns broke the school record of 34 set by David Boston in the late 90s.
Olave was known for his polished route running, ability to create separation, and find the open spot at all times. He makes for a very reliable target and has proven to do the same in his rookie year in New Orleans too.
The talented wide receiver moved on to the NFL after totaling 2,702 receiving yards off of 175 receptions and his record-breaking 35 receiving touchdowns. He was drafted 11th overall by the New Orleans Saints.
5. Michael Thomas (2012-2015)
Michael Thomas fought his way into the Buckeyes starting lineup early in the 2014 season, proving to be a reliable target and ending the season as the team leader in receiving yards and touchdown catches. Thomas was a key piece of the Buckeyes’ surge to the College Football Playoff and helped the team to the 2015 College Football National Championship title.
Through three seasons, Thomas made 113 catches for 1,602 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was remarkably consistent, with just five drops in his college career, and managed to be productive considering the team was a run-first offense at the time.
The young star was considered a top draft prospect with the ability to beat defensive backs one on one in all scenarios. He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, where he quickly became one of the league’s most impressive wideouts. Thomas becomes the first player on this list who wasn’t drafted in the first round, which is quite astounding.
4. Cris Carter (1984-1986)
Carter was one of the most heavily recruited talents in the country for his dominance both as a football player and on the basketball court. After breaking into the football team during his freshman year, he decided to focus all of his energy on the gridiron, which as it turned out seemed to be a pretty good decision.
Carter set a Rose Bowl record as a freshman, catching nine passes for 172 yards in the 1984 season. He was ahead of his time and showed a phenomenal ability to make athletic catches and control his body in the air. He was well known for his sideline ability and catching footballs in tight spaces, including the famous catch thrown by quarterback Jim Karsatos.
Karsatos had later explained that he was trying to throw the ball out of bounds, but Carter plucked it out of the air a yard out of bounds and somehow ‘levitated’ to get his feet back in bounds. His former QB labeled it the greatest catch of all time in college football.
Carter became the first Ohio State All-American wide receiver after his junior year performance in 1986 and is highly regarded as perhaps the best Ohio State wide receiver of all time. However, he did lose his senior year after signing with a sports agent in secret. When the deal was discovered Carter was ruled ineligible and his college football days were over. The Buckeyes offense slumped without him, and he would head for the NFL draft.
Of course, we know how the rest of this story goes. Cris Carter would go on to become one of the greatest wide receivers of his generation and one of the best to ever do it. He spent three years with the Philadelphia Eagles, failing to keep his career on track amidst drug and alcohol issues before being cut. He was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings and would go on to spend the next 12 years of his career there.
While it took him a while to get going, Carter turned his fate around. He had a breakout year in his seventh year in the NFL, notching his first 1,000-yard receiving season. Carter would go on to generate eight consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Vikings, was an 8x Pro Bowler, a 2x First Team All-Pro, and led the NFL in receiving on three separate occasions.
Carter was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. His story is one of the greatest not only for his successes but for the way he rerouted his career and chose a better path for himself, all before going on to be one of the greatest of all time.
He finished his career with 13,899 receiving yards and 130 touchdowns, catching 1,101 passes over his 16-season pro career.
3. David Boston (1996-1998)
David Boston spent three seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1996 to 1998, and still holds the record for career receiving yards despite the heavy increase in passing offense in recent years.
Boston was a three-year starter, playing in 37 games. He caught 191 passes for 2,855 yards and 34 touchdowns, all of which set school records at the time. His 1998 campaign saw him total 85 receptions for 1,435 yards and 13 touchdowns. His single-season yardage has only been topped by Michael Jenkins in 2003 and Jaxson Smith-Njigba in 2021, and his 34 career Buckeye touchdowns were only surpassed by Chris Olave in 2022.
Overall, Boston set or tied with 12 Ohio State receiving records during his time as a Buckeye. He also holds records such as the most games with 100+ receiving yards in a career (13) and a single season (8).
Boston was a big-game player who shone in the big moments, including a game-winning touchdown in the dying moments of the 1997 Rose Bowl against Arizona State. He also displayed one of the best single-game performances in the history of the rivalry against the Michigan Wolverines. In 1998, David Boston caught ten passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
In a developing theme for this list of OSU greats, Boston was also a first-round draft pick, selected eighth overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 1999.
2. Marvin Harrison Jr. (2021-2023)
Harrison only started for two years at Ohio State, but his incredible numbers for the Buckeyes deservedly earned him a place near the top of this list.
With 15 career games of over 100 receiving yards and two 1,000-yard seasons – both of which are Ohio State records – Harrison was one of the most dominant skill position players in college football from 2021 to 2023. Even as a freshman, it was clear that he had the potential to overshadow his more senior team-mates including Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Jaxson Smith-Njigba.
Even after all three of those star receivers departed for the NFL draft, leaving Harrison to face double-coverage throughout his Ohio State career, he continued to prove uncoverable for opposing defensive backs.
Harrison boasted a rare combination of size, strength and speed for a college athlete, and was one of the most polished receivers college football has ever seen, leading to him being drafted at No. 4 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
The two-time All-American is the first Ohio State receiver ever to be taken with an NFL top-five pick, and he’s deservedly top of this list.
1. Jeremiah Smith (2024-present)
Despite still being in his junior season, Jeremiah Smith has deservedly forced his way into the conversation and cemented his place at the top of this list. With a National Championship already to his name following the Buckeyes’ 2024 title win, Smith now officially holds all of Ohio State’s receiving records, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
After an impressive freshman campaign that included 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, Smith followed it up with another outstanding season in 2025, recording 1,243 receiving yards as a sophomore.
Now in his third year, Smith broke the school’s career receiving yards record against Kent State in a 59-3 victory. Just two weeks later, he added the career receptions and receiving touchdowns records to his already impressive list of achievements. He is also tied with Marvin Harrison Jr. for 15 career games with more than 100 receiving yards, with over half of the 2026 season still remaining.
With the Heisman Trophy in his sights, along with another National Championship, it appears increasingly likely that Smith will continue rewriting the record books and placing his name among the greatest players in college football history.
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