The SEC’s top 25 receivers of the past 25 seasons

The 25th college football season of the 21st century ended on Monday night when Ohio State defeated Notre Dame 34-23 in the CFP national championship game. SEC Football by the Numbers’ review of the best of the conference’s past quarter-century started with the league’s leaders in passing yards on Wednesday, moved to the players with the most rushing yards on Thursday and continues with the players with the most receiving yards:

At the end of the 20th century, the top five on the SEC’s career chart for receiving yards featured Vanderbilt’s Boo Mitchell, Kentucky’s Craig Yeast, Arkansas’ Anthony Lucas, Tennessee’s Joey Kent and LSU’s Wendell Davis in the one through five positions, respectively. Twenty-five seasons later, those players rank 10th, 13th, 16th, 20th and 25th on the conference’s all-time list for receiving yards.

In the first 67 seasons of SEC football, 33 players accumulated at least 2,000 receiving yards in in their careers. During the 25 seasons of the 21st century, 77 SEC players have reached 2,000 career receiving yards – a difference reflecting changes in the game and making changes in the league’s leaderboard.

Playing at Alabama from 2017 through 2020, wide receiver DeVonta Smith not only became the conference’s all-time leader in receiving yards, he won the only one of the SEC’s 16 Heisman trophies that didn’t go to a quarterback or a running back.

The top 25 SEC players for receiving yards in the past 25 seasons include six from Alabama, three apiece from Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt and two each from Arkansas and Texas A&M. Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri and Tennessee are not represented among the 21st century’s top 25 from the conference.

The statistics presented here do not match the official NCAA totals for four players. Until the 2002 season, the NCAA did not count bowl statistics as part of a player’s season or career totals. These rankings include the bowl stats for four players – Georgia’s Fred Gibson, LSU’s Josh Reed and Michael Clayton and Ole Miss’ Chris Collins – whose official totals do not show their participation in bowls during the 2000 and/or 2001 seasons.

In each case, the player’s ranking changed. Particularly noteworthy was Reed, who had 23 receptions for 335 yards and three touchdowns in his missing two bowls. That moved the LSU wide receiver from 11th in 21st century receiving yards on the official list to fourth on the all-games-included list. Gibson moved from 10th to eighth, Collins went from 23rd to 21st and Clayton jumped from 25th to 19th.

• The SEC’s top 25 rushers of the past 25 years: Still chasing Herschel Walker
• The SEC’s top 25 passers of the past 25 years: A Bulldog at No. 1
• 12 SEC stars on College Football Hall of Fame ballot must wait at least another year

The top 25 SEC players for career receiving yards in the 21st century include:

1. DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 2017-2020: 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns on 235 receptions

2. Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt, 2010-2013: 3,759 yards and 24 touchdowns on 262 receptions

3. Amari Cooper, Alabama, 2012-2014: 3,463 yards and 31 touchdowns on 228 receptions

4. Josh Reed, LSU, 2000-2001: 3,202 yards and 20 touchdowns on 182 receptions

5. Bryan Edwards, South Carolina, 2016-2019: 3,045 yards and 22 touchdowns on 234 receptions

6. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina, 2009-2011: 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns on 183 receptions

7. Malik Nabers, LSU, 2021-2023: 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns on 189 receptions

8. Fred Gibson, Georgia, 2001-2004: 2,993 yards and 21 receptions on 167 receptions

9. A.J. Brown, Ole Miss, 2016-2018: 2,984 yards and 19 touchdowns on 189 receptions

10. Jarius Wright, Arkansas, 2008-2011: 2,934 yards and 24 touchdowns on 168 receptions

11. D.J. Hall, Alabama, 2004-2007: 2,923 yards and 17 touchdowns on 194 receptions

12. Christian Kirk, Texas A&M, 2015-2017: 2,856 yards and 26 touchdowns on 234 receptions

13. Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas, 2009-2012: 2,854 yards and 18 touchdowns on 175 receptions

14. Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt, 2005-2007: 2,852 yards and 20 touchdowns on 236 receptions

15. Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M, 2014-2016: 2,788 yards and 30 touchdowns on 164 receptions

16. Calvin Ridley, Alabama, 2015-2017: 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns on 224 receptions

16. Kenny McKinley, South Carolina, 2005-2008: 2,781 yards and 19 touchdowns on 207 receptions

18. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama, 2017-2019: 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns on 159 receptions

19. Michael Clayton, LSU, 2001-2003: 2,702 yards and 21 touchdowns on 190 receptions

20. Dan Stricker, Vanderbilt, 2000-2002: 2,693 yards and 19 touchdowns on 170 receptions

21. Chris Collins, Ole Miss, 2000-2003: 2,686 yards and 24 touchdowns on 203 receptions

22. Julio Jones, Alabama, 2008-2010: 2,653 yards and 15 touchdowns on 179 receptions

23. Shay Hodge, Ole Miss, 2006-2009: 2,646 yards and 22 touchdowns on 173 receptions

24. A.J. Green, Georgia, 2008-2010: 2,619 yards and 23 touchdowns on 166 receptions

25. Tavarres King, Georgia, 2008-2012: 2,602 yards and 21 touchdowns on 136 receptions

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.