Under Kevin Sumlin’s direction, there will never be such a thing as having too many receivers at Texas A&M. Signing the top-rated athlete in the country in 2013, Ricky Seals-Jones, to play receiver didn’t stop the Aggies from pulling the top-rated receiver in the country in 2014, Speedy Noil, and having those two didn’t give the Aggies pause when going after Christian Kirk, another top-five receiver, in 2015.

Seals-Jones didn’t have much of an impact in his debut season, missing most of the year with injury. The same can’t be said for Noil, who developed quickly into a consistent threat. Will Kirk be able to make a similar impact as Noil did? As a freshman, the New Orleans native racked up 46 catches, 583 yards and five touchdowns and was a threat in the return game.

After a strong spring, it seems like Kirk has a chance to be an impact player. Let’s see how he stacks up to Noil in 2014.

Readiness

Both Noil and Kirk were early enrollees, and both impressed teammates and coaches early in their careers. Last year, senior receiver Malcome Kennedy gushed over Noil’s abilities, calling him a “beast” while praising his skills and fundamentals.

This spring, Kirk showed coaches what he was made of early. He made it through strength coach Larry Jackson’s notoriously intense workouts and then some, and coaches were impressed with how ready his body is for the college game. He’s already picked up many of the intricacies of the offense and heading into the season seems just as ready for the game as Noil was, if not more so.

Role

When Noil came in a year ago, he was doing so as a “slash” player, having worked at running back, quarterback and receiver in high school. It took some time to figure out where he would play — on the outside as a deep threat, as a Tavon Austin-like player, as a special teams demon. He eventually carved out a role doing a bit of all three, but there was some indecision early on as Noil impressed in just about everything he did.

Kirk already has a pretty defined role before playing a single regular-season snap. Barring something crazy when fall practice arrives, he’s going to start as the inside slot receiver, where he has a chance to do some real damage. Kirk developed a nice chemistry with fellow Arizona native Kyle Allen in spring ball, and practice observers called him a security blanket for the sophomore quarterback, and he already knows how to use his abilities to get separation and make plays underneath the defense.

Non-offense uses

Both of these receivers have the skills to be devastating special teams weapons. Noil was A&M’s full-time kick and punt returner last year, and it feels like a major upset that he didn’t break any of his returns for touchdowns; it certainly felt like he was close on many occasions. Kirk probably isn’t going to unseat Noil for the kick return spot, but he could be a better option fielding punts. Kirk has the footwork and elusiveness to excel in tight situations, which could make him very dangerous in a crowd while returning punts.

Overall impact

Noil was excellent as a freshman, and he found ways to feast in a crowded receiving corps even with several other players occupying a similar role. Kirk is going to be the top option in the slot, and there’s not another Aggies receiver with the same abilities that he has at that position. With the way Texas A&M likes to throw the ball — getting it out quickly and letting the receivers do much of the work — Kirk could be in for an even bigger season than Noil. If he handles SEC defenders the same way he did in spring practice, registering more than 50 catches should be a cinch.