I previously posted the all-time season receptions leaders (LINK). Here's a look at the career leaders in that category:
- 252 - Braylon Edwards (2001-2004)
- 176 - Marquise Walker (1998-2001)
- 173 - Jeremy Gallon (2010-2013)
- 169 - Jason Avant (2002-2005)
- 161 - Anthony Carter (1979-1982)
- 156 - Steve Breaston (2003-2006)
- 154 - Roy Roundtree (2009-2012)
- 152 - David Terrell (1998-2000)
- 151 - Amara Darboh (2014-2016)
- 144 - Tai Streets (1995-1998)
- 143 - Amani Toomer (1992-1995)
- 138 - Jake Butt (2013-2016)
- 137 - Mario Manningham (2005-2007)
- 134 - Desmond Howard (1989-1991)
- 132 - Jack Clancy (1963-1966)
- 126 - Devin Funchess (2012-2014)
- 125 - Derrick Alexander (1989-1993)
- 124 - Mercury Hayes (1992-1995)
- 118 - Jim Mandich (1967-1969)
- 114 - Jehu Chesson (2013-2016)
- 111 - Greg McMurtry (1986-1989)
- 110 - Greg Matthews (2006-2009)
- 109 - Adrian Arrington (2004-2007)
- 99 - Jamie Morris (1984-1987)
- 98 - Jerame Tuman (1995-1998)
Originally posted on July 23, 2019.
Anthony Carter played at a time when passes weren't that common, but he also played at a time when he was the lone receiver. So if there was a pass to someone other than a TE or RB, it was to him. In a different era, I wonder what his numbers would have been?
ReplyDeleteImagine you're looking to sign a receiver, and only one since your scholarship cap is near limit. Do you go with Anthony Carter, Desmond Howard, or someone else on this list?
With knowledge of their entire college career? I would have to go with Braylon Edwards because he became unstoppable by the time his career finished, but I think Jeremy Gallon has to be in the conversation. He had some huge games, some huge catches, and some huge blocks. In fact, if we have to maintain team chemistry, I might not go with Edwards at all, who was/is a head case.
DeleteI'd probably take AC, particularly in light of the fact that pretty quick in his career, he was always covered by a guy and at minimum shaded by another, regardless of down and distance. On a passing down he was inevitably double covered and then shaded by a third guy. Wangler almost never bothered to look away. You still couldn’t cover him.
DeleteThen, the entire passing offense was simple beyond anything I've ever seen. For all of his genius in other areas of the game, Bo was not particularly strong at passing the football and never hired guys who were. I'm pretty sure that Jerry Hanlon spent time here as a QB coach. JERRY FREAKIN HANLON ... a guy that I would argue to be the single best offensive line coach to ever blow a whistle in Ann Arbor, Michigan ... maybe anywhere.
But, you just gotta love Jeremy Gallon, so much power, timing and smarts. Then on runs or scrambles, he’d just go out there and rattle guy’s teeth.
Amen, when it comes to Braylon Edwards, dad was no better.
AC. There was something different about him.
DeleteIn defense of Bo's passing - some of the efficiency numbers that his QBs produced look pretty strong even by today's standards. Michael Taylor threw for 8.9 ypa and with a 161 passer rating in 89. Harbaugh in 86 averaged 9.9 ypa and had 152 passer rating while throwing for more yards than McNamara did in 21.
DeleteAC was before my time but people who saw him, Dez, and Braylon seems almost universally to favor AC by a wide margin. He had a helluva career after Michigan too, making 3 pro bowls. I don't think any of our other WRs have touched that. Gotta be AC.
DeleteBo started to come around with John Wangler, then Harbaugh changed everything, I've always thought that's because Bo loved Jim Harbaugh from the time he was a kid, despite all that "You'll never play a down at Michigan" stuff that Bo threw around mostly for effect. Bo and Harbaugh were kindred spirits. Bo got Jim Harbaugh and subsequently believed in him.
DeleteBut pre Wangler, which was Dennis Franklin, Ricky Leach, Steve Smith, Demitrious Brown and Michael Taylor, it was always kick your tail with his stable of all world offensive linemen and running backs, then go play action when you started putting your whole team in the box, mostly because it was getting embarrassing. And all of that was devastating with one caveat. That caveat being that we held the lead or were really close. We had nothing when he needed to move the ball through the air late.
Yes Michael Taylor had some nice numbers, but Bo kept looking at Demetrious Brown over and over and over because ... I don't even know why, to tell you the truth, most likely because he ran the option a little better, probably.
But from Dennis Franklin through Ricky Leach to Johnny Wangler, that was just a whole lot of straight up I formation, option football, strictly designed to beat you up physically on the strength of better personal and superior toughness.
The famous story of course being on the "Just get me the ball Wangs" play against Indiana. We ran play action because we didn't even have a straight drop back passing play.
If you watch the Harbaugh to Kolesar bomb in 85 …. pretty sure. The Buckeyes were completely stunned on that play. They were coming on second and long and did end up decking Harbaugh, but they set up to defend that pass to the sticks. Whoever that guy was out there with Kolesar was on an island and was stunned when it was a fly route. There wasn't a safety in sight. Bo just didn't do that kind of stuff. It was brilliant really.
And actually, it was a fly with a post on the other side … pretty positive on that one … so if you think it through, the only other guy on your screen as Kolesar ran into the end zone, we dragged into the shot with our other route.
LOL
"...was just a whole lot of straight up I formation, option football"
DeleteI can still hear Bob Ufer: "Two tight ends and a balanced line, Huckleby deep and Davis close, Ricky Leach under center, Smith split wide to the right."
No question that Bo and Jim are from the same school of thought - run to open the pass. It all comes from the OL and that bore out at the NFL level. With that mentality, passing efficiency should be high. The downside of course is being able to come from behind and score quickly, though Rodriguez managed to work through that in his WVU days.
DeleteI always thought Moeller/Carr teams really modernized pretty rapidly. Suddenly Michigan was an NFL pipeline for QBs and WRs. The Grbac-Collins-Griese-Brady era saw many blue chip WRs signing on. A HUGE change from Bo and I've never gotten a good sense for who deserved the most credit for it.
@Roanman
DeleteI think Bo liked Harbaugh and trusted him to let loose a bit. But once he left it was Taylor/Brown and pass attempts were slashed dramatically. So to me anyway, JH was an anomaly for Bo and once he was gone Bo went back to what he wanted to do - run run run.
I absolutely loved braylon, but as a kid I held my breath whenever AC got the ball. I guess that's why I can overlook DRob as a passer, because he's the only guy since who did that for me
ReplyDeleteJust amazing talent. Truly generational
I think Blake Corum has a little bit of that charisma as a player. He could take it 80 yards on any given play.
DeleteAgree. Both have the burst. My take is Denard is a better runner, Corum a better running back.
DeleteMy optimistic opinion on Corum is that he could be:
a) the first back since Hart that "matters",
b) the best back since Wheatley/Biakabatuka, and
c) outside chance he is a true great - the last one being Ron Johnson.
We'll see if he earns that level of hype and praise - just speculation on my part for now.