The list was somewhat easy to make because three quarterbacks already had statues built and we just had to figure out who was the fourth member.
Picking out the four greatest wide receivers in Florida history is a little more difficult.
None of them have statues built and there is a case to be made for a ton of guys.
Ultimately we had to pick four. We looked at career stats, best single season, and overall impact for the program. Draft position was considered, but overall performance in the NFL was not.
Florida’s Mount Rushmore Honorable Mentions
Chris Doering
Doering is Florida’s all-time touchdown leader with 31 touchdown receptions, including 17 TD grabs during the 1995 campaign. He is tied for second in career receiving touchdowns in the SEC.
His 17 touchdowns in 1995 are still the second most for a Florida Gator in a single season and the fifth most SEC history.
Doering falls short of Mount Rushmore because he only topped 1,000 yards receiving once and despite playing in Gainesville for four years he only sits 10th on Florida’s list of all time receiving yards with 2,107.
Andre Caldwell
Caldwell sits in 3rd on Florida’s all-time receiving yards list with 2,349 yards. He is also Florida’s all-time receptions leader with 185 catches.
Caldwell accomplished his numbers over five seasons in Gainesville and never topped 800 yards receiving in a single season.
Cadlwell had longevity and made his mark, but ultimately falls short.
Percy Harvin
We didn’t forget about Harvin, second on Florida’s list for career total touchdowns.
Harvin is hard to classify for a position though. One source did list him as a wide receiver.
The Florida Gators official roster from 2008 has him as RB/WR and the ESPN roster from 2008 only has RB listed.
For the sake of this list, we are going to consider Harvin a running back.
Jabar Gaffney
Gaffney only played two season with the Gators, but he still sits at number two on Florida’s all-time receiving yards list with 2,375 yards.
Gaffney had 71 catches for 1,184 yards in 2000 and 67 catches for 1,191 yards in 2001.
His 27 career touchdowns are 4th on the all-time list.
Had Gaffney stuck around for one more season, he would easily be the all-time leader for the Gators in both categories.
Gaffney went on to be drafted by the Houston Texans in 2002.
Ike Hilliard
Ike Hilliard’s career numbers made him the shakiest member of the mountain. He is 7th on Florida’s career receiving yards list with 2,214 and 15th on career catches with 126 catches.
But his 29 career touchdowns place him 2nd on the all-time list.
After a limited playing time during his freshman year, Hilliard hauled in 57 catches for 1,008 yards his sophomore year in 1995.
Hilliard only had 47 catches in 1996, but he still managed 900 yards for an averaged per catch of 19.1.
Hilliard’s biggest performance as a Gator came in the 1997 Sugar Bowl vs Florida State. He had 150 yards receiving, including his iconic “Stop and Pop” touchdown, to help lead Florida to its first national title.
Hilliard would go on to be drafted 7th overall by the New York Giants in 1997.
Reidel Anthony
Reidel Anthony played three years in Gainesville. His first two years were relatively non-descript.
A decent campaign in 1994 saw Anthony go for 615 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His numbers dipped significantly in 1995, only catching 24 passes for 366 yards.
But it was Anthony’s 1996 season that etches his name in stone.
Anthony’s 18 receiving touchdowns in 1996 is still the most in Florida history for a single season, the third most in SEC history, and is tied for 24th for the most ever in college football history.
Anthony hauled in 72 catches for 1,293 yards that season and combined with Hilliard and Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel to lead Florida to the national title.
Anthony would be drafted by Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16th overall in 1997.
This week's Mr. 2 Bits will be Gator Great Carlos Alvarez #UFvsFSU pic.twitter.com/5gkO6DekJE
— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) November 27, 2013
Carlos Alvarez
During the 2021 college football season, there were 39 wide receivers that topped 1,000 yards receiving.
In 1969, there were six.
Which makes Carlos Alvarez putting up 1,329 yards receiving in 10 games in 1969, still the second most for a single season in Florida history, all the more impressive.
Alvarez would slow down his pace in 1970 and 1971, but he put up 2,563 receiving yards in 32 career games and is still Florida’s career leader in receiving yards.
Alvarez may not have as special a place in Florida fans hearts as some others due to him playing in 1969, but it is impossible to deny him a spot on Florida’s Mount Rushmore.