Notre Dame football: Top 5 wide receivers in school history

There are tons of other great Notre Dame wide receivers who also deserve mention for their accomplishments in South Bend.

Pete Demmerle was an All-American wide receiver in 1974 and won a National Championship in 1973 by beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Demmerle had 69 career catches and 11 touchdowns.

Will Fuller was a 2nd team All-American in 2015 when he caught 62 passes for 1,258 yards and 14 touchdown passes. On his career, Fuller had 144 catches, 2,512 yards, and 30 touchdowns. TJ Jones is 2nd all-time in career receptions at Notre Dame, with 181. He also caught the go-ahead touchdown against Stanford.

Jeff Samardzija, better known for his career as an MLB pitcher, was an All-American wide receiver at Notre Dame. He is still 3rd all-time in receptions (179), receiving yards (2,593), and receiving touchdowns (27). His 2005 season was excellent, as he gathered 77 catches for 1,249 yards, and touchdowns.

There are also a number of players who had great individual seasons. In 2005, Maurice Stovall was overshadowed at wide receiver by Jeff Samardzija, but he is still 4th all-time for yards in a single season, with 1,149. That season he had 69 catches and 11 touchdowns. Rhema McKnight was excellent in 2006 with 67 catches and 15 touchdowns.

Golden Tate was the hardest to leave off this list, not just for personal reasons as a fan, but for his overall body of work. Tate was an All-American and a Biletnikoff Award winner while with Notre Dame. He is also tied for 5th all-time in receptions (157), 2nd in yards (2,707), and 4th in touchdowns (26). Meanwhile, his 15 touchdown catches in 2009 are tied for the most in a single season by a Notre Dame wide receiver. That 2009 season was also the most yards receiving for a single season, with 1,496.

Notre Dame has become a breeding ground of great wide receivers in the 21st century, with the Irish seemingly producing an All-American every season. It’s making the list of all-time great wide receivers very crowded, and difficult to navigate.