There have been a lot of great receivers in the history of Michigan football and here’s a look at the 10 most productive Wolverines at the position.
Michigan football might not be known for having a super high-flying offense throughout its history, but the Wolverines have had their fair share of great wideouts.
Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy after all. Braylon Edwards and David Terrell were both top-10 picks in the NFL draft, and a number of others have stood out in the NFL.
This article is going to focus on their time at Michigan football. It’s important to note this isn’t an opinion ranking the top-10 wide receivers in Michigan history.
Instead, it’s a look at Michigan football’s top 10 all-time receiving leaders.
10. Desmond Howard (134 receptions, 2,146 yards, 32 touchdowns)
This list is based on receiving yards and even though Howard won the Heisman Trophy for his spectacular 1991 season, he ranks 10th in all-time receiving leaders for the Wolverines.
A big reason for that is the fact that Howard didn’t stay for his senior season, opting for the NFL draft. As a sophomore in 1990, Howard caught 63 passes for 1,025 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The next season, he caught 62 passes for 985 yards and caught 19 touchdowns. He led the NCAA in receiving touchdowns that season and scored 23 total including his iconic punt return for a touchdown against Ohio State, which many believe clinched him the Heisman.
Howard returned a punt and kickoff for a touchdown that season. It’s hard to imagine now, but that allowed him to win the Heisman with fewer than 1,000 yards receiving.
That’s how dynamic he was. It was also a different game. But if Howard had stayed and put together another 1,000-yard season, he would be among the top two.
9. Greg McMurtry (111 receptions, 2,163 yards and 15 touchdowns)
Greg McMurtry might not be a name that younger Michigan football fans know, but he was one of the most productive wideouts in Wolverines’ history.
McMurtry was part of three Big Ten championship teams and three teams that went to the Rose Bowl. He actually played four full seasons for Michigan football and ranks ahead of Howard, even though he doesn’t have a single 1,000-yard season to his credit.
Yet, he caught 22 passes for 508 yards and averaged 23.1 yards per catch as a true freshman. McMurtry followed that up with 474 yards in 1987 as a sophomore, 470 yards, and finally, 711 yards on 47 receptions as a senior.
For his career, the 6-foot-2, 207-pound receiver averaged 19.5 yards per reception and scored 15 touchdowns. He averaged more yards per reception than Anthony Carter and only three Michigan football receivers in history have averaged higher yards per reception, but also had over 1,000 career yards. Among those with 2,000 yards or more, McMurtry is No. 1.
8. Jason Avant (169 receptions, 2,247 yards, and 13 touchdowns)
It shouldn’t surprise any Michigan football fan to see Jason Avant on a list of top receivers in the history of the Wolverines.
Avant played with quarterbacks Chad Henne and John Navarre. He was also part of one win over Ohio State and one Big Ten championship team.
As a senior, Avant was especially productive, going over 1,000 yards for the only time in his Michigan football career. He also caught at least four passes in every single game that season and had 90 yards or more three times, as well as three 100-yard games.
The consistency was one of the best things about Avant. He had 23 games with at least four receptions and had multiple receptions in 32 career games.
After a stellar career, Avant was a fourth-round draft pick of the Eagles. He played 10 NFL seasons and finished his career with 346 receptions, 4,118 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
7. Ronnie Bell (145 receptions, 2,269 yards, and nine touchdowns)
Ronnie Bell is a Michigan football fan favorite and he always will be. it’s too bad he was hurt in the 2021 season or his numbers would even better.
As it stands, he got four full seasons (almost due to Covid), so the numbers are pretty fair. But in 2022, he spent part of the season getting back to 100 percent. By November, he was really Ronnie Bell again.
The game against Ohio State was spectacular. He made a huge catch in the first quarter winning a 50/50 ball and also grabbed a key touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help put the game away.
Bell finished with four 100-yard games during his career including a six-reception, 135-yard performance in the Fiesta Bowl last season, as well as five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State last November.
Bell had 24 games in his career with at least three receptions. He was a spectacular leader and undoubtedly one of the best wideouts in Michigan football history.
6. Roy Rountree (154 receptions, 2,304 yards, and 15 touchdowns)
Every Michigan football fan remembers Roy Roundtree for his game-winning touchdown reception against Notre Dame during the magical 2011 season.
The Wolverines went on to win the Sugar Bowl in Brady Hoke’s first season and things got off to a great start when Roundtree caught this touchdown pass, capping a furious fourth-quarter rally led by quarterback Denard Robinson.
Roundtree had eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in another win over Notre Dame in the previous season under Rich Rodriguez. Later that season, he hauled in nine receptions for 246 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois.
It’s still one of the most prolific showings by a wide receiver in Michigan football history. It was also one of six 100-yard games in his career.
