During a podcast appearance, DeVonta Smith was asked if he’s the greatest wide receiver in college football history, to which he affirmed but credited other great receivers like Julio Jones, Amari Cooper, and Justin Blackmon for inspiring him. Smith’s standout 2020 season at Alabama earned him the Heisman Trophy and multiple awards, including the Biletnikoff Award for the best receiver, after setting SEC records with 117 receptions, 1,856 yards, and 23 touchdowns. Throughout his college career, Smith amassed 235 receptions, 3,965 yards, and 46 touchdowns, while also succeeding in the NFL with 308 receptions and 4,011 yards in his first four years.
Could DeVonta Smith be considered the finest wide receiver in college football history?
This question was posed to the former Alabama star during his appearance on Thursday’s podcast episode “7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony.”
“I’d say yeah,” Smith responded. “But at the same time, being a receiver who has watched others, I recognize those who didn’t have the opportunities I did. Take Julio (Jones) in a run-heavy offense; he was often the only target in the passing game but still achieved great things. Then there’s (Amari) Coop(er), who consistently outperformed everyone. And let’s not forget Justin Blackmon, who won the Biletnikoff twice. These are the kinds of players I respect.
“I know my performance was strong, but those guys were equally impressive. They pushed me to elevate my game, making me strive for excellence.”
As part of the Crimson Tide’s 2020 undefeated CFP national-championship squad, Smith earned the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award, the three major Player of the Year distinctions. He also received the Biletnikoff Award for being the nation’s top receiver and the Hornung Award for versatility.
As a unanimous All-American and SEC Offensive Player of the Year, Smith recorded 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2020. His yardage and touchdown counts are single-season records for the SEC, with only Cooper surpassing him in receptions with 124 in 2014.
Both Smith and Michigan’s Desmond Howard stand out as the only wide receivers to win the Heisman, Maxwell, and Camp awards. In his Heisman season, Howard made 61 receptions for 950 yards and 19 touchdowns, but also contributed significantly on special teams with 12 kickoff returns averaging 31.1 yards and 15 punt returns averaging 17.4 yards, scoring once in each category in 1991.
Smith had 11 punt returns for an average of 21.5 yards and one touchdown in 2020.
In discussing notable receivers before him, Smith mentioned two other former Alabama stars: Jones and Cooper.
Jones, a star from Foley High School, caught 179 passes for 2,653 yards and 15 touchdowns for Alabama from 2008 to 2010. In that span, he represented 31.5% of the team’s receiving yards and 28.8% of the touchdown receptions.
Cooper tallied 228 catches for 3,463 yards and 31 touchdowns from 2012 to 2014, making up 34.0% of Alabama’s receiving yards and 33.3% of touchdown receptions during those years.
Over his four seasons at Alabama, Smith initially recorded just eight receptions for 160 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman. However, one of those catches was a crucial 41-yard touchdown in the CFP national-championship game against Georgia, helping secure the victory at 26-23 in overtime for the 2017 season.
In his subsequent three years at Alabama, Smith amassed 227 receptions for 3,805 yards and 43 touchdowns. In this timeframe, he contributed to 27.2% of the Crimson Tide’s receiving yardage and 30.1% of their touchdown receptions.
Jones set the single-season record for receiving yards at Alabama with 1,133 in 2010. Cooper broke that record with 1,727 yards in 2014, only for Smith to surpass it in 2020.
A similar trend is seen in the Tide’s records for single-game receiving yards. Jones set the record with 221 yards against Tennessee in 2010, only for Cooper to increase it to 224 yards against Tennessee and Auburn in 2014, with Smith ultimately eclipsing them with 274 yards versus LSU in 2019.
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Blackmon clinched the Biletnikoff Award at Oklahoma State in both 2010 and 2011. Since its inception in 1994, the Biletnikoff has had only one other two-time recipient — Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech in 2007 and 2008.
With an impressive 235 receptions for 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns over his four years at Alabama, Smith holds the SEC records for receiving yards and touchdown receptions, ranking third for career receptions in the conference.
When he transitioned from Alabama to the NFL, Smith stood sixth in NCAA FBS history for single-season receiving yards, 23rd for career receiving yards, fifth for single-season touchdown receptions, and fifth for career touchdown receptions.
Since leaving Alabama, Smith has recorded 308 receptions for 4,011 yards and 27 touchdowns over four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, becoming one of just 13 players in NFL history to achieve those milestones in their first four years.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.