UGA often is cited as Running Back U., but it has had some great pass receivers.
Although primarily known for its running attack during the Vince Dooley era and more balanced offenses under Mark Richt and Kirby Smart, there have been times through the years when UGA has been known for putting the ball up in the air much of the time.
It’s true that the Dawgs only ever have had one 1,000-yard receiver in a season (though a few others have come close), but longtime Georgia head coach Wally Butts was considered a prime mover in the development of college football’s modern passing attack.
And, during Johnny Griffith’s time as head coach, quarterback Larry Rakestraw set an NCAA single-game passing record against Miami in 1963.
Even under Ray Goff, who had been a running QB at Georgia, current Bulldogs broadcaster Eric Zeier threw the ball 65 times against Florida in 1993, and tight end Shannon Mitchell caught 15 of them, setting a Georgia single-game record.
A couple of times in the past, I polled Junkyard Blawg readers on Georgia’s all-time greatest receiver. Of course, recency bias tended to figure heavily into those votes, with NFL star Hines Ward at No. 1 in 2009, while the recently departed AJ Green easily topped the list two years later.
A lot of passes have been thrown since 2012, so I figured it was time to revisit the subject, and finally get around to compiling my own list of UGA’s all-time greatest receivers.
I asked several Bulldogs friends for nominations this past week, noting that current Dawgs tight end Brock Bowers seems a lock to make the list once his playing days in Athens are done.
In just two seasons, Bowers has 119 receptions for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns. He already holds the record for most touchdown receptions in a season (13 in 2021), ranks second for most pass receptions in a season (63 in 2022, behind Brice Hunter’s 76 in 1993), also is tied for sixth on that list for his 56 catches in 2021, is tied for fourth for career TD receptions, and ranks fifth for yards gained receiving in a season, with 942 in 2022. He tied Green for most receptions as a freshman with 56.
“To me Bowers is a slam-dunk being on the Mount Rushmore of UGA receivers,” fan Scott Peacocke said. His other candidates for that mythical monument? Green, Lindsay Scott, and then either Ward or Terrence Edwards.
Quite a few fans also think Ladd McConkey is headed toward the all-time-greatest list. His 89 receptions for 1,209 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons have made him a breakout star, and his 58 receptions last season put him in a tie for fourth in that category in UGA’s record book.
But when it comes to those players whose careers at Georgia are finished, I wondered whether the supremely talented George Pickens, whose 49 catches in 2019 rank fourth all-time among freshmen, played enough to deserve a place on the all-time-greatest list.
Pickens got into all 14 games during his freshman year, played eight of the 10 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and didn’t see his first action until the Georgia Tech regular-season finale during the 2021 national championship season, because he had suffered a torn ACL during spring practice.
He caught 1 pass for 5 yards against the Jackets, 2 passes for 41 yards in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, 1 pass for 9 yards vs. Michigan in the Orange Bowl and then caught a key first-quarter pass for 52 yards in the College Football Playoff Championship Game vs. Alabama. Was that enough?
Helen Castronis, whose dad Mike was a longtime UGA coach, thinks it was, noting that “it seems he worked hard to return for the end of the season, risking further injuries, and made an impact in every game he played in. I expected to see magic any time the ball came close to him.”
Others weren’t sure. “Pickens is one of my favorites,” Darrell Huckaby said, “but I’m not sure he played enough and had the numbers to make that list.” And, while Steve Short said he thinks “Bowers is right at the top of the list,” he wouldn’t include Pickens because “he really didn’t play enough.” UGA radio broadcaster Jeff Dantzler said “Pickens is one of the most talented” receivers Georgia has had, but is “borderline” when it comes to making a list of all-time greatest receivers.
Alan Cason, who runs the Dawg Bites Facebook fan group, joked: “Pickens should get honorable mention and a complimentary water bottle!” The latter was a reference to an incident during the 2020 season, where Pickens, who tended to be an emotional player during his time at Georgia, squirted water out of his bottle at Tennessee’s Jarrett Guarantano after the Vols quarterback ran out of bounds on the Dawgs’ sideline. Pickens drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a post-game rebuke from Kirby Smart.