Roundtree finished with 15 career touchdowns and has two seasons of more than 500 yards. He also hit at least 355 yards in each season, which makes up for the fact that he didn’t have a 1,000-yard season, although he was close in 2010 with 72 receptions for 935 yards.
5. Mario Manningham (137 receptions, 2,310 yards, and 27 touchdowns)
Super Mario Manningham was one of my favorite Michigan football wide receivers of all time and like Desmond Howard, he put up all his numbers in just three seasons as a Wolverine.
Manningham burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2005. He caught 27 passes for 433 yards and six touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was the game-winner against Penn State in 2005, which came on the final play of the game.
Manningham caught nine touchdowns the next season and in 2007, even though Michigan football struggled a little, Mario caught 72 passes for 1,174 yards and 12 touchdowns.
During his sophomore season, Manningham had three straight games of 100 yards or more. As a junior, he put together six consecutive 100-yard games.
Maybe the most memorable was the eight-catch, 129-yard performance against Michigan State which included another game-winning touchdown late from the right arm of Chad Henne. He had 11 100-yard games total and seven during that 2007 season.
Manningham was drafted in the third round by the New York Giants and came up with a critical catch in the Super Bowl over the Patriots after the 2011 season.
4. Amani Toomer (138 receptions, 2,522 yards, and 16 touchdowns)
Another Michigan football wide receiver that was drafted by the New York Giants and eventually won the Super Bowl was Amani Toomer.
Even though Toomer wasn’t technically listed as a starter during the 1994 season, the wideout set the single-season record (at the time) for Michigan receiving yards with 1,096 on 54 receptions.
Toomer was second in the Big Ten in yards per reception that season (20.3) and had three seasons total where he finished among the top 10 in the Big Ten in receiving yards.
The First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 1994, was also a really talented punt returner and ran one back for a score in 1994 and 1995. He was second in receiving yards when he finished his career but has been passed.
Still, he had a remarkable career, especially considering the fact that it happened in the Mid-1990s before the spread offense took hold.
3. Jeremy Gallon (173 receptions, 2,704 yards, and 17 touchdowns)
Jeremy Gallon was a big play waiting to happen during his four-year Michigan football career and he saved some of his best moments for Notre Dame.
Many Michigan football fans remember the final touchdown pass from Denard Robinson to Roy Rountree as Michigan won that game in 2011. But it was Gallon’s 64-yard reception on the play prior that set up the game-winning play.
It’s still hard to believe he got that open, but it remains one of the great plays in Michigan history. Beyond that, Gallon owns the single-game record for receiving yards thanks to a 14-catch, 369-yard performance against Indiana in 2013.
That remains the single-game record. Gallon also owns the single-season record for receiving yards with 1,373 — just ahead of Braylon Edwards.
2. Anthony Carter (161 receptions, 3,076 yards, and 37 touchdowns)
Easily one of the greatest wide receivers in Michigan football history based on the numbers or not, Carter was a unique player during his day and age.
Carter will always be famous for his game-winning touchdown catch against Indiana in 1979. With the game tied at 21-21 and six seconds away from a costly tie for the Wolverines, Carter caught a 45-yard touchdown pass on the last play to beat Indiana.
After averaging 27.2 yards per reception as a freshman. Carter averaged 16 as a sophomore and hauled in 14 touchdowns. As a Senior, Carter finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was the Big Ten MVP after 43 catches for 844 yards.
Carter also led the NCAA in average yards per punt return (15) and kickoff return (25.7) as a senior, which is why he was such a dangerous weapon.
Carter wound up as a three-time All-American selection, as well as a three-time Pro-Bowler later on with the Minnesota Vikings.
1. Braylon Edwards (252 receptions, 3,541 yards, and 39 touchdowns)
There’s no debate that Braylon Edwards is the greatest receiver Michigan football has ever had. The numbers back it up, but it would be true even if they didn’t.
Yet, Edwards is the only Michigan football receiver with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. After catching just three passes for 38 yards as a freshman, Edwards put together a sophomore season with 67 receptions for 1,035 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In 2003, Edwards led college football with 14 touchdown receptions. He also caught 85 passes for 1,138 yards and put forth a legendary performance in the Ohio State game. Edwards had seven receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including a long one early that set the tone.
Edwards also had 10 receptions for 107 yards in the 2002 loss to Ohio State, as well as 11 receptions for 172 yards and a score in the 2004 loss.
After finishing 10th in Heisman Voting in 2004, Edwards caught 10 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns in the Rose Bowl, a game he played in twice.
Braylon was part of two Big Ten championship teams and also won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver.
The Michigan football great is still the Big Ten’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions (39) while ranking fourth in the league’s history in receptions and yards.
You can see the rest of the Michigan Wolverines all-time receiving leaders here.