The Mississippi State Bulldogs have a bear playing out wide, one who’s frown from a raw cub to a growling beast. De’Runnya Wilson, the massive receiver wearing No. 1 for the Bulldogs, has come into his own this season, and scouts are drooling at his potential.

At 6-foot-5 and about 215 pounds, Wilson, known as “Bear Force 1” around the Bulldogs, has the size and athleticism a coach dreams of in a playmaking receiver. His physical talent is starting to yield major results on the field. Through six games, Wilson is tied for sixth in the SEC in yards per reception (17.2), and after scoring a touchdown in three straight games he’s now tied for second in the conference with 6 TD. With 12 catches over the last three games, he’s bumped his totals to 18 catches and 319 yards halfway through the season.

Wilson’s freakishness has drawn comparison’s to a once-in-a-generation talent: Calvin Johnson. In a piece by ESPN’s Alex Scarborough, Mississippi State coach Geoff Collins compared Wilson’s raw ability to Megatron, whom Collins helped recruit at Georgia Tech.

The comparisons are obvious. Wilson’s biggest strength, even as he continues to develop as a receiver, is an ability to go up and get the ball over anyone. His size and speed make him impossible to defend when the ball is in the air, similar to the Detroit Lions superstar.

If you go back and read clippings Wilson’s high school days, he was more of a leaper on the hardwood than gridiron in high school, winning Alabama’s 2013 Mr. Basketball award. He didn’t really enter the recruiting mix for Mississippi State until his senior football season, when Collins caught wind of the player from Birmingham, Ala. In Scarborough’s piece, Mississippi State’s receivers coach Billy Gonzales said he had to teach Wilson about defensive coverages in his first round of practices when he got to Starkville.

Wilson is clearly a quick learner. Check the highlights: he’s become adept at not just going up and catching the ball, but using his body to box out defensive backs like the forward he was on the basketball court. While he might have the body type of Calvin Johnson, his game is reminiscent of a recent SEC receiving great: current Chicago Bear and former South Carolina Gamecock Alshon Jeffery.

Full disclosure: I’m a major Alshon fan. He’s one of the most enjoyable football players I’ve ever watched in person. A common refrain when watching Jeffery catch passes for South Carolina: “Alshon’s always open.”

In college, Jeffery’s bear trap hands, leaping ability and ability to high-point any throw that came within his vicinity made him an unstoppable weapon whenever South Carolina got within striking distance. All of these traits are evidenced watching Wilson, making him perhaps the deadliest red-zone target in the SEC, as Jeffery once was.

Of course, Jeffery was a bit farther along in his development when he got to Carolina than Wilson was when he arrived in Starkville. Other than touchdowns, Jeffery’s line from his freshman year (46 catches, 763 yards) are close to what De’Runnya is on pace for.

If Dak Prescott sticks around for his senior season, he’ll have a real monster to throw the ball to for his final go-round. Jeffery exploded for 88 catches, 1,517 yards and 9 touchdowns as a sophomore. If Wilson continues along his current path comes anywhere close to approaching those totals, he’ll shatter the school’s receiving records.

As this season progresses, Wilson has become more of a consistent weapon for the Bulldogs. In Mississippi State’s first five games, each of Wilson’s 14 receptions went for either a first down or a touchdown. After the Auburn win, that numbers he’s down to 16 of 18, a measly 88.9 percent. Prescott is looking for him more and more each week, and Wilson has been crucial with senior Jameon Lewis out the last two games.

Mississippi State’s coaches, from Gonzales up to Dan Mullen, believe the sky is the limit for Wilson as he continues to learn the game and improves his route running and coverage recognition. His massive natural advantages are only going to become harder to defend as he becomes  a more skilled player.

Whether he develops into Jeffery or Megatron, Wilson will be a force to be reckoned with going forward.