Some of the fans that I checked with this week had other suggestions for possible contenders for the all-time receivers list.
Owen Scott mentioned tight ends Orson Charles (94 receptions for 1,370 yards and 10 TDs in 2009-11) and Randy McMichael (90 receptions for 1,213 yards and 5 TDs in 1999-2001), both of whom were “limited in receiving yards,” he said, “but were important offensive weapons.”
Owen also suggested “at least an honorable mention for Richard Appleby, who threw the 80-yard end-around bomb to Gene Washington against Florida” in 1975. While Appleby holds a warm place in Georgia fans’ hearts, his numbers aren’t really all-time greatest material (48 receptions for 902 yards and 6 TDs in three years, 1973-75). And the passing play he’s best known for had him as the thrower, not the receiver!
Dave Williams, who works for the athletic association and is a bit of a Bulldogs history wonk, mentioned Lamar “Racehorse” Davis, who averaged 28.5 yards per reception in the 1942 season, which ranks him first in that category in the UGA record book, as well as Dennis Hughes, who caught an impressive 67 passes for 1,214 yards and 9 TDs in 1967-69, during the Dooley 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust era. Dave also suggested George Poschner, who was a first-team All-American in 1942, is tied for the Georgia record for touchdown catches in a game (3 against Florida that year) and who played a key role in one of UGA’s biggest victories in that national championship season by catching two fourth-quarter TD passes from Frank Sinkwich in a comeback win over Alabama.
Dantzler also mentioned a couple of more recent receivers — Terry Godwin, who had 134 catches for 1,800 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015-18 (and Jeff notes, “lots of huge plays”) and Mecole Hardman, who caught 60 passes for 961 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016-18, but who made his greatest impact as a kick returner.
In picking my list of the all-time greatest Georgia receivers, I didn’t just go just by the record book, though. I believe you need to take into account the context of the times in which some Georgia receivers played.
There have been receivers whose numbers might not have cracked the Top 10 lists, but, if you watched Georgia football in those years, you know what sort of impact those players had when they did get the call. I factored that into my reckoning of the “greatest” receivers.
So, here, in chronological order, are my selections:
Jimmy Orr. His UGA numbers are not eye-popping these days — 42 receptions for 701 yards and 5 TDs in 1955-1957. But he went on to a long career as a star receiver for Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the NFL and, as Loran Smith noted when Orr died in 2020, Georgia was in a down period while he was on campus, winning only 10 games total. Still, Loran said, “Jimmy led the SEC in pass receiving twice and helped move Georgia Tech’s defensive line backward as Theron Sapp scored the touchdown to break the drought in 1957.”
Pat Hodgson. He’s another receiver with modest career numbers at UGA (54 receptions for 769 yards and 5 touchdowns in 1963-65 under Griffith and Dooley). However, he was the centerpiece of the Kirby Moore-to-Hodgson-to-Bob Taylor flea-flicker play that upset national champion Alabama in 1965, in one of the greatest Georgia wins ever and one of the most exciting games I ever saw in person. Sentimental choice? Yeah, but sentiment is part of what makes college football special.
Charley Whittemore. He had decent numbers, especially for a receiver on a Dooley team, with 119 catches for 1,736 yards and 11 TDs in 1968-70. But, more than that, he was, as Loran Smith put it, “one of the best possession receivers ever to play between the hedges,” with an incredible ability to get open, as well as having great hands. He also returned kicks and was an accomplished blocker. All he lacked was speed.
Lindsay Scott. Considering he played during a run-oriented period, it’s amazing that Scott’s 131 receptions for 2,098 yards and 10 TDs in 1978-81 ranks 8th on UGA’s career receiving yards list. However, just one of those catches probably is needed to get him onto most fans’ all-timers list: the 93-yard “run Lindsay!” catch and run that beat Florida and catapulted Georgia to No. 1 in 1980.
