Super Bowl-winning wide receiver DeVonta Smith has made a bold claim about who the best wide receiver ever is.
Confidence is never lacking when NFL players talk about themselves, and Smith isn’t necessarily known for his humility, although he has a lot of reason to be confident in his own abilities. The Philadelphia Eagles receiver is a Super Bowl champion and also won the Heisman trophy in 2020.
DeVonta Smith Claims He’s “No. 1”
Smith made an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s “7 p.m. In Brooklyn” podcast, where he spoke at length on his NFL career so far, winning the Super Bowl, and his relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles’ star quarterback, Jalen Hurts. He also claimed to be the best receiver in college football history, which has sparked debates about whether he’s right or wrong.
Former Alabama WR DeVonta Smith says he is the GREATEST WR in College Football History 🐐
“I’m number one” when asked where he would rank himself on @7PMinBrooklyn
Do you agree with Smitty?? Is he the greatest WR in CFB history? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Br0UuSRDZn
— Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) March 22, 2025
In college football history, only four wide receivers have ever won the Heisman, and Smith believes he’s the best of the crop. Tim Brown (1987), Desmond Howard (1991), and two-way phenom Travis Hunter (2024) are the three others in this category.
“Out of those four, I’m No. 1,” Smith said when asked where he ranks himself in that class. He also praised and showed respect to other receivers he considered good but didn’t get enough attention as he did.
“I’ll say yeah, but then again, the receiver in me that kind of watched other receivers that didn’t get the opportunities I had like you had Julio (Jones) in a run-first offense and was the only option in the pass game doing the things he did. You had Kupp (Cooper) who just like cooking everybody…I know I was cooking but they was cooking too. You have to respect those guys; you know it made me kind of want to do what I did.”
Smith’s Historic College Career at Alabama
Smith committed to the University of Alabama as a five-star prospect out of his hometown of Amite City, Louisiana. As a freshman in 2017, he had eight receptions for 160 yards and three touchdowns in eight games. He scored a game-winning touchdown in the 2018 playoff National Championship against Georgia.
As a sophomore in 2018, Smith had 42 receptions for 693 yards and six touchdowns in 13 games.
Smith led the Alabama Crimson Tide in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2019. He had 1,256 yards, 68 receptions and 14 touchdowns. Two of his teammates ( Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy) entered the 2020 draft and ended up as first-round picks, but Smith returned to Bama for his senior year.
In November 2020, DeVonta Smith broke the all-time SEC career record for most receiving touchdowns, with 2 to go along with nine receptions in a blowout victory over Kentucky. He set records for title game catches and touchdown receptions in the CFP National Championship Game versus Ohio State. He was named offensive MVP of the championship game despite leaving in the third quarter with a hand injury.
Smith won the AP Player of the Year award, becoming the first wide receiver to win it since its inception. He beat Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, and Kyle Trask to the 2020 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first wide receiver to win since 1991. Smith set more than seven school receiving records at Alabama and was nicknamed the “Slim Reaper” by his teammates.
KEEP READING: Top 7 WRs in Alabama History
In his college career, he totaled 3,965 yards, 235 receptions, and 46 touchdowns.
Smith had a very decorated college career. He finished his college career as a consensus All-American. He won the Biletnikoff Award, the Paul Hornung Award, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and the Maxwell Award, in addition to two National Championships (2017, 2020).
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