Georgia football has produced many great wide receivers over the years. The debate of “who is the best” could last forever.
There’s no need to debate that today. Instead, we’ll champion the four players who make up the Mount Rushmore of Georgia football wide receivers.
A.J. Green, 2008-10
Few players forced Georgia to change their offense as much as AJ Green did when he arrived in 2008. No longer were the Bulldogs a run-first team under head coach Mark Richt. Georgia became a truly balanced offense in order to get the most out of Green.
Green was unstoppable from the moment he arrived on campus. He put the nation on notice with a 159-yard performance against Arizona State in just his fourth game. That was the first of seven 100-yard games for Green.
If not for injuries and a bogus suspension, Green would likely own every major receiving record at Georgia. Yet, despite missing seven games during his three seasons, Green is near the top of Georgia’s record books in receiving yardage, touchdowns and receptions.
Green was a constant during a turbulent era of Georgia football. He brought the Bulldogs into a new era on offense and went on to have an illustrious NFL career. For all of that, Green deserves a spot on Georgia’s Mount Rushmore of receivers.
Terrence Edwards, 1999-2002
The only Bulldog receiver with a 1,000-yard and 10-touchdown season is Terrence Edwards. In 2002, Edwards caught 59 passes for 1,004 yards and 11 touchdowns. It’s without a doubt the best season for a wide receiver in school history.
More importantly, Edwards’s prolific year helped end Georgia’s 20-year SEC Championship drought and lead the Bulldogs to their first 13-win season.
Edwards was already a great receiver before 2002. He accumulated nearly 2,100 yards and 19 touchdowns in his first three seasons as a Bulldog. His record-setting year made him a Georgia football legend. To this day, Edwards is the only Georgia receiver with 200 catches, 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in a career.
Brice Hunter, 1992-95
Before Edwards and Green, the best receiver in school history was Brice Hunter. If Eric Zeier was the quarterback who brought Georgia’s offense into a new pass-heavy era, Hunter was the receiver who helped him do so.
By the end of his time in Athens, Hunter had obliterated almost every school receiving record. In 1993, he became the first Bulldog to surpass 900 yards ultimately ending the year with 970 yards. His 76 receptions that year is a record that still stands, no one has come close to breaking it.
In 1994, with Terrell Davis battling injuries, Hunter became the first receiver to become the centerpiece of Georgia’s offense. While Hason Graham ended the year as Georgia’s total yards leader, Hunter was on the receiving end of many more passes.
Tavarres King, 2008-12
After 2010, Georgia and head coach Mark Richt was in trouble. The Bulldogs were coming off a 6-7 season, and AJ Green was leaving for the NFL. Someone had to step up on offense to help lead Georgia out of the dark ages. That someone was Tavarres King.
He became a reliable target for sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray by catching 47 passes for 705 yards with eight touchdowns. King’s effort led to one of the greatest rebound seasons in school history. Georgia won the SEC East and finished with a 10-4 record in 2011.
The best was yet to come for King. After ending 2011 with a 205-yard performance in Outback Bowl, King carried that momentum into a 950-yard campaign in 2012. He surpassed 100 yards four times that year to lead Georgia back to the SEC Championship Game.
King had a wonderful day against Alabama, catching five passes for 142. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to lead the Bulldogs to victory, but King’s leadership helped bring Georgia to the closest it had been to a national title in 30 years.
Honorable Mention
- Malcolm Mitchell, 2011-15
- Chris Conley, 2011-14
- Mohamed Massaquoi, 2005-08
- Fred Gibson, 2001-04
- Reggie Brown, 2000-04
- Hines Ward, 1994-97
- Juan Daniels, 1993-96
- Hason Graham, 1992-94
- Andre Hastings, 1990-92
- Lindsey Scott, 1978-81
You may also like
Projecting Georgia’s G-Day Offensive Depth Chart: Pre-Spring Edition
Kirby: “Cornerback is Up for Grabs”
Join the community
Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinSI
Follow Kyle Funderburk on Twitter: @DKFunderburk
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking “Follow” on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @DawgsDailySI.