Brice Hunter. His numbers are significant: 182 catches for 2,373 yards and 19 touchdowns in 1992-95. Also, his 76 catches in 1993 still is the Georgia record for most pass receptions in a season (he caught 10 in the Auburn game alone), and he ranks second in career catches, second in yards gained receiving in a season (970 in ‘93), fifth in career yards receiving, third in touchdown receptions in a season (9 in 1993) and sixth in career touchdown receptions. He caught the touchdown pass that enabled the Dawgs to tie undefeated Auburn 23-23 in 1994, ending a Tigers streak of 20 consecutive wins. As a Columbus Ledger-Enquirer headline put it the next day: “Georgia beats Auburn 23-23.”
Hines Ward. Mr. Versatility played tailback, quarterback and returned kicks for the Dawgs, but it was after he settled in at wide receiver that he achieved greatness, with 144 catches for 1,965 yards and 11 TDs. Ward, of course, went on to a superlative NFL career with the Steelers, winding up as Pittsburgh’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions, as well as MVP of Super Bowl XL. He’s another fan favorite.
Terrence Edwards. Mr. Georgia Record Book. Edwards holds the all-time UGA records for most pass receptions in a season (76), most pass receptions in a career (204 in 1999-2002), most yards gained receiving in a career (3,093), most touchdown receptions in a career (30) and is Georgia’s only 1,000-yard receiver, having racked up 1,004 yards in the 2002 season. (He used to hold the record for most TD receptions in a season, with 11, until Bowers scored 13 times in 2021.)
Fred Gibson. A basketball player in high school who switched sports and became a big-play threat on the gridiron, Gibson caught 161 passes for 2,884 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2001-2004. He ranks second at UGA in yards receiving in a game (201 against Kentucky in 2001), second in career receiving yards, is tied for fourth in career touchdowns and is fifth in career receptions. Gibson also played for the Georgia basketball team during his freshman and sophomore years.
Mohamed Massaquoi. With 158 catches for 2,282 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2005-2008, Massaquoi was a favorite target for QB Matt Stafford. His 3 touchdown catches in the 2008 game against Tech is tied for most in a game in the UGA record book, and he is tied for fifth place in most receptions in a season with 58, is fifth in yards gained receiving in a season with 920 in 2008, seventh for yards gained in a career, and is sixth in career receptions. I appreciated his frequently acrobatic catches, but I also liked his resilient attitude. During his senior year, he served as a mentor to my next choice.
AJ Green. He probably is the most talented receiver ever at UGA (though some think Pickens might hold that distinction). Green caught 166 passes for 2,619 yards and 23 TDs in 2008-2010, and that was despite missing games due to injuries and being suspended for selling a jersey to someone who qualified as an agent (now no longer a violation). His 963 yards in 2008 ranks third at UGA for a season and he ranks third in career receiving yards and second in career receiving TDs. But, more than the numbers, Green was known for his ridiculously athletic catches, including a legendary one-hander while falling backward in the end zone in the 2010 Colorado game.
Tavarres King. He caught 136 passes for 2,602 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2008-2012 and holds the UGA record for most yards gained receiving in a game, with 205 against Michigan State (including an 80-yard TD catch in the 2012 Outback Bowl. He ranks fourth in yards gained receiving in a season (950 in 2012), fourth in yards gained receiving in a career, ninth in career receptions and third in career touchdown catches.
Malcolm Mitchell. A fan favorite for his campaign to improve literacy, he also is the author of a popular children’s book, “The Magician’s Hat.” But Mitchell got it done on the field at Georgia as well, with 174 catches for 2,350 yards and 16 TDs in 2011-2015 (he was injured in the 2013 opener and missed the rest of that season). He’s tied in fourth place for most receptions in a season (58), ranks third in career receptions and is sixth in career receiving yards. Plus, Dawgs fans always will remember him fondly for his TD catch that put away the Gators in 2012.
George Pickens*. OK, I decided to take into account what his stats likely would have been had he not gotten hurt, and the fact that he returned to play when he really didn’t have to — so he’s on the list (with an asterisk).
And the honorable mentions: Hason Graham, Andre Hastings, Juan Daniels, Reggie Brown, Chris Conley and Terry Godwin.
Those are my choices for Georgia’s all-time greatest receivers. Perhaps you would have replaced one of the players from earlier eras with someone from more recent years. Or maybe there’s a receiver from way-back-when that you would include. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
