Ben and Jennifer. Kanye and Kim. Britney and Justin. Shaq and Kobe. Some people will always be linked together.

No matter how you slice it, once society links you with a peer, it becomes all but impossible to shake the label. As it deals with SEC football, well, football in general, the names Julio Jones and A.J. Green are as synonymous with each as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. 

For the better part of a decade, the question has repeatedly been broached: who is the better receiver?

Both competed for the title of best receiver in high school football by all the major recruiting publications circa 2008. Then the pair were consistently linked as they inked with, perhaps, the two most prominent schools in the SEC, and they even got to play against each other in a game that signified a change of the guard as Jones’ Alabama squad torched Green’s Georgia team when the former was still looking to climb back amongst the elite in college football.

I remember it being an uber-exciting time as the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Green made contortionist like catches in the air for future No. 1-overall pick, quarterback Matthew Stafford, while the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Jones displayed a brilliant mesh of power and speed for an offense that was built for a physical ground attack.

And both wore the No. 8 jersey.

Fast forward to present day, two freshmen sporting the No. 3, Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk, are beginning to generate similar attention for a couple of high-profile SEC schools, Alabama and Texas A&M, respectively.

And you can bet your bottom dollar that before it’s all said and done with, we will be linking the two like their superstar wide receiver predecessors.

But where Jones and Green captured the imagination of the public with their respective freaky size and athleticism combination, Kirk and Ridley are traditional-sized receivers who are getting the job done behind masterful technique, much like the past couple of receivers to wreck the SEC, Amari Cooper (Bama) and Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU).

Calvin Ridley: talent and technique

The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Ridley was the No. 1-ranked receiver prospect and No. 11-overall at any position, according to the reputable recruiting service 247Sports. A Pompano Bleach, Fla., native, Ridley was said to have “best WR in the country type talent,” according to Bama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

This is significant because Kiffin is the premier groomer of talent at the position dating to his days as the WR coach at the Southern California. He took it a step further after Ridley’s breakout game against, you guessed it, the Georgia Bulldogs.

“Calvin has really kind of showed some elite talent of guys over the years we’ve been able to be around. A couple of Biletnikoff winners and a bunch of All-Americans, he’s shown that talent,” Kiffin said, according to AL.com. “Now there’s a long way to go to get to that level, but his speed when he catches the ball and his transition, if he does the other things all the way through, which is a lot, he’s going to be really special.”

Ridley got off to a slow start as fellow former No. 1 overall receiver Robert Foster was deemed the heir apparent to Cooper’s throne, but when he was lost for the season, Ridley quickly showed up and showed out.

RidleySluggo

Here we see Ridley cookin’ Arkansas on a Slant-and-Go route; his fluidity is uncanny.

Ridley really reminds me of Cooper as his transitions are flawless, and his ability to chain together moves makes him a tough cover with man principles. One thing that must be pointed out is that Ridley turns 21 in December, making him, roughly, only six months younger than Cooper.

Not to take anything away from his game, as he’s as polished as you’ll ever see for a true freshman, but his advanced age must be accounted for.

But he’s a future star if I’ve ever seen one.

Christian Kirk perfect in Air Raid

As a five-star recruit himself, and the No. 4 overall receiver in the 2015 class according to 247Sports, Kirk hit the scene in explosive fashion in an offense designed around receivers, the “Air Raid” scheme.

Armed with, perhaps, the most talented young QB in the country in Kyle Allen — very similar to what Green had as a freshman — Kirk was immediately put on display despite the wealth of talent the Aggies returned with their receiving corps.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Scottsdale, Ariz., native has one of the quickest zero-to-60 accelerations I’ve studied on tape, and he appears to be pretty physical, to boot. And much like the player he most reminds me of, Beckham, he’s as big of a threat on special teams as he is on offense.

He just needs the ball in his hands.

KirkCrosserTD

Aggies coordinator Jake Spavital does a fantastic job of getting the rock to Kirk by way of the quick game, Wildcat packages, reverses and other misdirection-type plays — like in the above sequence.

And once his hands are on the pill, his unique blend of quickness and track speed makes it feel as though a touchdown is imminent.

It’s crazy to think we’re just a handful of games into both of their careers and they’re already this polished and accomplished. I love Ridley when the ball is in flight;  I love how explosive Kirk is with his run after the catch.

These two will be compared to each other for the next dozen or so years if it all goes according to plan, and I, for one, can’t wait to see it all unfold.