Ranking the best wide receivers in Penn State Football history

Penn State Football has a rich history filled with superstars all over the field, and while linebacker has historically been the program’s best position, there have been plenty of excellent wide receivers that have worn the blue and white, too.

Jahan Dotson is the most recent elite pass-catcher to come through State College, as he was the focal point of the Nittany Lions’ offense the past two seasons and went on to become a first-round NFL Draft pick.

Where does he rank among the best receivers in program history, though?

Let’s find out, as we rank the top 10 wide receivers in Penn State Football history.

*We will not take NFL careers into account, but we will take into account where they were drafted, as that is largely based on their performance throughout their college career. We will also take into account stats/production, accolades, and what they may or may not have had around them.

No. 10 wide receiver in Penn State Football history

Bryant Johnson (1999-2002)

Career Stats

Receptions: 110

Receiving Yards: 2,008

Touchdowns: 10

Accolades

• All-Big Ten first team (2002)
• 1st round NFL Draft pick (Cardinals)

Bryant Johnson’s Penn State career had a pair of sub-.500 years (2000 and 2001) sandwiched between a couple of good years in 1999 and 2002.

In 2001, Johnson was the bright spot on an offense that averaged just 22.5 points per game.

However, in 2002, the team turned it around, in large part due to Larry Johnson’s 2000-yard season.

Bryant was once again the go-to receiver that season, but Larry’s rushing ability took some of the defense’s focus away from the passing game.

Nevertheless, Bryant Johnson still had a great Penn State career, as he currently sits at ninth in career receiving yards in school history, helping him to become a first-round pick.

No. 9 wide receiver in Penn State Football history

DaeSean Hamilton (2013-2017)

Career Stats

Receptions: 214

Receiving Yards: 2,842

Touchdowns: 18

Accolades

• All-Big Ten second team (2014 and 2017)
• 4th round NFL Draft pick (Broncos)

In 2014, DaeSean Hamilton had arguably the greatest freshman season of all-time by a Penn State receiver, bursting onto the scene right away in the first game of the season with an 11 catch, 165-yard game against UCF in Dublin, Ireland.

That year, he caught 82 passes for 899 yards, both of which are school records by a freshman, and the 82 catches is also third-most all-time for a single season for any Nittany Lion.

Also in 2014, against Ohio State, he set the single-game receptions record, not just by a freshman, but by anyone. He hauled in 14 passes that day against the eventual National Champion Buckeyes (a record that still stands nearly a decade later).

All of that led him to earn all-conference honors as a redshirt freshman.

From a statistical standpoint, Hamilton took a step back in his sophomore and junior campaigns, but was still a key contributor for the 2016 Big Ten Championship team.

In his senior year in 2017, he got back to his old self and once again was an all-conference selection, capping his Penn State Football career with a two-touchdown performance against Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.

DaeSean Hamilton is the school’s all-time leader in receptions (by a relatively wide margin), is second in receiving yards, and tied for fifth in touchdown catches, making him one of the most productive receivers in Penn State history and comfortably securing a spot in the top 10.

No. 8 wide receiver in Penn State Football history

Derrick Williams (2005-2008)

Career Stats

Receptions: 161

Receiving Yards: 1,743

Touchdowns: 9

Accolades

• Freshman All-American (2005)
• All-Big Ten freshman team (2005)
• All-Big Ten first team (2008)
• 3rd round NFL Draft pick (Lions)

If we were ranking these players by their overall abilities as a football player, Derrick Williams would certainly be higher on this list, as he was extremely versatile, rushing for 594 yards and eight touchdowns in his career, as well as having three punt return and two kick return touchdowns.

However, if we are trying to keep this as strictly about traditional wide receiver duties as we can, No. 8 is a good spot for D-Will.

Williams is not in the top ten for receiving yards or touchdowns, but he is sixth in school history for receptions.

He played crucial roles on the 2005 and 2008 Big Ten Championship teams, and had a big-time catch as a true freshman for the 2005 team in particular.

In the fourth game of the season, the Nittany Lions traveled to Northwestern and trailed the Wildcats by two with under a minute to go, until Williams hauled in a 36-yard touchdown to take the lead and avoid the upset. If he doesn’t make that play, Penn State likely loses that game and does not go on to become the conference champions.

Williams is also currently the highest rated high school prospect in Penn State history with a .9986 grade from 247Sports, with Micah Parsons as a close second at .9982.