In this series we will pick the best players from Clemson’s Modern Era (1990-present). This is the era following the Tigers’ great teams of the Danny Ford and Charlie Pell era. Some of the players on this list might be considered among Clemson’s all-time greats and you are sure to recognize a few if not all of the names on our list.
We continue our series today by looking at the wide receivers on Clemson’s All-Modern Era Team.
After reviewing our picks each day, please feel free to tell us if you agree with them or not by going to The Rock on our forums page. All of our forum pages are free to view and register, just like all of our content.
First Team
Sammy Watkins (2011-’13): I doubt I will get any arguments on this selection. Watkins is without a doubt the most explosive wide receiver Clemson has ever had. The three-time All-American, including two first-team selections, totaled a school-record 3,391 yards thanks to a school-record 240 receptions. He also tallied 27 touchdowns, which tied DeAndre Hopkins for the most in school history. Watkins burst onto the national scene as a true freshman in 2011 when he set a freshman record for yards and receptions in a season with 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2014, he concluded his career with the greatest season by a wide receiver in Clemson history when he hauled in a record 101 passes for 1,464 yards and 12 more touchdowns. His best game was his last. Against Ohio State in the 2014 Orange Bowl, Watkins earned MVP honors with a bowl and a Clemson single-game-record 16 receptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 40-35 victory.
DeAndre (Nuk) Hopkins (2010-’12): No one is going to argue about this pick either. If it wasn’t for Watkins, Hopkins would own all the Clemson receiving records. In his three seasons at Clemson, Hopkins set freshman, single-season and career records as a wideout. He finished his career with 3,020 yards on 206 receptions. The Clemson native still holds the record for career receiving touchdowns (27) and touchdown catches in a season (18). Hopkins best year came in 2012 when he grabbed 82 balls for 1,405 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. It was good enough to earn him All-American and First-Team All-ACC honors. In his last game against LSU in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl, he hauled in a then record 13 passes for a then record bowl and single-game-record 191 yards in the Tigers’ 25-24 victory. He also owned the biggest play of the game with a sliding 26-yard reception from quarterback Tajh Boyd on fourth-and-16 on the game’s last drive. That allowed Clemson to keep the drive alive which ended in a game-winning field goal as time ran out.
Second Team
Rod Gardner (1997-2000): Before Watkins and Hopkins, there was Rod Gardner. Actually, he and Watkins are the only two wide receivers in Clemson history to record two 1,000 yard seasons. In 1999, Gardner became the first Clemson receiver two garner 1,000 yards in a season with 1,084 on 80 catches and then, on his way to All-American honors, he tallied 1,050 yards on just 58 catches in 2000. He averaged 18.1 yards per catch that year and scored seven touchdowns. Gardner finished his career with 166 receptions for 2,498 yards and 13 touchdowns. His most memorable play came in the 2000 South Carolina Game when he hauled in a 50-yard pass from Woodrow Dantlzer with 16 seconds left, setting up Aaron Hunt’s game-winning field goal with three seconds to play.
Derrick Hamilton (2001-’03): Former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden liked to call Hamilton “Noodle” because of the way he used to turn his lean and slick body to avoid and break tackles. Hamilton hated the nickname, but it was a good description. As a freshman in 2001, Hamilton led the Tigers in receptions and in 2002 and 2003 he led the team in yards. His best season came in 2003 when he became Charlie Whitehurst’s big-play target. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors that year as he hauled in 1,026 yards on 62 receptions, 16.5 yards per catch average. He also set a then Clemson record with 10 touchdowns. Hamilton, at the time, finished his career first in overall receptions all-time with 167, and fourth in yards with 2,312. His 16 touchdowns were ranked third when he left Clemson for the NFL following the 2003 season.
Third Team
Aaron Kelly (2005-’08): When he finished his career at Clemson, Aaron Kelly was the ACC career record holder for receptions with 232. He has since been past at Clemson and in the ACC, but he is considered one of the best wide receivers to play for Clemson. Kelly led the Tigers in receptions and receiving yards in both 2007 and 2008. He was a First-Team All-ACC selection in 2007 and a second-team selection in 2008. Though he was not as splashy as Watkins or as dominating as Hopkins, Kelly did finish his Clemson career with 232 catches for 2,733 yards. He also tallied 20 career touchdowns, the only Clemson receiver in history not named Watkins or Hopkins to score 20 or more receiving touchdowns.
Chansi Stuckey (2003-2006): Stuckey was one of the more consistent wide receivers the Tigers have ever had. After converting from quarterback in 2004, Stuckey became a two-time First-Team All-ACC wide receiver. He led Clemson in receiving in both 2005 and 2006 to earn both honors. He finished his career with 141 receptions for 1,760 yards. His best game came during his junior year when he caught 11 passes for 156 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Tigers’ 35-14 victory over Florida State.