Top Five Wide Receivers in Louisville Football History
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville football program has seen plenty of talented players don the Cardinals uniform over the years, ranging from multi-time All-Conference selections to All-Americans and a Heisman Trophy winner.
This offseason, Louisville Report is taking on the task of ranking the top five players in the history of the program at each position on the field. Next in this series, we take at look at the wide receiver spot.
No. 5: Tutu Atwell
Years at UofL: 2018-20
UofL Career Stats: 140 receptions for 2,307 yards (16.48 average) and 21 touchdowns, 12 rushes for 26 yards (2.17 average) and one touchdown.
Summary: A converted quarterback, Atwell made the transition to wide receiver when he arrived at Louisville. After a good showing as a freshman, his breakout season came as a sophomore when head coach Scott Satterfield arrived in 2019. That season, he caught 70 passes for 1,276 yards and 12 touchdowns to earn First-Team All-ACC honors, with the yardage mark setting the UofL single-season record and the touchdown mark tying it. An injury and offensive stagnation limited him in 2020, but it was enough for him to earn Second-Team All-ACC marks after logging 46 receptions for 625 yards and seven scores. In school history, he ranks fifth in receiving touchdowns and eighth in receiving yards.
No. 4: Deion Branch
Years at UofL: 2000-01
UofL Career Stats: 143 receptions for 2,204 yards (15.41 average) and 18 touchdowns, 10 rushes for 36 yards (3.60 average) and no touchdowns.
Summary: After spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career in the JUCO ranks at Jones County, Branch had arguably the best two-year stretch by a wide receiver in Louisville history. He caught 70 passes for 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns in 2000, then hauled in 72 receptions for 1,118 yards and nine more scores, earning a First-Team All Conference USA nod in both seasons. In just two seasons, Branch finished his Cardinals career fourth in school history in both receiving yards (now 11th) and receiving touchdowns (now eighth).
No. 3: Harry Douglas
Years at UofL: 2004-07
UofL Career Stats: 173 receptions for 2,924 yards (16.9 average) and 15 touchdowns, 19 rushes for 162 yards (8.53 average) and one touchdown.
Summary: There were few wide receivers in college football that were better than Douglas during his two seasons as a starter. In 2006 as a junior, he caught 70 passes for a then-school single-season record of 1,265 yards - which was also sixth nationally - as well six touchdowns. He followed that up with 70 receptions for 1,159 yards and seven scores in 2007 as a senior, earning Second-Team AP All-American honors. He was also an All-Big East selection in both seasons, is one of three Cardinals to log two 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and finished his career as Louisville's runner-up in all-time receiving yards.
No. 2: DeVante Parker
Years at UofL: 2011-14
UofL Career Stats: 156 receptions for 2,775 yards (17.79 average) and 33 touchdowns.
Summary: Whether it was Teddy Bridgewater or Will Gardner throwing him the ball, Parker was going to catch whatever was thrown his way and was a go-to target in the redzone. The Louisville Ballard High product was a standout freshman, logging 18 receptions for 291 yards and leading the team with six touchdowns. His breakout campaign came in 2012 as a sophomore, logging 40 catches for 744 yards and 10 scores. Statistically, his best season came as a junior in 2013, catching 55 balls for 885 yards and a school record-tying 12 touchdowns. Despite a foot injury limiting him to six games for his senior season, Parker still was able to log 43 receptions for 855 yards and five scores. He is Louisville's leader in receiving touchdowns by a wide receiver (tied with tight end Ibn Green) and overall yards per reception, as well as fourth in receiving yards.
No. 1: Arnold Jackson
Years at UofL: 1997-00
UofL Career Stats: 300 receptions for 3,670 yards (12.23 average) and 31 touchdowns, 12 rushes for 51 yards (4.25 average) and no touchdowns.
Summary: Simply put, Jackson is the most prolific pass catcher in program history. Not only are his career marks in both receptions and receiving yards still No. 1 in school history by wide margins, he's one of only three Cardinals with over 30 receiving touchdowns. Not to mention the fact that he was the very first player in NCAA history to reach the 300-reception plateau, and is currently 18th all-time in college football history in that department. He was a starter from day one, snagging 46 receptions for 687 yards and seven touchdowns as just a freshman. His best work came during the 1998 and 1999 seasons, which were QB Chris Redman's final two years in college. He caught 90 passes for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1998, then followed that up with a school-record 101 receptions for a then-school record 1,209 yards and nine touchdowns. Ironically, his worst season came as a senior, but he still caught 63 receptions for 609 yards and five TDs.
Other Louisville Position Top Fives:
- Quarterback
- Running Back
- Tight End
- Offensive Line
- Interior Defensive Line (coming soon)
- Defensive End (coming soon)
- Linebacker (coming soon)
- Cornerback (coming soon)
- Safety (coming soon)
(Photo of DeVante Parker: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)
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