Ranking the best wide receivers in Penn State Football history
By Nick Kreiser
No. 5 wide receiver in Penn State Football history
Deon Butler (2004-2008)
Career Stats:
Receptions: 179
Receiving Yards: 2,771
Touchdowns: 22
Accolades
- All-Big Ten Freshman team (2005)
- Freshman All-American (2005)
- 3rd round NFL Draft pick (Seahawks)
What Deon Butler lacks in accolades, he more than makes up for in production.
He is third in career receptions, and held that record for nearly a decade before DaeSean Hamilton broke it in 2017. He is also third in career receiving yards and fourth in receiving touchdowns.
As a redshirt freshman in 2005, he played a key role on the team that won the Big Ten, defeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl, and was just one second away from an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game.
Additionally, in that season, Butler set four freshman school records – single-season receptions (37), receiving yards in a single game (125 against Wisconsin), receiving yards (691), and touchdowns catches (9). Three of those four have since been broken (all by DaeSean Hamilton in 2014). Single-season touchdown receptions by a freshman is the only one that still stands.
He was also a star on the 2008 team that also won the Big Ten.
Deon Butler got off to a great start as a freshman, and never let up, as he went on to have one of the most productive careers ever by a Nittany Lion wideout.
No. 4 wide receiver in Penn State Football history
Chris Godwin (2014-2016)
Career Stats
Receptions: 154
Receiving Yards: 2,421
Touchdowns: 18
Accolades
- All-Big Ten (second team in 2015, third team in 2016)
- 3rd round NFL Draft pick (Buccaneers)
It might come as a surprise to some people that Chris Godwin is this high on the list, but despite only playing three seasons with the Nittany Lions, he is top ten in career receptions (8th), receiving yards (6th), and receiving touchdowns (tied for 5th).
Plus, he did all that with somewhat limited talent around him for much of his first two seasons.
Godwin was an instrumental part of the dynamic Penn State offense in 2016 that helped lead the team to a Big Ten Championship.
Perhaps his most impactful play from that season (that nobody talks about) is his diving catch on the game tying final drive against Minnesota. If he doesn’t make that play on a third and 10 with less than a minute to go, the Nittany Lions likely lose that game and don’t go on the run they went on.
Chris Godwin was very steady and productive throughout his Penn State Football career, and was excellent at hauling in jump balls and making plays in traffic, making him not just one of the best receivers of the James Franklin era, but in school history.