3 Greatest Wide Receivers in Clemson History

We just took a look at the top-3 quarterbacks in Clemson history, but who were the greatest passers' most reliable targets downfield? The list of candidates is a little longer for wide receivers, with some huge names coming out of Clemson over the course of its past.

Some honorable mentions include recent stars like Tee Higgins and Hunter Renfrow, as well as veterans of the sport, like Terry Smith and Perry Tuttle. Aaron Kelly was probably the closest snub however. The wideout played with Clemson from 2005-08, just before Dabo Swinney took full control of the program and turned it into something special. Here are the three players that top the all-time WR positional chart for Clemson.

3. Mike Williams (2013-16)

It was a tough call between Aaron Kelly and Mike Williams. Both wide receivers had four-year careers at the university, and Kelly had more receptions and total yardage than Williams. Mike did have more yards per catch and touchdowns, but the main reason I went with the current Los Angeles Charger was for the time period he played. Sure, Williams played with Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson, but the Tigers were also 49-7 during his four seasons. They didn't come close to that record when Kelly was with the school. Have to give it to the more influential player in the more memorable moments.

2. DeAndre Hopkins (2010-12)

DeAndre Hopkins has an easy case to make as the best NFL wide receiver to come out of Clemson University, but it's hard to make the argument that he was the best in a Tiger uniform. Playing with Tajh Boyd, Hopkins had 206 college receptions for 3,020 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was First-team All-ACC in 2012 and an ACC Champion in 2011. Unfortunately for DeAndre, he was out-shined by one other, his teammate.

1. Sammy Watkins (2011-13)

The Sammy Watkins we all now know as a recent Super Bowl Champion was once a Clemson Tiger, and a really great one at that. He is the all-time leader in receiving yards for the university with 3,391, and he is second in receptions behind Artavis Scott. Watkins played with Hopkins for two seasons, and his college stats outmatch him in almost every way (even if his NFL stats have been far inferior). He even had 339 rushing yards as a Tiger. Beyond the 2011 ACC Championship, Watkins was named ACC Rookie of the Year, First-team All-ACC twice, and First-team All-American twice. Until the next Clemson legend comes along, this honor is Sammy's.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.